Growth Lead, Navy

About the Role

You will develop a Navy portfolio for Lemma, Thread AI’s AI workflow orchestration platform. Your focus will be mission-data and readiness workflows where better connections between existing systems can help Navy teams make decisions and carry out their work.

You will own a focused portfolio within the Navy, with the initial accounts and mission areas agreed with Thread’s federal leadership before you start. You will develop adjacent opportunities as you identify where Lemma can help.

You will carry a bookings target for your portfolio. This is an individual contributor role: you own daily pursuits through award, coordinating technical and commercial contributors. Contract delivery owns execution after award; you retain the commercial relationship and expansion responsibility.

• Build relationships with Navy research and acquisition teams, warfare centers and fleet users. Connect technical interest to a program sponsor and a funded buying decision.
• Build pipeline from a focused account list. Qualify the need, funding, buying path and next customer decision.
• Shape opportunities early, choose acquisition and teaming paths, and connect evaluations to follow-on buyers and budgets.
• Own capture plans and proposals. Write the commercial case and coordinate technical, pricing and legal contributions.
• Lead discovery and initial Lemma demonstrations. Plan deeper evaluations with technical support and agree on success criteria and delivery capacity.
• Lead negotiations and close funded awards within your delegated authority. Develop expansion opportunities from evidence of customer results.
• Maintain an accurate forecast and hand delivery a clear record of scope, assumptions and customer commitments.

What We’re Looking for

• Five or more years owning growth, business development or sales to US defense customers, with responsibility for a revenue target. We consider equivalent experience demonstrating the same commercial ownership.
• Funded software or technology awards you personally helped originate and win. You can explain the buyer, obligated funding and your contribution.
• Deep knowledge and current customer relationships within at least one relevant part of the Navy, such as a mission area, command, program office or acquisition organization. Show how those relationships have helped you advance software buying decisions.
• Working knowledge of Navy software acquisition and budgeting, including how research and technical evaluations connect to program-office funding and operational use.
• Evidence that you built pipeline and independently led pursuits through capture, proposals and award.
• Clear writing and product judgment. Explain AI workflows and their limits to customers, and turn a conversation into an actionable pursuit plan.

Additional information

Relevant backgrounds include defense-software Growth or BD and strategic federal sales. Military, government and technical program experience is welcome alongside the commercial experience above. Previous people management is not required.

Nice to Haves

• Experience winning awards through an OTA, CSO, SBIR Phase II or III, or BAA.
• Navy operational, acquisition or resource-sponsor experience paired with commercial software wins.
• Experience with maritime mission systems, readiness or sustainment workflows.
• Experience as an early seller at a software startup, building a territory before a mature sales process existed.
• A record of moving a prototype or research effort into funded operational use and expanding into adjacent accounts.

Compensation

The annual base pay range is $180,000-$250,000. Total on-target earnings are $280,000-$400,000, including base and variable pay, plus equity.

An active U.S. Secret security clearance or higher is preferred, but not required.

Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national or U.S. lawful, permanent resident.

This is a full-time, remote position based in the United States. Washington, DC area preferred.

Travel: Up to 50%.