At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive commercial expansion in defence sales and secure contracts across the UK.
- Company: Join a fast-growing deeptech startup revolutionising AI for defence operations.
- Benefits: Permanent contract with competitive salary and opportunities for growth.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities to engage with military and tech stakeholders.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI innovation in defence and make a real impact.
- Qualifications: 5-10 years in defence sales with a strong track record in complex deal closures.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
About Alta Ares
Alta Ares is a deeptech startup founded in 2024, building real-time AI for defense operations — ISR, C-UAS, and autonomous systems. Our clients are NATO-aligned militaries and defence institutions, with regular deployments during live exercises and operational demonstrations. We raised €2M seed in May 2025, 50M in June 2026, and are expanding fast.
Product Suite
- Real-time AI ISR module deployable on drones and tactical platforms
- Counter‑UAS solution enabling autonomous drone takeover in GNSS‑denied environments
- Full‑stack MLOps platform for training & deploying military‑grade AI models
- Data fusion and trajectory prediction
Position Details
Location: UK‑based (UK), mobility required
Reports to: CEO and Executive Board/Comex
Position objective: Drive Alta Ares’ commercial expansion across the United Kingdom by securing defense contracts, building relationships with procurement agencies, and positioning Alta Ares as a category‑defining leader in AI‑enabled defense systems. We are looking for a high‑performance sales leader with a strong background in the defense industry, ideally with experience in neoprimes or advanced defense tech companies.
Contract: CDI (permanent contract)
Role & Mission
Defense Sales & Business Development
- Own the sales pipeline across UK MOD, procurement agencies, and armed forces
- Lead qualification, opportunity shaping, proposal management, and contract negotiations
- Identify and drive multi‑million programmes across ISR, C‑UAS, autonomy, and AI
- Establish a repeatable sales motion with clear forecasting and metrics
- Convert tactical demos and pilot deployments into scalable contracts
Customer & Partner Relationships
- Build trusted relationships with military users, procurement officers, and program managers
- Engage with primes, neoprimes, integrators, and defense engineering firms
- Develop and manage channel partnerships where relevant
- Conduct regular on‑site visits, field demos, and customer workshops across Europe
Market Expansion & Strategic Development
- Map European defence markets: budgets, procurement cycles, capability gaps
- Shape requirements for upcoming tenders and influence capability roadmaps
- Provide competitive intelligence and product feedback to engineering & founders
- Support localisation strategies for key European countries
Cross‑functional Collaboration
- Work closely with Engineering, Product, and Operations teams to align demos, deployments, and delivery
- Help refine pricing strategy, sales collateral, and customer‑facing documentation
- Contribute to showcasing Alta Ares at major defense exhibitions (Eurosatory, DSEI, MSPO, IDEX, etc.)
Candidate Profile
- 5–10 years of experience in defence sales, business development, capture management, or programme engagement
- Strong track record selling to MODs, procurement agencies, or armed forces
- Experience in defence tech companies, primes, or ideally neoprimes (e.g., Anduril, Helsing, Palantir, Shield‑AI, or equivalent)
- Deep understanding of defence procurement cycles and bidding processes
- Demonstrated ability to close complex deals in multi‑stakeholder environments
- Experience working with drones, C‑UAS, ISR, AI autonomy, or adjacent systems is a major plus
Skills & Qualities
- Strong hunter profile with resilience and deal‑making mindset
- Ability to translate technical capabilities into operational value
- Excellent relationship‑building with military and technical stakeholders
- High integrity, discretion, and understanding of security culture
- Entrepreneurial spirit: able to operate in fast‑moving, resource‑efficient environments
- Bilingual English + another European language (French strongly preferred)
Nice to Have
- Experience in a neoprime or high‑growth defence startup
- Experience in NATO procurement or European Defence Fund (EDF) programmes
- Former military service (officer or NCO)
- Knowledge of operational C‑UAS, ISR, or AI workflows
- Existing network inside European MODs and procurement bodies
- Ability to support deployments and demos in live environments
Defense Sales UK employer: Alta Ares
At Alta Ares, we pride ourselves on being a pioneering deeptech startup at the forefront of AI innovation for defense operations. Our dynamic work culture fosters collaboration and creativity, providing employees with unique opportunities to grow within a fast-expanding company that is shaping the future of military technology. With a focus on meaningful contributions and a commitment to employee development, we offer an exciting environment for those looking to make a significant impact in the defense sector.
