At a Glance
- Tasks: Drive sales and secure defence contracts for cutting-edge AI solutions in the UK.
- Company: Join a fast-growing deeptech startup revolutionising defence operations with real-time AI.
- Benefits: Permanent contract, competitive salary, and opportunities for professional growth.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities to engage with military and defence institutions.
- Why this job: Be at the forefront of AI innovation in defence and make a significant impact.
- Qualifications: 5-10 years in defence sales with a strong track record in complex deal closures.
The predicted salary is between 80000 - 100000 £ 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.
Our product suite includes:
- 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 programs 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
- 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
- Map European defense 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 localization strategies for key European countries
- 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 defense sales, business development, capture management, or program engagement
- Strong track record selling to MODs, procurement agencies, or armed forces
- Experience in defense tech companies, primes, or ideally neoprimes (e.g., Anduril, Helsing, Palantir, Shield AI, or equivalent)
- Deep understanding of defense 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
- 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)
- Experience in a neoprime or high-growth defense startup
- Experience in NATO procurement or European Defence Fund (EDF) programs
- 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 - H/F employer: Apeiron
At Alta Ares, we pride ourselves on being a pioneering deeptech startup at the forefront of AI for defense operations. Our dynamic work culture fosters innovation and collaboration, providing employees with unique opportunities to grow within a rapidly expanding sector. With a commitment to employee development and a focus on meaningful contributions to national security, we offer an exciting environment for those looking to make a significant impact in the defense industry.
