Sales Manager (Hybrid)

Thales España; Madrid; Hybrid; EUR 85,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Thales España is seeking a seasoned Sales Manager for the Defence sector. You will drive business growth by identifying opportunities with the Spanish Ministry of Defence and Armed Forces, managing complex sales cycles, and building long-term institutional relationships.

You will coordinate with engineering, bid management, legal, and finance teams to craft competitive proposals and navigate governance and risk processes.

Qualifications

• Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Economics or related field.
• 5–7 years of experience in B2G sales, business development, or capture management.
• Proven experience with Spanish Ministry of Defence and public sector procurement.
• Fluent English and Spanish; eligibility for security clearance.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a commercial roadmap aligned with national defence priorities.
• Identify, pursue, and capture opportunities with MoD, Armed Forces and agencies.
• Lead end-to-end sales cycles, including proposals, negotiations and contracts.
• Collaborate with internal teams and international network to tailor offerings.

Skills

B2G sales

Strategic selling

Stakeholder management

Contract negotiations

Travel willingness

Public procurement

Security clearance

Fluent English

Education

Engineering degree

MBA

Master’s in Defence

Job description

Location: Madrid, Spain Thales people architect solutions at the heart of the defence-security continuum. Interoperable and secure information and telecommunications systems for defence, security, and civil operators, are based upon innovative use of radiocommunications, networks, and cybersecurity. We are ground breaking new digital technologies such as 4G mobile communications, cryptography, cloud computing and big data for use in physical protection systems, and critical information systems. Thales in Spain is a leader in technological solutions applied to Defence, Aeronautics, Security, Transportation and Space and, furthermore, is a global centre for excellence in Space, Security of Critical Infrastructures and Transportation. With a turnover of €320 million and a staff of 1,200, it exports approximately 40% of its total production principally to the Middle East, North Africa and Latin America. In Defence and security, armed forces, governments and global organisations entrust Thales with helping them achieve and maintain security, tactical superiority and strategic independence in the face of any type of threat. In an increasingly unpredictable world, governments rely on our expertise to protect their citizens and make the world safer, from designing smart sensors and connecting soldiers on the digital battlefield to delivering solutions that protect states, cities and critical infrastructures. In Spain, Thales Sistemas is specialized in Command and Control systems, Tactical Communications and Modeling and Simulation addressing solutions in the domain of Defense and Security. Thales is the Spanish leader in tactical Land CIS (Communication and Information Systems) covering all the product life cycle (design, development, production, ILS). Based in Leganés, Thales Sistemas employs a highly specialized workforce of more than 100 people, most of them engineers that participate in the following activities:

• Communications and Information Systems (CIS) to support Command function and Decision Making:
• Embedded electronics for military aircraft
• Tactical Communications
• Radio Navigation Aids for air traffic

The Sales Manager will be responsible for developing and executing Thales Spain’s commercial strategy for the Defence sector, with a primary focus on the Spanish Ministry of Defence, the Spanish Armed Forces, and key national defence stakeholders. The role will drive business growth by identifying and capturing new opportunities, managing complex sales cycles, building long-term institutional relationships, and positioning Thales’ advanced defence solutions in support of Spain’s defence modernization programmes.

Key Responsibilities

Business Development & Sales Strategy

• Develop and implement a commercial roadmap aligned with Thales’ global defence priorities and Spain’s national defence plans.
• Identify, qualify, and pursue new business opportunities with the Spanish Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces, and relevant public agencies.
• Build and manage capture plans for strategic opportunities, ensuring alignment between customer needs, Thales capabilities, and competitive positioning.
• Develop strategic partnerships with Spanish defence industry players.
• Conduct market intelligence to anticipate future defence requirements, budget priorities, procurement plans, and competitor activity.

Institutional & Stakeholder Relations

• Act as a key commercial interface with the Spanish Ministry of Defence, the Armed Forces — Army, Navy, Air Force — and relevant agencies, including DGAM.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with decision-makers, influencers, technical stakeholders, procurement authorities, and industrial partners.
• Represent Thales Spain in defence exhibitions, industry forums, customer meetings, and institutional events such as FEINDEF and EUROSATORY.
• Promote Thales’ defence portfolio and value proposition in line with customer priorities and national industrial objectives.

Complex Sales Cycle Management

• Lead end-to-end sales and tender processes, from opportunity identification and capture strategy to proposal submission, negotiation, and contract signature.
• Coordinate internal teams, including engineering, bid management, legal, finance, operations, contracts, and programme management and develop compliant technical and commercial proposals.
• Lead negotiations with customers and partners, ensuring alignment with Thales’ governance and risk processes.

Internal & External Collaboration

• Work with Thales Spain teams and international network to deliver competitive solutions.
• Coordinate with business lines to adapt offerings to customer needs and support key presentations and approvals.

Experience, Knowledge & Skills

• Degree in Engineering, Business Administration, Economics, International Relations, or a related field. A technical background in Aerospace, Telecommunications, Electronics, Naval Systems, Defence Systems, or similar areas will be highly valued.
• A Master’s degree in Defence, International Business, Public Administration, or an MBA would be a plus.
• Minimum of 5–7 years of experience in B2G sales, business development, account management, or capture management, preferably in the defence, aerospace, security, or high-technology sectors.
• Proven experience working with the Spanish Ministry of Defence, Spanish Armed Forces, public-sector procurement processes, or major defence industry stakeholders.
• Previous service as a member of the Spanish Armed Forces, would be highly valued.
• Strong understanding of Spanish defence procurement, public tenders, industrial partnerships, and the national defence ecosystem.
• Willingness to travel within Spain and internationally.
• Eligibility to obtain Spanish and NATO Secret security clearance for handling classified information.
• High standards of integrity, compliance, confidentiality, and ethical conduct.
• You must have fluent English level (B2+) and high or native level of Spanish.

Valuable

• French would be a plus.

The ideal candidate will combine strong commercial experience, knowledge of the Spanish defence market, the ability to build trusted institutional relationships, and sufficient technical understanding to position Thales’ defence solutions effectively. The candidate should be proactive, customer-oriented, results-driven, and capable of operating successfully in a complex international organization.

What do we offer?

• Flexible working hours.
• Intensive working days on Fridays and during summer.
• Remote-friendly – 2 days a week working from home.
• Restaurant allowance and social benefits (health insurance, kindergarden).
• Free coffee at the office.

Thales is a company that promotes equal opportunities. All qualified candidates will be considered for the position regardless of their race, color, religion, sex, nationality, ancestry, pregnancy, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, status as a protected veteran, medical condition or disability, or any other characteristic protected by law. At Thales we provide CAREERS and not only jobs. With Thales employing 80,000 employees in 68 countries our mobility policy enables thousands of employees each year to develop their careers at home and abroad, in their existing areas of expertise or by branching out into new fields. Together we believe that embracing flexibility is a smarter way of working.