Force Lead (Federal Agency)

Darley; Itasca (IL); On-site; USD 150,000 - 190,000; Full time

Job summary

W.S. Darley & Co. seeks a senior Force Lead to expand our Federal Agency portfolio, shaping strategy and cultivating trusted relationships within Government programs. The role emphasizes on-site engagement with federal acquisition, program management, and industry partners.

The ideal candidate is retired or senior-level with deep knowledge of federal operations, acquisition systems, and a proven ability to lead teams, set direction, and win opportunities across the US government.

Qualifications

• Retired or senior-level government/military leadership experience.
• Experience with federal acquisition processes and contracts.
• Ability to lead a sales/engagement team with strategic oversight.

Responsibilities

• Understand Darley products, services, and value proposition for government sales.
• Develop and execute plans to meet revenue objectives with the assigned team.
• Lead the sales team with coaching and performance enhancement.
• Schedule effective team calls and manage tasks, reporting, and expectations.
• Build and maintain relationships with key federal customers and partners.
• Analyze sales data and federal sources to forecast opportunities and set direction.
• Monitor competitor activity to inform strategy for the division.
• Prepare presentations and proposals communicating value to clients.
• Manage sales operations: budgets, quotas, customer engagement, Salesforce usage.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Finance, Legal, and Product Development.
• Ensure compliance with government sales regulations and Darley policies.
• Attract, hire, and retain sales resources aligned with goals.

Skills

Public speaking

Team leadership

Strategic planning

Communication

Customer relationship

CRM systems

Organizational skills

Financial acumen

Education

Bachelor’s degree in government or military leadership

Master’s degree in business or defense strategy

Top Secret clearance preferred

Tools

MS Office (Excel)

Job description

Description

W.S. Darley & Co. is seeking a highly qualified Force Lead to support and grow our Federal Agency portfolio. The ideal candidate is a retired or senior-level government agency professional with deep understanding of federal agency operations, acquisition systems, and industry engagement. This individual will serve as a key leader in expanding Darley’s presence across Federal agencies, shaping strategy, identifying opportunities, and building trusted relationships. This position is based in or near Washington D.C. and requires regular on-site engagement with Federal agency acquisition, program management, and industry partners.

About W.S. Darley & Co

Founded in 1908, W.S. Darley & Co. (Darley) remains a family owned and operated business, supplying the highest quality equipment solutions to its military and first responder customers. With origins in the equipment distribution and Midwest manufacturing, Darley offers a family of leading innovate emergency equipment brands and innovative solutions. Darley prides itself on delivering the highest quality solutions and services from its corporate headquarters in Itasca, IL and its’ ISO 9001:2015 certified manufacturing operations in Chippewa Falls, WI and Janesville, IA.

Job Responsibilities

• Understand Darley products, services, contract benefits and value proposition and enthusiastically communicate these during direct sales activities.
• Develop and implement the execution plan of assigned team to meet or exceed the business objectives and/or revenue goals for a given period of time.
• Lead and manage the sales team, providing coaching, training, and support to achieve sales goals and improve performance of the individuals and the collective team.
• Hold effective team calls, enforcing accountabilities of tasks, reporting, awareness and expectations for both short term (1-3 weeks ahead) and long term (4-12 weeks ahead) activities.
• Establish and maintain strong, long-lasting relationships with key customers and partners, understanding their business objectives and needs.
• Analyze sales data internal to the Company and from DLA to identify open opportunities/targets, trends, forecast future sales, and make proactive adjustments to achieve goals.
• Monitor competitor activity to identify new opportunities and inform sales strategies and planning for the Division Leadership Team and cross-functional Managers.
• Prepare and deliver sales presentations and proposals effectively communicating value propositions to potential clients, and teach, train and observe your team to do the same.
• Manage sales operations that includes: 1) Developing sales budgets, 2) Setting sales quotas, 3) Ensuring Customer engagement frequency and 4) Overseeing the proper and accurate use of Salesforce (CRM system).
• Collaborate with other departments like Marketing, Finance, Legal, and Product Development to ensure alignment and maximize sales efforts.
• Ensure compliance with all relevant regulations, policies, and procedures related to Government Sales and Darley operations.
• Attract, hire and retain sales resources aligned with sales plan and strategic goals.

Travel

Ability to travel up to 40% including to federal agency outposts.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree (or extensive experience in US Govt / US Military leadership roles)
• Master's degree in Business related study or Defense Strategic Studies
• Top Secret Security Clearance preferred

Experience

• Retired government or military with acquisition, government procurement or supply experience
• 5-10 years of experience selling to government agencies or working in acquisition fields inside the government
• Working experience with MS Office suite of products, especially Excel to perform business analysis and reporting
• Understanding of government contracts and purchasing vehicle

Skills

• Command presence / strong public speaking ability
• Highly organized and able to multi-task
• Excellent written and oral communication
• Team Builder
• Committed to providing exceptional customer service
• Understanding of basic business financial concepts
• Able to use Customer Relationship Management (CRM) systems

____________________________________________________________________________________________

AAP/EEO Statement

Darley is an equal opportunity organization. We recruit, employ, train, compensate, and promote without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, marital status, disability, protected veteran status, or any other basis protected by applicable federal, state, or local law