Founding Deployment Strategist, Defense

Schemata; Washington (Washington County); Hybrid; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive salary

Equity stake

Health coverage

401(k)

Job summary

Schemata seeks a Founding Deployment Strategist to diagnose real DoW problems, design deployment plans, and own the account from first contact through adoption and expansion. You’ll embed with warfighters, program managers, and contracting officers to ensure a tight handoff to our engineering team and successful deployment.

You will navigate DoW acquisition cycles, coordinate delivery, and drive growth across DoW programs while maintaining strong customer relationships on-site and in the field.

Qualifications

• Experience in DoD contracting and FAR/SBIR/STTR/OTAs.
• Consultative, solution-oriented selling in technical domains.
• Ability to scope technical solutions and coordinate with engineering teams.

Responsibilities

• Diagnose real DoW workflow problems by embedding with field personnel.
• Design deployment plans pairing spatial AI with customer problems and handoff to delivery teams.
• Own account from first contact through deployment, adoption and expansion.
• Navigate DoW acquisition cycles (RFPs, OTAs, SBIR/STTR) and related processes.
• Measure usage post-deployment and identify expansion opportunities within accounts.
• Build durable relationships with warfighters and program stakeholders.
• Maintain pipeline accuracy in CRM and report deal status honestly.

Skills

DoD contracting

Consultative selling

Solution scoping

Geospatial knowledge

US citizenship

Security clearance

Education

Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or similar)

Job description

Help us build the world's best spatial intelligence products

Founding Deployment Strategist, Defense

Location

Washington

Employment Type

Full time

Location Type

Hybrid

Department

BD

About Schemata

At Schemata, we are transforming the $400 B virtual‑training and simulation market by fusing 3D computer vision, neural rendering and large multimodal models inside highly regulated industries. Our platform delivers photorealistic, intelligent 3D experiences, demanding robust spatial reasoning, high‑performance data pipelines and seamless integration between traditional graphics and AI‑driven perception.

Role Overview

We're seeking a Deployment Strategist to diagnose real problems for target DoW units, design deployment plans pairing Schemata's 3D reconstruction and AI capabilities to those problems, and own the account from first contact through adoption and expansion. You'll work closely with our forward deployed engineering (FDE) team — together, you scope and shape the solution, they build it, and you manage the relationship. A signed contract is a milestone, not the finish line: your job continues through deployment, adoption, and growing the account into new units and programs.

What you do

Diagnose real workflow and mission problems by embedding with warfighters, program managers, and contracting officers — not just gathering requirements, but understanding the job to be done

Design a deployment plan that pairs Schemata's spatial AI capabilities to the problem, and scope the technical solution with our FDE/engineering team so delivery starts from an accurate handoff

Own pursuits and accounts end-to-end: first conversation, contract, deployment, adoption, and expansion into additional units or programs

Navigate DoW acquisition cycles: RFPs, OTAs, SBIR/STTR, and everything in between

Measure usage and adoption after deployment, and use that signal to identify expansion opportunities within the account

Build durable relationships with warfighters, program stakeholders, and champions on-site

Maintain pipeline discipline: keep the CRM current and report deal and deployment status honestly

Who you are

DoW/government contracting experience or fluency: FAR, SBIR/STTR, OTAs, and contract vehicles

Consultative, solution-oriented approach to selling in a technical domain — you can translate a capability into a mission use-case

Ability to scope a technical solution and coordinate delivery with an engineering/FDE team. You don't need to write the code, but you need to hand off an accurate, well-scoped problem and stay involved through delivery

Self-starter who doesn't need a playbook to get started — you help write it

US citizenship and the ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance (or an active clearance)

Who thrives here

You think in outcomes, not just outputs. A demo isn't a win. A signed contract isn't the finish line either — real usage is

You want to be the connective tissue between the field and the technical team, not purely a closer who hands off and moves on

You're comfortable being embedded — on-site, in the weeds of a customer's actual workflow, not just running a sales process from a desk

You can defend your read of a problem under pushback without getting defensive, and you adjust when the evidence says you're wrong

What success looks like

(Directional, not exhaustive — specific targets are set with your manager)

Rapidly identify and validate real DoW use-cases for our platform, faster than the current baseline ramp

Build a qualified pipeline of DoW opportunities and close new contracts

Stand up early pilots that see real, ongoing usage — not just signed paper

Grow initial beachhead accounts into relationships spanning additional DoW components or programs over time

Nice to haves

Existing DoW network or relationships

Technical background: geospatial, 3D reconstruction, computer vision, or similar

Startup or scale-up business development experience

Active security clearance

Veteran or DoW experience

Advanced degree (MBA, MS, or similar)

Why Join Us?

Competitive salary that reflects your experience and track record

Meaningful equity stake in a high-growth, venture-backed defense tech startup, so you share in the upside you help create

Comprehensive health coverage: medical, dental, and vision insurance

401(k) plan

Paid parental leave

High visibility and real impact: Collaborate with world-class engineers and researchers in a high-ownership environment.

Experience the future of spatial intelligence