Growth Lead, Air Force

Thread AI; United States; Remote; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Thread AI, based in New York with a federal focus, seeks a growth-focused executive to own a portfolio of Air Force opportunities. You will drive pursuits from qualification through award, coordinating across technical and commercial teams to secure funded outcomes.

The role demands deep Air Force relationships, proven pipeline discipline, and the ability to articulate AI workflow value to buyers. It is a full-time, remote US position with significant travel and strategic impact.

Qualifications

• Five or more years owning growth, business development or sales to US defense customers, with responsibility for a revenue target.
• Funded software or technology awards you personally helped originate and win.
• Deep knowledge and current customer relationships within at least one relevant part of the Air Force, such as a mission area, command, program office or acquisition organization.
• Working knowledge of Air Force software acquisition and budgeting, including the roles of operational users, research sponsors and program offices in funding and adopting a capability.
• Evidence that you built pipeline and independently led pursuits through capture, proposals and award.
• Clear writing and product judgment. Explain AI workflows and their limits to customers, and turn a conversation into an actionable pursuit plan.

Responsibilities

• Develop Air Force sponsors and buyers around a defined software use case. Connect an operational or research evaluation to the organization that can fund ongoing use.
• Build pipeline from a focused account list. Qualify the need, funding, buying path and next customer decision.
• Shape opportunities early, choose acquisition and teaming paths, and connect evaluations to follow-on buyers and budgets.
• Own capture plans and proposals. Write the commercial case and coordinate technical, pricing and legal contributions.
• Lead discovery and initial Lemma demonstrations. Plan deeper evaluations with technical support and agree on success criteria and delivery capacity.
• Lead negotiations and close funded awards within your delegated authority. Develop expansion opportunities from evidence of customer results.
• Maintain an accurate forecast and hand delivery a clear record of scope, assumptions and customer commitments.

Skills

US defense sales

Account ownership

Pipeline development

Negotiation skills

Federal procurement

Job description

About Thread AI

Thread AI is focused on building an AI orchestration engine and is looking for dedicated individuals to join its growing team. Our goal is to make infrastructure simple for enterprises and public sector agencies seeking to get the most from AI and AI Agents.

Headquartered in New York, our growing team is a group of experts who have a track record of creating and executing against complex workflows and infrastructure.

About the role

You will develop an Air Force portfolio for Lemma, Thread AI’s AI workflow orchestration platform. Your focus will be mission planning and enterprise AI workflows where teams need to connect existing data and software to make operational decisions.

You will own a focused portfolio within the Air Force, with the initial accounts and mission areas agreed with Thread’s federal leadership before you start. You will develop adjacent opportunities as you identify where Lemma can help.

You will carry a bookings target for your portfolio. This is an individual contributor role: you own daily pursuits through award, coordinating technical and commercial contributors. Contract delivery owns execution after award; you retain the commercial relationship and expansion responsibility.

• Develop Air Force sponsors and buyers around a defined software use case. Connect an operational or research evaluation to the organization that can fund ongoing use.

• Build pipeline from a focused account list. Qualify the need, funding, buying path and next customer decision.

• Shape opportunities early, choose acquisition and teaming paths, and connect evaluations to follow-on buyers and budgets.

• Own capture plans and proposals. Write the commercial case and coordinate technical, pricing and legal contributions.

• Lead discovery and initial Lemma demonstrations. Plan deeper evaluations with technical support and agree on success criteria and delivery capacity.

• Lead negotiations and close funded awards within your delegated authority. Develop expansion opportunities from evidence of customer results.

• Maintain an accurate forecast and hand delivery a clear record of scope, assumptions and customer commitments.

What we’re looking for

• Five or more years owning growth, business development or sales to US defense customers, with responsibility for a revenue target. We consider equivalent experience demonstrating the same commercial ownership.

• Funded software or technology awards you personally helped originate and win. You can explain the buyer, obligated funding and your contribution.

• Deep knowledge and current customer relationships within at least one relevant part of the Air Force, such as a mission area, command, program office or acquisition organization. Show how those relationships have helped you advance software buying decisions.

• Working knowledge of Air Force software acquisition and budgeting, including the roles of operational users, research sponsors and program offices in funding and adopting a capability.

• Evidence that you built pipeline and independently led pursuits through capture, proposals and award.

• Clear writing and product judgment. Explain AI workflows and their limits to customers, and turn a conversation into an actionable pursuit plan.

Relevant backgrounds include defense-software Growth or BD and strategic federal sales. Military, government and technical program experience is welcome alongside the commercial experience above. Previous people management is not required.

Nice to haves

• Experience winning awards through an OTA, CSO, SBIR Phase II or III, or BAA.

• Air Force operational, intelligence, enterprise IT or acquisition experience paired with commercial software wins.

• Experience selling AI/data, cyber, mission systems or readiness software to Air Force customers.

• Experience as an early seller at a software startup, building a territory before a mature sales process existed.

• A record of moving a prototype or research effort into funded operational use and expanding into adjacent accounts.

Why Thread AI

You will work directly with federal leadership and the team building Lemma. You will develop a defined portfolio and help establish how Thread sells to federal customers. What you learn in pursuits and evaluations will inform the product.

We’re committed to creating a space where our employees can bring their full selves to work and have equal opportunity to succeed. So regardless of race, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, religion, origin, ability, or age, we encourage you to apply!

Compensation

The annual base pay range is $180,000-$250,000. Total on-target earnings are $280,000-$400,000, including base and variable pay, plus equity.

An active U.S. Secret security clearance or higher is preferred, but not required.

Applicant must be a U.S. citizen or national or U.S. lawful, permanent resident.

This is a full-time, remote position based in the United States. Washington, DC area preferred.

Travel: Up to 50%.