Growth Lead, Space Force

Thread AI, Inc.; New York (NY); Remote; USD 180,000 - 250,000; Full time

Job summary

Thread AI, Inc. is seeking an experienced business development leader to own a Space Force portfolio for its Lemma platform.

You will drive mission-data analysis and space-operations workflows, coordinating across technical and commercial teams to win awards and expand customer engagements. You will manage daily pursuits, qualify funding, and develop adjacent opportunities, maintaining relationships and a strong forecast.

Qualifications

• Must have five+ years owning growth or sales to US defense customers with revenue ownership.
• Funded software or technology awards you originated and won; explain funding path.
• Deep relationships within Space Force or related Space/Federal bodies.
• Knowledge of national-security-space software acquisition and budgeting.

Responsibilities

• Build relationships across national-security-space operations and acquisition.
• Develop a focused pipeline from a targeted account list and qualify funding and buying paths.
• Shape opportunities early and decide acquisition and teaming paths.
• Own capture plans, write commercial cases and coordinate pricing and legal inputs.
• Lead discovery and initial demonstrations; plan evaluations with support teams.
• Lead negotiations and close funded awards within delegated authority.
• Maintain an accurate forecast and record scope, assumptions, and commitments.

Skills

Revenue target ownership

US defense customer sales

Pipeline building

Capture & proposals

Negotiation & closing

Written communication

Explain AI workflows

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 a Space Force portfolio for Lemma, Thread AI’s AI workflow orchestration platform. Your focus will be mission-data analysis and space-operations workflows where teams need to connect information, models and existing systems.

You will own a focused portfolio within the Space 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.

• Build relationships across national-security-space operations and acquisition. Establish how a proposed workflow fits existing mission systems and who can fund its adoption after evaluation.
• 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 Space Force, such as a mission area, command, program office or acquisition organization. Show how those relationships have helped you advance software buying decisions. Relevant Air Force space experience counts; Space Force service is not required.
• Working knowledge of national-security-space software acquisition and budgeting, including how technical evaluations, mission integration and operational acceptance affect a purchase.
• 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.
• Space operations, intelligence or acquisition experience paired with commercial software wins.
• Experience selling mission-data, sensing, analytical or command-and-control software in the national-security-space market.
• 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!

Don’t meet every single requirement? If you’re excited about this role and the company but your past experience doesn’t align with every qualification, we still encourage you to apply anyway - we’d love to get to know you and see if there’s a place for you at Thread!

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%.