Principal Strategic Account Manager

STR; Arlington (VA); On-site; USD 220,000 - 280,000; Full time

Job summary

STR seeks a Strategic Account Manager to lead and grow a portfolio supporting key national security customers focused on transition and fielding mission critical capabilities. The SAM will serve as the primary interface with senior government stakeholders to ensure STR’s advanced technology offerings align with evolving national security needs.

The role requires an Active TS security clearance with TS/SCI eligibility, a bachelor’s or graduate degree, and 12+ years of relevant experience across

Qualifications

• Active Top Secret clearance with TS/SCI eligibility and U.S. citizenship.
• Bachelor’s or graduate degree with 12+ years related experience in cybersecurity, national security, engineering, business, or policy.
• Proven track record with DoD, IC, and/or special operations/cyber operations with tech development experience.

Responsibilities

• Lead customer liaison and trusted advisor for mission partners.
• Represent STR to mission partners for business development.
• Identify and mature strategic opportunities aligned with customer priorities and future tech needs.
• Engage with senior government leadership to understand capability gaps and requirements.
• Develop long-term account plans with growth projections and campaign strategies.
• Lead technical and strategic activities with partners and R&D teams.
• Drive proposal development including solution shaping and win themes.
• Coordinate with subcontractors and industry collaborators.
• Provide voice-of-the-customer guidance to programs and internal teams.
• Align technical development with customer priorities and missions.
• Drive cross-functional communication across engineering, operations, and leadership.
• Maintain awareness of partner mission areas and technology trends.

Skills

Active TS clearance

Senior government liaison

Relationship-building

Executive communication

Education

Bachelor’s or graduate degree

Job description

STR seeks a Strategic Account Manager (SAM) to lead and grow a portfolio supporting key national security customers focused on transition and fielding of mission critical capabilities. This individual will serve as the primary interface between our organization and senior government stakeholders, ensuring our advanced technology offerings are aligned with evolving national security needs.

What you will do:

Customer Engagement & Strategic Growth

• Serve as the primary customer liaison and trusted advisor for select mission partners of interest.
• Represent STR technology and capabilities to a specific mission partner of interest for the purposes of business development.
• Identify, qualify, and mature strategic opportunities that align with customer mission priorities, operations, and future technology needs.
• Engage regularly with senior government leadership to understand capability gaps and emerging operational requirements.
• Develop and maintain a long-term account plan, including growth projections, relationship maps, competitive posture, and campaign strategies.

Opportunity Capture

• Lead technical and strategic activities for mission partner accounts, collaborating closely with technical leads, R&D staff, and corporate strategy partners.
• Drive proposal development, including solution shaping, win themes, competitive differentiators, authoring, reviewing, and teaming
• Lead partner outreach across co‑contractors, subcontractors, and industry collaborators.

Program & Internal Team Leadership

• Collaborate with program teams and provide “voice of the customer” insight and guidance to ensure program success and customer satisfaction.
• Provide inputs to ensure technical development and internal investments are aligned with customer priorities and missions
• Drive internal communication across engineering, operations, security, and leadership to ensure consistent execution of account strategy

Market & Mission Insight

• Maintain deep awareness of partner mission areas
• Track relevant technology trends across the development spectrum from R&D to deployment

Who you are: (Required Qualifications)

• This position requires an Active Top Secret (TS) security clearance with the ability to obtain a TS/SCI with eligibility to support special access programs (SAP), for which U.S. citizenship is needed by the U.S. Government.
• Bachelor’s or graduate degree with 12+ years of relevant experience related to cybersecurity, national security, engineering, business, or policy.
• Proven track record within the Department of War, Intelligence Community, and/or special operations / cyber operations communities with experience supporting technology development and integration for OSD, Combatant Commands, IC mission partners, and operationally-oriented national security offices and agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to lead diverse teams and coordinate across technical and non-technical organizations.
• Exceptional communication skills, able to articulate complex concepts to government, technical, and executive audiences, including senior leadership.
• Entrepreneurial mindset with strong initiative and relationship‑building skills

Pay Information

Full-Time Salary Range: $220,000 - $280,000

The salary range listed is based on external market data. Offers are based on factors, such as but not limited to, the candidate’s experience, education, training, key skills/critical skills, security clearances, and prevailing market and business conditions.

STR is a growing technology company with locations near Boston, MA, Arlington, VA, near Dayton, OH, Melbourne, FL, Carlsbad, CA, Atlanta, GA, and Denver, CO. We specialize in advanced research and development for defense, intelligence, and national security in: cyber; next generation sensors, radar, sonar, communications, and electronic warfare; and artificial intelligence algorithms and analytics to make sense of the complexity that is exploding around us.

STR is committed to creating a collaborative learning environment that supports deep technical understanding and recognizes the contributions and achievements of all team members. Our work is challenging, and we go home at night knowing that we pushed the envelope of technology and made the world safer.

STR is not just any company. Our people, culture, and attitude along with their unique set of skills, experiences, and perspectives put us on a trajectory to change the world. We can’t do it alone, though - we need fellow trailblazers. If you are one, join our team and help to keep our society safe! Visit us at www.str.us for more info.

STR is an equal opportunity employer. We are fully dedicated to hiring the most qualified candidate regardless of race, color, religion, sex (including gender identity, sexual orientation and pregnancy), marital status, national origin, age, veteran status, disability, genetic information or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.

If you need a reasonable accommodation for any portion of the employment process, email us at [e-mail] and provide your contact info.

Pursuant to applicable federal law and regulations, positions at STR require employees to obtain national security clearances and satisfy the requirements for compliance with export control and other applicable laws.