Sales Business Development Director (Agentic Trust)
Entrust
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Benefits offered by this job
Job summary
Entrust is seeking a Director, Business Development & Category Definition to turn emerging customer problems into a scalable market category. You will define the category, validate buyers and use cases, secure lighthouse customers, and create evidence-based commercial models to scale.
Reporting across Product, Architecture, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Strategy and Leadership, you will act as the commercial voice shaping how Entrust differentiates trust for enterprise AI agents across
Qualifications
- 10+ years in business development, category creation or strategic partnerships.
- Experience leading ambiguous, zero-to-one initiatives and turning learning into repeatable motions.
- Proven ability to engage senior executives and secure sponsorship for first-of-kind initiatives.
- Experience in enterprise software, cybersecurity, identity, cloud, SaaS or adjacent markets.
- Experience with agentic AI architectures, non-human identity or AI governance is a plus.
Responsibilities
- Define customer problem, category boundaries and buyer urgency; shape Entrust point of view.
- Lead market discovery, use cases, budgets and willingness to pay.
- Originate lighthouse engagements and guide executive workshops from discovery to closure.
- Codify winning use cases and qualification standards for wider adoption.
- Develop go-to-market plays, packaging, pricing and partnerships.
Skills
Education
Job description
United States - Field
Full time
R004431
At Entrust, we’re shaping the future of identity centric security solutions. From our comprehensive portfolio of solutions to our flexible, global workplace, we empower careers, foster collaboration, and build solutions that help keep the world moving safely.
Headquartered in Minnesota, Entrust is an industry leader in identity-centric security solutions, serving over 150 countries with cutting-edge, scalable technologies. But our secret weapon? Our people. It’s the curiosity, dedication, and innovation that drive our success and help us anticipate the future.
The Director, Business Development & Category Definition, Agentic Trust will turn an emerging customer problem into a recognized and commercially viable market category for Entrust. The role will define the category, validate priority buyers and use cases, secure lighthouse customers and partners, and create the evidence, commercial models and repeatable plays required to scale.
This is a hands-on market-making role, not a conventional field sales or alliance position. Working across Product, Architecture, Engineering, Marketing, Sales, Strategy and Executive Leadership, the Director will be the commercial voice of the market and shape how Entrust differentiates trust for enterprise AI agents across identity, delegated authorization, assurance, evidence, auditability, compliance and governance.
- Credible category narrative, buyer problem definition and differentiated Entrust point of view.
- Prioritised market map covering use cases, buying centres, ideal customers, partners and alternatives.
- Lighthouse engagements that validate urgency, value, solution fit, willingness to pay and reference potential.
- Repeatable discovery, qualification, workshop, pilot, partner and executive-engagement plays.
- Fact-based input to product strategy, packaging, pricing, partnerships and investment choices.
- Define the customer problem, category boundaries, buyer urgency, value drivers, alternatives and Entrust right to win.
- Refine the category narrative and terminology with customers, partners, analysts, Marketing and Product.
- Position Agentic Trust against adjacent markets including AI governance, agent security, non-human identity and trust infrastructure.
- Turn market evidence into recommendations on where we should lead, partner, integrate or not invest.
- Run structured discovery to test use cases, personas, budgets, procurement paths, barriers and willingness to pay.
- Lead executive workshops and design-partner engagements that test pain, urgency, outcomes and commercial readiness.
- Prioritise opportunities by impact, repeatability, strategic fit, ecosystem leverage and speed to evidence.
- Originate and lead a focused set of lighthouse pursuits with account teams, from discovery through agreement.
- Define mutual success plans, measurable outcomes, learning goals, expansion paths and reference criteria.
- Codify winning use cases, objections, proof points and qualification standards for wider sales adoption.
- Prioritise hyperscalers, AI platforms, model providers, systems integrators, identity and security vendors, and industry alliances.
- Create joint value propositions, reference architectures, commercial frameworks and co-innovation or co-sell motions.
- Focus on partnerships that materially improve credibility, product relevance, distribution or customer access.
- Convert buyer evidence into prioritised product, solution and integration requirements.
- Test packaging, pricing, services, partner economics and contracting models with the market.
- Define minimum sellable and scalable offers and inform build-partner-buy decisions.
- Build the initial playbook: target accounts, personas, triggers, discovery, value hypotheses, competitive framing and qualification.
- Partner with Marketing on thought leadership, analyst engagement, demand creation and executive messaging.
- Coach strategic pursuits and establish clear hand-off criteria from incubation to scaled sales execution.
- Maintain a scorecard covering learning velocity, lighthouse progress, evidence maturity, qualified pipeline and scale readiness.
- Run cross-functional governance and provide executive updates separating facts, hypotheses, risks and decisions required.
Customers, partners and analysts recognise a clear problem definition and differentiated Entrust point of view.
Evidence confirms priority buyers, use cases, urgency, measurable value and willingness to invest.
Strategic engagements advance through explicit learning, technical, commercial and reference milestones.
Qualified opportunities and partner routes show credible paths to scalable revenue.
Proven plays, assets, qualification, packaging and hand-offs can be executed by field teams.
Market evidence changes roadmap, partnership, packaging, pricing or investment decisions.
- 10+ years in business development, category creation, market development, strategic partnerships, product strategy or enterprise technology growth.
- Demonstrated success creating or scaling an emerging technology category, new market, platform proposition or ecosystem-led business.
- Experience leading ambiguous, zero-to-one initiatives and converting market learning into repeatable commercial motions.
- Proven ability to engage senior executives, shape new demand and secure sponsorship for first-of-kind initiatives.
- Experience structuring complex partnerships, design-partner programmes, co-innovation agreements or new commercial models.
- Experience in enterprise software, cybersecurity, identity, cloud, SaaS, AI or adjacent technology markets.
- Category thinking: defines a market problem and builds a differentiated, externally credible point of view.
- Commercial judgement: converts interest into value, sponsorship, investment and qualified action.
- Market sensing: synthesises customer, competitor, partner, analyst, standards and regulatory signals.
- Executive communication: translates complex technical and commercial issues into decisions.
- Operating discipline: manages hypotheses, lighthouse pursuits, partners, dependencies and measurable outcomes.
- Technical fluency across AI agents, identity, authentication, authorisation, governance, assurance, cryptography, evidence and trust architectures.
- Experience with agentic AI architectures, non-human identity, delegated authorisation, AI governance, Zero Trust, interoperability or enterprise trust infrastructure.
- Experience with hyperscalers, systems integrators, AI platforms, major software providers, analysts or standards bodies.
- Experience in regulated industries such as financial services, insurance, government, healthcare or critical infrastructure.
- Bachelor’s degree in Business, Technology, Engineering, Computer Science or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
A market maker rather than a caretaker: externally curious, commercially rigorous and comfortable operating before the category, product or buying process is fully formed. The successful candidate creates clarity from ambiguity, challenges weak assumptions, earns trust with executives and technical teams, and remains accountable for moving from insight to evidence to repeatable commercial outcomes.
At Entrust, we don’t just offer jobs – we offer career journeys. Here is what you can expect when you join our team:
- Career Growth: Whether you’re a budding developer or a seasoned expert, we’re invested in your professional journey. With learning-forward initiatives and exciting challenges, your growth is our priority.
- Flexibility: Life is all about balance. Whether you’re remote, hybrid, or on-site, we offer flexible options that fit your lifestyle.
- Collaboration: Here, your voice matters. Our teams thrive on sharing ideas, brainstorming solutions, and working together to build a better tomorrow.
We believe in securing identities—but it doesn’t stop there. At Entrust, we’re passionate about valuing all identities. Our culture is built on diversity, inclusion, and respect. From unconscious bias training for our leaders to global affinity groups that connect colleagues across the globe, we’re creating a community where everyone is encouraged to be themselves.
If you’re excited by the prospect of innovating, growing your career, and collaborating in a dynamic environment, Entrust is the place for you. Join us in making a difference. Let’s build a more secure world—together.
The anticipated starting base pay for this position is: $136,032-$199,514 per year (in the primary posting location). This position is also eligible for variable pay via a sales compensation plan. These plans pay according to achievement level against sales targets and/or business objectives. Actual compensation will be determined based on geographic location, education, skills and experience and actual performance against the assigned sales compensation plan. In addition to your pay, Entrust offers eligible colleagues and their dependents comprehensive health and well-being programs which include medical, vision, dental, a generous 401(k) matching contribution, life and disability insurance, mental health coaching, virtual fitness programs, paid personal time off plus 12 paid holidays, parental leave and education reimbursement. Please speak with the recruiter for more details. Note: Benefit and Compensation programs are subject to eligibility requirements and other terms of the applicable plan or program. Entrust has the right to end, suspend or amend any of its plans at any time in whole or in part.
Entrust is an EEO/AA/Disabled/Veterans Employer
Entrust values diversity and inclusion and we are committed to building a diverse workforce with wide perspectives and innovative ideas. We welcome applications from qualified individuals of all backgrounds, and we strive to provide an accessible experience for candidates of all abilities.
If you require an accommodation, contact accessibility@entrust.com.
Richa Srivastava
Richa.Srivastava@entrust.com
Entrust is an innovative leader in identity-centric security solutions, providing an integrated platform of scalable, AI-enabled security offerings. We enable organizations to safeguard their operations, evolve without compromise, and protect their interactions in an interconnected world – so they can transform their businesses with confidence. Entrust supports customers in 150+ countries and works with a global partner network, we are trusted by the world most trusted organizations.
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