Sales Manager - Land Defense

Rolls-Royce plc; Novi (MI); Hybrid; USD 99,000 - 160,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Relocation assistance

Bonus potential

Job summary

Rolls-Royce plc in Novi, MI is seeking a Sales Manager for Land Defense to drive business development and account growth in government markets. You will own opportunities from strategy through contract award, building strong relationships with OEMs, distributors, and government stakeholders.

The role requires strong negotiation, strategic selling, and a deep understanding of defense procurement, including FAR/DFARS. Hybrid work with travel 10–20% is expected.

Qualifications

• Associate degree and 4+ years in defense or governmental technical sales.
• Bachelor’s degree and 2+ years in defense or governmental market.
• Master’s or JD/PhD in business or engineering is acceptable.
• 6+ years of related sales experience can substitute a degree.
• US citizenship is required to be considered.

Responsibilities

• Identify, develop, and close engine and system business opportunities in government land defense markets.
• Lead opportunities from strategy through proposal, negotiation, and contract award.
• Build short- and long-term sales plans to grow accounts and territory penetration.
• Develop relationships with OEMs, distributors, government stakeholders, and end users.
• Analyze market conditions and competitive activity to inform leadership decisions.
• Ensure compliance with FAR/DFARS and government contracting requirements; represent RR at events.

Skills

US citizenship

Sales negotiation

Key account management

Strategic selling

Education

Associate's degree in Business or Engineering

Bachelor's degree in Business or Engineering

Master's degree in Business or Engineering

JD/PhD in Business or Engineering

6+ years of defense/government sales experience in lieu of a degree

Job description

Job Title

Sales Manager – Land Defense

Working Pattern: Full-Time

Working location: Novi, MI/Hybrid – 2 Office Days/Week

Relocation assistance will be provided if applicable

Why Rolls-Royce?

At Rolls-Royce we are proud to be a business that has truly helped to shape the modern world and are committed to always being a force for progress; powering, protecting, and connecting people everywhere. By joining Rolls-Royce, you’ll have the opportunity to create world-class power and propulsion solutions, pushing your problem-solving and ingenuity, to deliver real impact that puts safety first. You’ll be given responsibility and the opportunity to grow in our high-performance culture. This is Infinite Potential. And it’s your chance to really shine and contribute to one of the world’s most recognized brands and a beacon for engineering excellence.

Position Summary

The governmental defense market requires reliable power solutions, deep customer partnerships, and a strong understanding of complex acquisition environments. As the Sales Manager, Land Defense, you will own business development and account growth for assigned land defense applications, leading opportunities from initial strategy through proposal, negotiation, and contract award. Your work will expand Rolls-Royce Power Systems’ market presence, strengthen relationships across the defense industry, and help deliver capabilities that support critical customer missions.

What you will be doing

• Identify, develop, and close new engine and system business opportunities within the governmental defense and military land-vehicle markets, from sales strategy and proposal development through negotiation and contract award.
• Build and execute short- and long-term sales strategies that increase market penetration, strengthen the opportunity pipeline, and support sustainable growth across assigned accounts and territories.
• Develop trusted relationships with original equipment manufacturers, distributors, dealers, government stakeholders, and end users, providing coordinated sales and service support that strengthens customer satisfaction and future business.
• Analyze market conditions, customer requirements, competitor activity, and account performance to identify risks and opportunities and provide actionable recommendations to leadership.
• Ensure sales activities, proposals, contracts, and customer programs align with applicable government-contracting, export-control, commercial, and military acquisition requirements, including FAR and DFARS regulations.
• Represent Rolls-Royce at customer locations, trade shows, and industry events, traveling domestically and internationally approximately 10–20% of the time.

Basic Requirements

• Associate's degree in Business or Engineering and at least 4 years of experience in technical sales, business development, account management, or service management in a defense or governmental market; OR
• Bachelor's degree in Business or Engineering and at least 2 years of experience in technical sales, business development, account management, or service management in a defense or governmental market; OR
• Master's degree in Business or Engineering; OR
• JD/PhD in Business or Engineering; OR
• 6+ years of experience in technical sales, business development, account management, or service management in a defense or governmental market in lieu of a degree.
• In order to be considered for this role, you must be a US citizen

Preferred Requirements

• Proven ability to evaluate market conditions, customer requirements, competitive activity, and government acquisition programs that adhere to export control requirements and FAR/DFARS regulations.
• Strong technical competence with internal combustion engines and propulsion systems for land defense armored vehicles; both wheeled and tracked variants.
• Demonstrated success developing and closing complex business opportunities within defense, governmental, industrial, heavy-equipment, or power-generation markets.
• Strong communication, presentation, negotiation, and relationship-management skills with experience influencing customers and cross-functional stakeholders.

Power Systems Overview

Power Systems is the Rolls‑Royce business which provides world‑class power solutions and complete life-cycle support under our product and solution brand mtu. Through digitalization and electrification, we strive to develop drive and power generation solutions that provide answers to the challenges posed by the rapidly growing societal demands for energy and mobility. We deliver and service comprehensive, powerful and reliable systems, based on both gas and diesel engines, as well as electrified hybrid systems. These technologically advanced solutions serve our customers in the marine and infrastructure sectors worldwide. Our vision is to ensure that the quality and dynamism that shaped our history continues into our future. It’s a bold pursuit, and we never stop striving to go further, faster, and better. We lead progress, creating the technologies that move us forward. If you’re driven to grow, to learn, and to make a lasting difference, this is where you belong.

Power Systems Additional Information

Power Systems is the Rolls‑Royce business which provides world‑class power solutions and complete life-cycle support under our product and solution brand mtu. Through digitalization and electrification, we strive to develop drive and power generation solutions that are even cleaner and smarter and thus provide answers to the challenges posed by the rapidly growing societal demands for energy and mobility. These clean and technologically-advanced solutions serve our customers in the marine and infrastructure sectors worldwide. Rolls‑Royce pioneers cutting-edge technologies that deliver the cleanest, safest and most competitive solutions to our planet’s vital power needs.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Rolls-Royce is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristics. Infinite Potential

Closing Date

Closing date: 11/30/2026

Job Posting Date

Job Posting Date 15 Oct 2026; 00:10

Pay Range

Pay ranges for remote employees are based on the state where the employee resides and may vary from the posted range. $98,566 - $160,169-Annually

Location

Novi, MI

Benefits

Rolls-Royce provides a comprehensive and competitive Total Rewards package that includes base pay and a discretionary bonus plan. Eligible employees may have the opportunity to enroll in other benefits, including health, dental, vision, disability, life and accidental death & dismemberment insurance; a flexible spending account; a health savings account; a 401(k) retirement savings plan with a company match; Employee Assistance Program; Paid Time Off; certain paid holidays; paid parental and family care leave; tuition reimbursement; and a long-term incentive plan. The options available to an employee may vary depending on eligibility factors such as date of hire, and employment type.