Strategic Account Manager - Illinois

Stealth Startup; Illinois; On-site; USD 95,000 - 130,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Bonus eligibility

Travel opportunities

Job summary

Stealth Startup seeks an experienced public-sector professional to lead partnerships and government affairs across Illinois, advancing technology-enabled school bus safety solutions.

The role combines policy expertise, stakeholder engagement, and business development to influence decisions with public officials, school systems, and law enforcement. Strong political judgment and relationship-building are essential for navigating complex, multi-stakeholder processes.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required; related fields preferred; Master’s degree is a plus.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience with government relations, public affairs, or business development in public-sector contexts.

Responsibilities

• Identify and advance priority public-sector accounts with political, regulatory, and procurement dynamics.
• Support sales by navigating gatekeepers and decision-makers in school districts and local government.
• Participate in account planning, deal strategy, and proposals linking government insights to business goals.
• Help remove political and stakeholder barriers to high-value opportunities.
• Track the impact of government engagement on pipeline and velocity of deals.
• Develop regional go-to-market and government affairs plans across Illinois.
• Build relationships with mayors, school officials, prosecutors, and law enforcement.
• Advocate for legislative and regulatory changes supporting safe technology use in schools.
• Conduct research on legislation, regulations, and procurement practices.
• Represent the organization at public hearings and conferences.
• Develop grassroots and community engagement initiatives on school bus safety.

Skills

Policy analysis

Public policy

Public speaking

Relationship building

Strategic thinking

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Government, Communications, Business, or related field

Master’s degree a plus

Job description

Travel: Frequent local and regional travel required; occasional national travel may be required

Compensation: Eligible for commission and/or bonus

Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Political Science, Public Policy, Government, Communications, Business, or a related field preferred. Master’s degree is a plus.

Overview:

We are seeking a motivated and experienced public-sector professional to lead strategic partnerships and government affairs initiatives across the state of Illinois. This role will help expand adoption of technology-enabled school bus safety solutions by combining policy expertise, stakeholder engagement, and business development support.

The ideal candidate brings strong political judgment, a business-oriented mindset, and a demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with public officials, school systems, law enforcement leaders, and other community stakeholders. Success in this role requires the ability to navigate complex public-sector environments, influence decision-makers, and help advance opportunities through lengthy, multi-stakeholder processes.

Responsibilities

• Identify, qualify, and advance priority public-sector accounts with complex political, regulatory, and procurement dynamics.
• Support the sales cycle by navigating gatekeepers, influencers, and decision-makers in school districts and local government.
• Participate in account planning, deal strategy sessions, proposal development, and other activities that connect government affairs insights to business objectives.
• Help remove political, regulatory, and stakeholder-related barriers to high-value opportunities.
• Track and report on the impact of government engagement on pipeline progression, deal velocity, and conversion.
• Develop and execute regional go-to-market and government affairs plans focused on municipal and state-level initiatives across the state of Illinois
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with key stakeholders, including:
• Mayors, city council members, and other municipal officials
• School superintendents, school boards, and transportation directors
• Court personnel, prosecutors, and law enforcement agencies
• State legislators and legislative staff, including former chiefs of staff
• Advocate for legislative and regulatory changes that support the responsible use of technology to improve school bus safety.
• Conduct research and analysis on relevant legislation, regulations, procurement practices, and policy issues.
• Represent the organization at public hearings, conferences, association meetings, and other relevant events.
• Develop and implement grassroots and community-engagement initiatives that raise awareness of school bus safety issues.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including government affairs, sales, marketing, legal, and operations, to achieve shared objectives.
• Monitor and report on legislative, regulatory, procurement, and political developments that may affect regional priorities.

Qualifications

• 3–5 years of experience in government relations, public affairs, public-sector partnerships, business development, or a related field.
• Experience supporting public-sector sales teams or working in a business-to-government environment is strongly preferred.
• Demonstrated experience working with elected officials at the municipal and/or state level.
• Experience working with school districts, law enforcement agencies, courts, transportation agencies, or other public-sector stakeholders is a plus.
• Strong understanding of legislative, regulatory, and public procurement processes across the State.
• Excellent communication, interpersonal, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Ability to build and maintain effective relationships with diverse stakeholders and operate credibly in politically sensitive environments.
• Strong analytical, strategic-thinking, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities independently while collaborating effectively across teams.
• Passion for public safety and a commitment to improving outcomes for children and communities.
• Bachelor’s degree in Political Science, Public Policy, Government, Communications, Business, or a related field preferred.