Senior Federal Account Executive, DoD

Get to Know Us Horizon3 is a fast-growing, remote cybersecurity company dedicated to the mission of enabling organizations to proactively find and fix and verify exploitable attack vectors before criminals exploit them. Our flagship product, the NodeZeroTM platform, delivers production-safe autonomous pentests and other key assessment operations that scale across the largest internal, external, cloud, and hybrid cloud environments. NodeZero has been adopted by organizations of all sizes, from small educational institutions to government agencies and Global 100 enterprises. It is used by ITOps/SecOps teams, consulting pentesters, and MSSPs and MSPs.  We are a fusion of former U.S. Special Operations cyber operators, startup engineers, and formerly frustrated cybersecurity practitioners. We're committed to helping solve our common security problems: ineffective security tools, false positives resulting in alert fatigue, blind spots, "checkbox” security culture, cybersecurity skills shortage, and the long lead time and expense of hiring outside consultants. Collectively, we are a team of learn it alls, committed to a culture of respect, collaboration, ownership, and results.   WHAT YOU'LL DO We are seeking a Senior Federal Account Executive, Department of Defense to own and grow a named portfolio of defense customers across the military departments, defense agencies, combatant commands, and program executive offices. This is a quota-carrying, individual contributor role responsible for the full sales cycle: mission discovery, sponsor and requirement development, proof of value, authorization and contract path, close, and program expansion. Selling autonomous pentesting into defense is not a commercial motion run in a different building. The buying center is a program or mission owner, the technical gate is an authorization decision, and the contract path is frequently a vehicle, an OTA, a consortium, or a prime rather than a direct purchase order. Our CEO is a former CTO at U.S. Joint Special Operations Command, NodeZero is the offensive security engine behind the NSA Cybersecurity Collaboration Center's Continuous Autonomous Penetration Testing program, and the platform is assessed "Awardable" in the Department of War's Platform One Solutions Marketplace and listed on the Tradewinds Solutions Marketplace. You will be selling into a market where we already have mission credibility and access routes, and where the work is converting that credibility into programs of record. The ideal candidate has carried and exceeded a multi-million dollar DoD quota, is fluent in how defense organizations actually buy, and can hold a technical conversation about attack paths and mission risk with an operator without needing an SE in the room. You will own your portfolio as a business: named account and program plans, sponsor and authorizing-official maps, a partner and prime strategy, and a forecast you can defend line by line. This role will be responsible for: - Own a named portfolio of DoD/DoW customers spanning military departments, defense agencies, combatant commands, program executive offices, and joint and mission-focused cyber organizations, carrying an annual net-new ARR quota with defined expansion targets. - Build program-level account plans that identify the mission system, the accountable mission or program owner, the funding line, the authorization path, and the contract vehicle before forecasting revenue against them. - Prospect and self-source pipeline into program offices, service and agency CIO/CISO organizations, cyber protection and defensive cyber operations teams, SOC and vulnerability management functions, RMF and authorization staff, and mission owners. - Qualify against defense buying reality — active mission need, named sponsor, identified funding, viable authorization path, and executable contract route — and disqualify early and explicitly when those conditions are absent. - Pursue program-led and enterprise-scale opportunities where a single contract action reaches many end users, systems, or suppliers, rather than optimizing for individual seat-based transactions. - Run proof of value and paid evaluation engagements with Federal Sales Engineering in operational, range, and production environments, converting technical results into a documented mission case, procurement action, and executive readout. - Navigate the authorization conversation credibly, including RMF, the ATO process, impact levels and CC SRG applicability, connection and boundary requirements, STIG and hardening expectations, data handling, and what each of those means for deployment timeline and scope. - Position NodeZero against the frameworks and mandates defense buyers already operate under, including the DoD Zero Trust Reference Architecture and Capabilities and Activities, CORA, NIST SP 800-53 and 800-171/172, CMMC, and CISA KEV-aligned remediation timelines. - Execute defense procurement end to end across the full range of contract routes — GSA and GWAC vehicles, SEWP, marketplaces such as Platform One and Tradewinds, OTAs and consortia, BPAs, and prime and subcontract paths — coordinating with RevOps, Legal, Finance, and Contracts. - Build and monetize relationships with primes, systems integrators, and cleared delivery partners, treating them as accelerators who bring contract access, program relationships, capture support, and delivery reach into supplier and program ecosystems. - Maintain accurate, current, and defensible pipeline hygiene in Salesforce: realistic close dates, documented next steps, stage discipline, and forecast commitments that hold up under weekly and quarterly inspection. Execute Federal agency deals in the Federal Salesforce instance in accordance with FCI and CUI handling requirements. - Deliver a weekly forecast and quarterly business review covering pipeline generation by source, stage conversion, slipped deals, closed-lost reasons, and net-new versus renewal ARR. - Represent Horizon3 credibly with senior military and civilian defense leadership, at defense industry events, and in prime and consortium forums, and feed field intelligence on requirements, competitors, and authorization gaps back to Product, Marketing, and Federal Engineering. - Protect and expand existing defense customer relationships with Customer Success and Renewals, driving usage, referenceability, and multi-year commitments. In defense, a poorly delivered win is worse than no win, because programs talk to each other. WHAT YOU'LL BRING - Must have a demonstrated track record of selling enterprise cybersecurity or SaaS solutions into the U.S. Department of Defense, with consistent quota overachievement against a multi-million dollar number. - 8+ years of quota-carrying enterprise technology sales experience, with 5+ years selling into the U.S. Department of Defense. - 3+ years of experience selling cybersecurity, INFOSEC, or security SaaS solutions. - Must have existing, verifiable relationships across defense customers, and the ability to describe those organizations' missions, command relationships, acquisition structures, and buying cycles in specifics rather than generalities. - Deep understanding of DoD acquisition and procurement mechanics, including contract vehicles and marketplaces, OTAs and consortia, program of record versus rapid-acquisition paths, color of money and appropriation types, POM and budget cycles, and the role of primes and integrators in a defense transaction. - Knowledgeable in the authorization and compliance landscape that governs defense security spend — RMF and the ATO process, impact levels and CC SRG, DoD Zero Trust, CORA, NIST SP 800-53 and 800-171/172, CMMC, and POA&M workflows — and able to discuss authorization as part of the sale rather than as an obstacle handed to someone else. - Working understanding of offensive security and defensive cyber operations concepts — penetration testing, attack paths, lateral movement, privilege escalation, Active Directory weaknesses, and the practical limits of scanner-based vulnerability programs — sufficient to lead a credible technical conversation with operators. - Proficient in managing the full sales cycle end to end: prospecting, qualification, proof of value, mission and business case development, negotiation, procurement execution, and close. - Proficient in Salesforce for pipeline, forecast, and activity management, and comfortable with a sales stack that includes tools such as Outreach.io http://Outreach.io, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Gong, and Slack. - Must be able to operate with a high degree of autonomy in an early-stage federal business — building process where none exists, working across a distributed and cross-functional team, and moving with urgency and ownership. - Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to brief flag-level and senior civilian leadership on mission risk and operational readiness rather than product features. Minimum education and experience requirements: - Bachelor's degree in Business, Information Technology, Cybersecurity, or a related field, or equivalent professional experience. WORK AUTHORIZATION & SECURITY CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS Only US persons can interview for this role due to security clearance requirements by our customer(s) and/or vendor(s). An active security clearance is strongly preferred. At minimum, the employee must be eligible for and able to successfully secure a US Federal Security Clearance at the Secret or Top Secret level as a condition of employment, and must be willing to submit to the associated investigation and adjudication process. WHAT SETS YOU APART? - An active Secret, Top Secret, or TS/SCI clearance in current scope. - Prior military service or DoD civilian experience, particularly in a cyber, communications, intelligence, IT operations, or acquisition capacity. - Experience selling offensive security, penetration testing, breach and attack simulation, continuous threat exposure management (CTEM), or security validation solutions into defense customers. - Experience selling into program executive offices or major defense acquisition programs, including supply-chain and supplier-assurance motions that reach a program's vendor ecosystem. - Experience with combatant command and Foreign Military Sales pursuits, including the coordination and delivery considerations those engagements carry. - Experience closing through OTAs, consortia, or DoD marketplaces, and a track record of using non-traditional acquisition paths to compress timelines. - Experience selling into the Defense Industrial Base against CMMC, DFARS, and supply-chain flow-down requirements. - Familiarity with Challenger or question-based selling methodologies and a disciplined approach to MEDDPICC-style qualification. TRAVEL REQUIRED We are a fully remote company, and this job may require up to 50% of travel to be successful, including travel to customer and program locations, defense industry events, partner engagements, and internal team gatherings. Some travel may be OCONUS depending on portfolio assignment. Job-related travel expenses are reviewed and must be approved by your manager.   Perks of Horizon3 - Inclusive Team: We value diversity and promote an inclusive culture where everyone can thrive. - Growth Opportunities: Be part of a dynamic and growing team with numerous career development opportunities. - Innovative Culture: Work in a collaborative environment that encourages creativity and out-of-the-box thinking. - Hybrid & Remote Work: We embrace a mix of remote and hybrid work models depending on role and location, including our Chicago office, where some roles require regular in-office presence. - Competitive Compensation: We offer competitive salary, equity and benefits. Our benefits include health, vision & dental insurance for you and your family, a flexible vacation policy, and generous parental leave. Compensation and Values At Horizon3, we believe that our people are our greatest asset, and our compensation philosophy reflects this core value. We are committed to fostering an environment where all employees feel valued, respected, and rewarded for their contributions. Our compensation structure is designed to be fair, competitive, and transparent, ensuring that every team member is recognized and compensated equitably across roles, levels, and locations. In accordance with various State’s transparency regulations, we provide the following salary range information for this position: - Total On-Target Compensation: $325,000 - $380,000k OTE 50/50 split annually.The exact salary will be determined based on the selected candidate’s location, qualifications, experience, and relevant skills. - Additional compensation: All full-time roles are eligible for an equity package in the form of stock options. You Belong Here Horizon3 is not just an equal opportunity employer - we are a community that values diversity, equity, and inclusion as fundamental principles of our culture and success. We are dedicated to fostering a workplace where everyone feels welcome and respected, regardless of race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, hair length or any other legally protected status by law. Our commitment to diversity and inclusion means we strive to attract, develop, and retain a workforce that reflects the varied communities we serve. We believe that diverse perspectives drive innovation and strengthen our ability to create cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions. At Horizon3, every team member is valued and supported in an environment that encourages personal and professional growth. We welcome candidates from all backgrounds and experiences, and we encourage all qualified individuals to apply. Come be a part of Horizon3, where your unique contributions are recognized, and your potential is limitless. Other Duties Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.  Application Note In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.