Federal Key Account Executive

Who we are:

Collaboration.

Ai is a mission-focused, AI-powered software and services company based in Minnesota, with employees, partners, and customers around the world. We unite people, technology, and purpose to accelerate breakthroughs that transform industries, empower communities, and create a more sustainable future. We collaborate with organizations across the defense ecosystem, helping them navigate complex challenges and drive transformative change. To learn more about us, visit collaboration.ai

Our product lineup:

NetworkOS: AI-powered platform that aligns people, purpose, ideas, and expertise in real‑time, generating actionable insights to propel movements forward.

Crowd Vector:
Crowd Vector is an integrated solution marketplace and innovation management platform that rapidly uncovers new ideas and advances breakthroughs to fuel movements.

We're looking for a proactive, mission-driven Federal Key Account Executive to lead growth across the U.S. Department of Defense/War, the military services, and federal civilian agencies. You'll build a pipeline and own a portfolio of strategic federal and government accounts, identifying and capturing new opportunities while expanding adoption of our innovation platforms.

Our company is headquatered in the Twin Cities (Minneapolis–Saint Paul, MN) area. Local candidates are encouraged to apply, however remote candidates are also being accepted.

1.
Pipeline Generation & Qualification (~30%) Build and execute the territory plan. Run outbound prospecting into innovation units and mission sponsors. Qualify opportunities against the ICP, maintain 3x pipeline coverage, and partner with marketing on events and ABM.

2.
Capture & Close (~55%) Lead capture planning and contract vehicle strategy (SBIR/STTR, CSO, OTA, BOA, direct award). Assemble and direct deal teams, drawing on Product & Engineering for demos and Managed Services for delivery credibility. Develop proposals and RFP responses, then negotiate and close with Contracting Officers.

3.
Handoff & Intelligence (~15%) Deliver a handoff memo within 10 business days, accepted by the Account Manager, Program Manager, and Customer Success Manager. Keep CRM hygiene current weekly and submit a weighted forecast monthly. Gather market intelligence and refer named-account opportunities to the Account Manager.

This role benefits significantly from an ability to use AI tools to accelerate research on agencies and programs, streamline proposal and capture work, sharpen customer communication, and enhance your overall effectiveness in moving complex federal opportunities forward.

• Identify, qualify, and capture new opportunities through proactive prospecting, attendance at industry days, and engagement with defense innovation organizations across the Department of War, and others.
• Build and maintain executive relationships with Program Managers, Contracting Officers, Chiefs of Staff, Innovation Leads, and other decision‑makers and key influencers across each account.
• Lead a consultative sales process that translates mission challenges into measurable platform outcomes, advancing opportunities through the full federal sales cycle.
• Establish revenue and margin goals for each account and execute an Annual Account Growth Plan aligned to federal fiscal year planning, color of money, and program milestones.
• Partner with prime contractors, systems integrators, and channel partners to expand reach through teaming arrangements and subcontracts.

• Develop and maintain a qualified pipeline of federal opportunities, tracked diligently in the company CRM with accurate forecasts and next steps.
• Shape opportunities in coordination with DoW spending cycles and customer requirements; while in parallel provide internal business recommendations of contract vehicle onboarding and positioning to win future work.
• Lead or support capture activities including opportunity qualification, win strategy, competitive analysis, teaming decisions, and pricing‑to‑win.
• Contribute to proposal development in partnership with capture, product, and leadership teams, including…