Head of Sales (Player-Coach)
GovSignals
Washington, D.C. or New York, NY ⢠Full-time ⢠Hybrid, in-office when not traveling
ABOUT GOVSIGNALS
We are shaping the future of government contracting with breakthrough AIâdriven solutions. We are disrupting a multiâbillion dollar industry and enabling privateâsector technologies to secure government contracts faster than ever, strengthening national security and driving economic growth.
GovSignals has built the most advanced governmentâcontracting AI platform available. From small businesses to Fortune 500 enterprises, our platform multiplies the opportunities contractors can pursue and empowers them to deliver fully compliant, winning proposals in hours instead of months. As one of the largest aggregators of U.S. government data, we set trends rather than follow them.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Weâre at an inflection point. The product is the best on the market, the market is responding, and now we need someone who will take our existing processes and layer in the sales machine that takes us to the next level.
This is a role for a rare kind of leaderâsomeone who has done this before. Not just managed a team, but built them. Designed the process from scratch, hired the early reps, written the playbook, and driven revenue through sheer force of will and operational discipline. You know what great looks like because youâve created it. Now you want to do it again, in a category thatâs being invented in real time.
Reporting directly to the CRO co-founder, youâll be a true partner in shaping our next wave of go-to-market strategy, sales process, and team architecture. Youâll spend roughly 60% of your time carrying and closing your own book of businessâleading from the frontâand 40% building the team and systems underneath you. When your reps get stuck, you get on the call. When a deal needs architecture, you draw the map. When the process breaks, you fix it.
This is not a role for someone who is ready to step back from work. If your best days selling are behind you, this isnât the right seat. But if youâre an operator who loves the craft of selling as much as the craft of building, and you want the total compensation upside to match the effortâwe should talk.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
Carry and close your own enterprise pipeline end-to-end: prospecting, discovery, demos, deal structure, and close
Partner with the CRO on GTM strategy, sales process design, pricing, and competitive positioning
Hire, onboard, and develop a team of elite Account Executives who sell consultatively and close with conviction
Jump into your repsâ dealsâdiagnose whatâs stuck, sharpen the narrative, and help close alongside them
Build and continuously refine sales playbooks, qualification frameworks, onboarding programs, and coaching rhythms
Approve quotes, structure creative deals, and navigate complex multi-stakeholder buying processes across the teamâs pipeline
Own pipeline reporting, forecasting accuracy, and CRM discipline for the full sales organization, including all conference pipeline
Collaborate with Marketing, Product, and Client Success to tighten positioning, improve feedback loops, and accelerate revenue
Engage existing clients to deepen relationships and unlock expansion opportunities
Represent GovSignals at industry events, conferences, and in senior prospect conversations
WHO YOU ARE
Youâve built a sales orgânot just inherited one. Youâve hired the early reps, figured out what worked, and scaled a repeatable motion from early traction through meaningful revenue. Youâve made the mistakes that come with building at speed and learned from them. Your instincts on hiring, process, and pipeline are sharp because they were forged in the field.
Youâre a consultative seller to your core. You ask question after question to diagnose a prospectâs problem without telling them what you think -- until you know what problem youâre solving. You lead prospects to water rather than force a sale. Your reps will learn to sell the way you sell.
Youâre a systems thinker who sees the whole boardâhow the right qualification criteria changes pipeline quality, how a better demo flow shortens sales cycles, how comp design shapes rep behavior. You connect those dots and build accordingly.
Youâre not looking for a 9-to-5. Youâre looking for a missionâand the ownership stakes to go with it.
REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS
Proven track record of building and scaling a sales team from early stage through meaningful revenue milestonesâyouâve designed the system, not just run inside one
Strong personal selling record: history of closing six- and seven-figure enterprise SaaS deals as an individual contributor
Experience as a founder, early sales hire, or sales leader at a high-growth startup where ambiguity was the norm and you thrived anyway
Deep expertise in consultative, value-based sellingâyou diagnose before you prescribe
Ability to operate as a strategic partner to leadership on pricing, positioning, and GTM design
Strong hiring instincts: you know how to find, assess, and close elite sales talent
Exceptional executive presence and C-suite engagement skills
Proficiency in CRM systems and a belief in rigorous pipeline discipline
Government contracting familiarity preferred but not required
WHAT THIS IS NOT
This is not a role for a sales leader who is ready to step back from the work. If you need a large team beneath you before you can drive revenue, this isnât the right fit. If your approach to management is reviewing calls and dashboards from a distance, this isnât the right fit. If âstartup hoursâ sounds like a red flag rather than a rallying cry, this isnât the right fit.
We need someone who runs toward the complexity, thrives in the uncertainty, and measures success in closed dealsânot just team size.
COMPENSATION & BENEFITS
Base Salary: $150Kâ$250K
Commission + Bonus: $75Kâ$150K expected
Total Target Compensation: $225Kâ$400K+ OTE
Equity: Meaningful stake in a well-funded, fast-growing startupâwe want you to win big when we win big
Benefits: 100% employer-paid medical, vision, and dental (Bronze coverage)
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