Defense Sales FR - H/F

About Alta Ares

Alta Ares is an air defense Neoprime. We build AI-guided interceptors to counter drones and cruise missiles, along with the software platform that powers them.

Our customers are NATO-aligned militaries and defense institutions, and our systems are regularly deployed during live exercises and operational demonstrations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.

Founded in 2024, we have grown to 90 people, raised over $60M, and increased revenue 40× this year. We are now entering a new phase of international expansion, industrial scaling, fundraising, and product development.

Role & Mission

Defense Sales & Business Development

Own the sales pipeline across French MOD, procurement agencies, and armed forces

Lead qualification, opportunity shaping, proposal management, and contract negotiations

Identify and drive multi-million programs across ISR, C-UAS, autonomy, and AI

Establish a repeatable sales motion with clear forecasting and metrics

Convert tactical demos and pilot deployments into scalable contracts

Customer & Partner Relationships

Build trusted relationships with military users, procurement officers, and program managers

Engage with primes, neoprimes, integrators, and defense engineering firms

Develop and manage channel partnerships where relevant

Conduct regular on-site visits, field demos, and customer workshops across Europe

Market Expansion & Strategic Development

Map European defense markets: budgets, procurement cycles, capability gaps

Shape requirements for upcoming tenders and influence capability roadmaps

Provide competitive intelligence and product feedback to engineering & founders

Support localization strategies for key European countries

Cross-functional Collaboration

Work closely with Engineering, Product, and Operations teams to align demos, deployments, and delivery

Help refine pricing strategy, sales collateral, and customer-facing documentation

Contribute to showcasing Alta Ares at major defense exhibitions (Eurosatory, DSEI, MSPO, IDEX, etc.)

Requirements

Candidate profile

5–10 years of experience in defense sales, business development, capture management, or program engagement

Strong track record selling to MODs, procurement agencies, or armed forces

Experience in defense tech companies, primes, or ideally neoprimes (e.g., Anduril, Helsing, Palantir, Shield AI, or equivalent)

Deep understanding of defense procurement cycles and bidding processes

Demonstrated ability to close complex deals in multi-stakeholder environments

Experience working with drones, C-UAS, ISR, AI autonomy, or adjacent systems is a major plus

Skills & Qualities

Strong hunter profile with resilience and deal-making mindset

Ability to translate technical capabilities into operational value

Excellent relationship-building with military and technical stakeholders

High integrity, discretion, and understanding of security culture

Entrepreneurial spirit: able to operate in fast-moving, resource-efficient environments

Bilingual English + another European language (French strongly preferred)

Nice to Have

Experience in a neoprime or high-growth defense startup

Experience in NATO procurement or European Defence Fund (EDF) programs

Former military service (officer or NCO)

Knowledge of operational C-UAS, ISR, or AI workflows

Existing network inside European MODs and procurement bodies

Ability to support deployments and demos in live environments