Federal Account Executive, Istari
$98-170k
Digital twin technology
Open for applications
Digital twin technology
21-100 employees
Open for applications
$98-170k
21-100 employees
Company mission
To level the digital playing field.
Role
Who you are
- 5–10+ years of quota-carrying enterprise or federal sales experience
- Experience selling into DoD, IC, or federal civilian agencies
- Experience navigating federal acquisition processes (SBIR, OTA, IDIQ, BPA)
- Track record of closing complex, multi-stakeholder federal deals
- Excellent discovery, qualification, and consultative selling capabilities
- Ability to translate technical workflows into compelling business value for engineering-centric organizations
- Strong written and verbal communication skills; exceptional presenter and storyteller
- High ownership, persistence, and comfort operating in a dynamic, early-stage environment
- Strong outbound prospecting skills and ability to build a territory from the ground up leveraging existing use-cases / connections at Istari
- Team Player
Desirable
- Experience with major DoD branches or IC agencies
- Experience transitioning programs from pilot to program of record
- Familiarity with IL2–IL6 environments, FedRAMP, or ATO processes
- Familiarity with engineering software ecosystems, including PLM (e.g., Teamcenter, Windchill, 3DEXPERIENCE), CAD/CAE tools, MBSE workflows, and engineering data integration platforms
What the job involves
- The Federal Account Executive is responsible for driving new business and expansion across US Federal customers—including the Department of Defense, Services, Intelligence Community, and federal civilian agencies
- You will own the full sales cycle, from pipeline development and mission-driven discovery through technical evaluations, acquisition strategy, and contract award
- Istari’s federal sales motion is highly consultative, technical, and programmatic; successful AEs understand mission requirements, digital engineering transformation priorities, and the complexities of federal acquisition and budgeting processes
- You will collaborate closely with Solution Architects, Government Relations, Demand Generation, and Sales Operations to shape opportunities, navigate procurement pathways, and drive meaningful, long-term federal revenue growth
- Build and execute account and capture strategies across DoD, IC, and federal civilian agencies
- Identify and engage key stakeholders across program offices, engineering leadership, and contracting teams
- Drive outbound prospecting aligned to mission priorities, budget cycles, and funded programs
- Partner with Government Relations and Demand Gen to shape early demand and position Istari in emerging opportunities
- Qualify opportunities based on mission alignment, technical feasibility, funding availability, and acquisition pathway
- Own the full federal sales cycle from initial engagement through contract award
- Conduct discovery to understand mission objectives, engineering challenges, and program constraints
- Partner with Solution Architects to design compliant architectures and execute proofs of value
- Develop deal strategies aligned to federal acquisition pathways (SBIR, OTA, IDIQ, BPA)
- Build business cases tied to mission effectiveness, engineering velocity, and cost efficiency
- Navigate complex stakeholder environments across program, engineering, and contracting
- Lead pricing strategy, proposal development, and negotiations
- Partner with Solution Architects to win technical validation
- Work with Government Relations to align opportunities with funding and policy priorities
- Collaborate with Contracts, Legal, and Finance on proposals and compliance
- Provide insights to Product and Engineering on federal requirements
- Contribute to federal GTM strategy and capture plans
- Build trusted relationships with program managers, engineering leaders, and contracting stakeholders
- Drive expansion from pilot to program of record and enterprise adoption
- Align account growth with mission priorities and budget cycles
- Position Istari as foundational infrastructure for secure digital engineering
Our take
In the realm of digital engineering, industries like aerospace, defense, and manufacturing face significant challenges. Traditional methods of designing, testing, and certifying complex systems are often time-consuming, costly, and environmentally taxing. These processes typically require physical prototypes and extensive real-world testing, leading to delays and increased resource consumption.
Istari is transforming this landscape by developing a platform that enables the creation, testing, and certification of technologies entirely in the digital real. Its advanced digital twin technology allows for virtual simulations and modeling, reducing the need for physical prototypes. This approach not only accelerates development timelines but also minimizes costs and environmental impact.
Its making major progress too, including the $19M contract with the US Air Force to help develop the world's first digitally certified aircraft. While the use of digital twins in military applications (especially with potential links to autonomous systems) can raise valid ethical concerns, Istari's focus is on safety, precision, and reducing the need for real-world testing that can be risky or wasteful. By improving how complex systems are designed and certified, its aiming to make engineering across industries more efficient and sustainable.
Steph
Company Specialist at Welcome to the Jungle
Company
Funding (1 round)
Feb 2023
$13m
SEED
Total funding: $13m
Company HQ
Crystal City, Arlington, VA
Leadership
Will Roper
(CEO)Will is a Distinguished Professor of the Practice at Georgia Institute of Technology as well as an Honorary Group Capital at the RAF.
Christopher Benson
(CTO)Christopher has worked at the United States Air Force since 2014 and currently serves as a Senior System Engineer. Previously founded ELLO, AFWERX, StartLabs, and Ring Theory.
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