Defense Sales (FR) H/F

About Alta Ares

Alta Ares is a deeptech startup founded in 2024, building real-time AI for defense operations (ISR, C-UAS). Our primary clients are NATO-aligned militaries, with regular deployments during live exercises. Raised €2M pre-seed in May 2025 Products include:

• Real-time AI ISR module deployable on drones and tactical platforms
• Counter-UAS solution enabling autonomous drone takeover under GNSS-denied environment
• Full-stack MLOps platform for training & deploying military-grade AI models
• Data fusion and trajectory prediction

Position details

• Location: Paris,France, mobility required
• Reports to: Head of Sales
• Position objective: Drive Alta Ares’ commercial expansion by securing defense contracts, building relationships with procurement agencies, and positioning Alta Ares as a category-defining leader in AI-enabled defense systems. We are looking for a high-performance sales leader with a strong background in the defense industry, ideally with experience in neoprimes or advanced defense tech companies.
• Contract: CDI (permanent contract)

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.)

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