Executive Director, ONSS in Chicago, Illinois at Ocient Inc.

About Ocient:Ocient is building OcientAIQ™ – a complete ecosystem for delivering trusted agentic AI solutions at petabyte scale, for the organizations that can't afford to get AI wrong. Our customers protect networks, secure nations, and power the global economy. The problems we solve are genuinely hard, and the work matters. Founded in 2016 by the team that built Cleversafe (acquired by IBM in 2015), Ocient is headquartered in Chicago with a remote-first global team. We are a carbon-neutral company backed by leading investors including Greycroft, OCA Ventures, In-Q-Tel, and Buoyant Ventures.
Do not contact Ocient directly to apply for a role. For security purposes, any applications received via email will be deleted.

Job Title: Executive DirectorLocation: Remote (US Based Only)

• We cannot sponsor or transfer any visas, of any kind now or in the future (ex. OPT, EAD, H1B, H4, etc.)

Estimated salary range: Base - $135,000 to $190,000 Expected OTE - $270,000 - $380,000

• The salary offered for this position will be based on a candidate's experience and skill demonstrated during interviews and other evaluations

Position Overview:The Executive Director is a senior individual contributor on Ocient’s National Security Sales (ONSS) team, responsible for driving enterprise sales of Ocient’s hyperscale data platform within the national security, defense, intelligence, and government-adjacent markets. This role builds trusted relationships with senior government and defense customer stakeholders, manages complex procurement and program sales cycles, and exceeds bookings targets by positioning Ocient’s platform as the preferred hyperscale analytics solution for mission-critical national security data workloads.
Responsibilities:

• Prospect, identify, qualify, and develop a robust sales pipeline within national security, defense, intelligence, and government-adjacent accounts using established government sales channels, partner networks, and direct outreach.
• Close business to exceed quarterly and annual bookings quotas while managing complex government and defense procurement cycles with professionalism and a solutions-oriented approach.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior government, defense, and intelligence community stakeholders at the program director, CTO, and executive level.
• Work closely with Solution Architects, Sales Engineering, and Technical teams to develop compelling, technically credible solution presentations tailored to national security mission requirements.
• Develop and maintain knowledge of government procurement vehicles, contract structures, and compliance requirements relevant to Ocient’s national security customers.
• Forecast accurately using MEDDPICC methodology and maintain complete customer, opportunity, and program documentation in the company CRM.
• Partner with the Marketing and Business Development teams to drive government-sector demand generation, partner ecosystem development, and customer references.

Ideal Qualifications:

• 10+ years of enterprise software or technology sales experience with demonstrated success selling to national security, defense, intelligence, or government-adjacent customers.
• Active security clearance (TS/SCI preferred) or ability to obtain clearance.
• Proven track record of managing and closing complex government and defense procurement cycles with multi-year contract values.
• Deep knowledge of national security, defense, and intelligence community procurement processes, contracting vehicles, and compliance requirements.
• Ability to sell complex analytics software, data warehousing, and managed service solutions to technical and program-level government stakeholders.
• Executive-level relationship management skills within national security and defense accounts.
• Accurate pipeline forecasting using MEDDPICC methodology with strong CRM discipline.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present Ocient’s capabilities within classified and sensitive government sales environments.

Interview Requirements: All interviews are conducted via video and require candidates to have their camera on for the duration of the session. The use of video filters, face-altering effects, or virtual backgrounds is not permitted for security and verification purposes.
We are not open to using an agency or staffing company at this time. We do not accept unsolicited agency or staffing resumes and we are not responsible for any fees related to unsolicited resumes.
Ocient is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, creed, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy status), sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin or ancestry, ethnicity, citizenship status, age, physical or mental disability, veteran status, marital status, parental status, genetic information, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance with religious accommodations and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, please contact recruiting@ocient.com for more information.
All official Ocient job postings and recruiting communications will come directly from our team via our Careers page, LinkedIn, or from an ocient.com email address. If you receive communication about a role from any other source, please treat it with caution and direct questions to recruiting@ocient.com.