Associate Account Manager - Defense Americas in Huntsville, Alabama at Advanced Navigation

Advanced Navigation is the world’s most determined innovator in AI robotics and navigation technologies across land, air, sea and space applications. Founded on a culture of research and discovery, Advanced Navigation's mission is to be the catalyst of the autonomy revolution. Fields of expertise include artificial intelligence, underwater sonar, GNSS, radio frequency systems, inertial sensors, robotics, quantum sensors and photonics.

Today, Advanced Navigation is a supplier to some of the world's largest companies, including Airbus, Boeing, Google, Tesla, NASA, Apple, and General Motors. Discover it for yourself: https://youtu.be/F7uAqs1gtuk

The Associate Account Manager (AAM) is a critical hybrid role designed to drive pipeline growth while managing operational, technical, and administrative execution for our Americas Defense business.

Beyond standard outbound prospecting and inbound lead qualification, this role serves as an operational hub and initial technical filter for our defense business development team. You will handle customer-driven administrative requirements, process RFQs/RFIs, generate quotes, and manage routing for inbound inquiries. Balancing a strategic sales mindset with meticulous attention to detail, you will ensure incoming customer requirements are appropriately qualified, technical questions are correctly routed, and opportunities seamlessly move through the pipeline.

For a high performer, this role serves as a strong stepping stone that can lead into a dedicated Business Development or Revenue Operations position in the future.

• RFQs (request for quotes) & RFIs (request for information) Management: Manage the response process for RFQs, RFIs, and technical inquiries.
• Commercial & Admin Compliance: Identify, coordinate & review customer-driven requirements, including Terms & Conditions (T&Cs), warranty policies, Incoterms, shipping schedules, and payment terms.
• Quote Creation & Technical Fit: Coordinate both quick-turn quotes, nonformal inquiries and standard product quotes, drawing on subject matter experts for more complex technical inputs. Investigate prospect requests to ensure the product matches their intended application.
• Technical Support Routing: Address recurring customer technical/specification inquiries and route complex engineering questions to RevOps, Engineering, or internal subject matter experts.

• Inbound Inquiries: Serve as a contact for inbound inquiries for Defense Americas, rapidly qualifying, triaging, and routing requests to the appropriate Business Development team members.
• Outbound Pipeline Generation: Execute targeted outbound cadences (cold outreach, email, social) for key defense expos and trade shows to book meetings during attendance.
• Lead Qualification: Qualify inbound leads efficiently (using frameworks like MEDDPICC/BANT) and facilitate smooth handoffs to the business development team.

• CRM Ownership: Maintain comprehensive, timely, and accurate opportunity, contact, and lead data in CRM (Salesforce).
• Process Tracking: Ensure quotes, opportunity creation, and stage progression are accurately logged to give business leadership clear visibility into the Defense Americas pipeline.
• Prospecting Tools: Utilize tools like LinkedIn Sales Navigator, Lusha, or Outreach to enrich CRM data, map accounts, and track target programs across the defense vertical.

• Education: Bachelor’s degree under one of the following profiles:
• • Technical Track: Degree in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Aerospace, Physics, or a related technical field with a strong interest in pursuing a business development / customer-facing career.
  • Business Track: Degree in Business, Finance, Supply Chain, or Marketing paired with demonstrated high technical acumen and comfort learning complex hardware/defense systems.
• Experience: 2–4+ years in B2B sales development, account management, or technical customer-facing roles within a hardware or technology-driven organization.
• Defense Acumen: Familiarity with defense acquisition processes, navigating complex organizational stakeholders, and defense jargon/terminology.
• Technical Aptitude: High degree of technical curiosity and aptitude, with the ability to quickly learn product specifications and customer applications (e.g., INS/IMU, GNC, sensors)
• Admin Detail-Orientation: Comfortable reading, managing, and evaluating customer administrative requirements with high accuracy and speed.
• CRM & Tools: Proficiency with Salesforce (or equivalent CRM) for tracking opportunities, generating quotes, and maintaining pipeline hygiene.
• Process & Communication: Strong business acumen, organizational skills, high attention to detail, and top-tier written/verbal communication skills.
• Security & Clearance: Eligibility for US security clearance.

• Military Background: Prior military service or direct defense industry procurement experience.
• Frameworks: Familiarity with structured qualification methodologies such as MEDDPICC or BANT.
• Domain Expertise: Direct experience with navigation, maritime, aerospace, autonomous platforms, or defense technology architectures.