What are the responsibilities and job description for the Account Executive, Commercial position at Motivate Venture Capital?
About Obviant
The defense market is surging, but the data that drives it hasn't kept up. Companies, government, and investors are forced to perform heavily manual processes and piece together hundreds of disparate sources to make decisions.
Obviant has built the data source of truth and AI tools for defense acquisition. We fuse information from thousands of sources (structured and unstructured) to provide a cohesive picture of budget, programs, the organizations running them, and much more. We already have high customer satisfaction at top-tier customers, we’re growing fast, backed by top-tier funds, and supported by national security veterans and technology industry advisors.
The Role
We're hiring an Account Executive to own the commercial defense market, specifically the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). You'll work in close partnership with our Government GTM function, sharing intelligence, coordinating on accounts where government and commercial interests intersect, and leveraging Obviant's existing presence to open doors faster.
Your focus is on prime contractors, subcontractors, and defense-adjacent commercial companies that rely on intelligence to find, win, and grow their defense business — including defense consultants and lobbyists who advise on acquisition strategy and budget positioning. You’ll own the full sales cycle for this segment and work directly with our founders, with a short line to product to influence the roadmap based on what you hear in the field.
What You'll Do
Required
The defense market is surging, but the data that drives it hasn't kept up. Companies, government, and investors are forced to perform heavily manual processes and piece together hundreds of disparate sources to make decisions.
Obviant has built the data source of truth and AI tools for defense acquisition. We fuse information from thousands of sources (structured and unstructured) to provide a cohesive picture of budget, programs, the organizations running them, and much more. We already have high customer satisfaction at top-tier customers, we’re growing fast, backed by top-tier funds, and supported by national security veterans and technology industry advisors.
The Role
We're hiring an Account Executive to own the commercial defense market, specifically the Defense Industrial Base (DIB). You'll work in close partnership with our Government GTM function, sharing intelligence, coordinating on accounts where government and commercial interests intersect, and leveraging Obviant's existing presence to open doors faster.
Your focus is on prime contractors, subcontractors, and defense-adjacent commercial companies that rely on intelligence to find, win, and grow their defense business — including defense consultants and lobbyists who advise on acquisition strategy and budget positioning. You’ll own the full sales cycle for this segment and work directly with our founders, with a short line to product to influence the roadmap based on what you hear in the field.
What You'll Do
- Own the full sales cycle for DIB accounts, from prospecting and discovery through contract close and renewal
- Build and manage a healthy pipeline aligned with Obviant's commercial growth targets
- Develop deep relationships with business development leaders, capture managers, competitive intelligence teams, and C-suite executives across the defense industrial base
- Translate Obviant's platform capabilities into clear ROI for defense contractors navigating program captures, competitive landscapes, and new market entry
- Partner with our Mission Success team to ensure smooth handoffs and strong retention in your book of business
- Bring field intelligence back to product and engineering. Your conversations shape our roadmap
- Build and iterate on messaging, outbound sequences, and sales plays specific to the DIB segment
Required
- 5 to 7 years of B2B sales experience, with a meaningful portion selling directly into the Defense Industrial Base (prime contractors, Tier 1/2 subcontractors, or defense-adjacent commercial firms)
- Demonstrated track record of exceeding revenue targets in a consultative, complex-sale environment. You should be able to speak clearly to your own individual new-logo production — deal count, typical ACV, and quota attainment — separate from any team you managed or supported
- Deep familiarity with how defense contractors use competitive intelligence, BD pipelines, and capture strategy, so you understand the workflows Obviant improves
- Ability to manage multi-threaded sales cycles with multiple stakeholders across business development, competitive intelligence, finance, and executive leadership
- A clear point of view on who owns the Obviant buying decision inside a target account — BD VP, capture manager, competitive intelligence lead, or some combination — and how you’ve been able to get to that person previously.
- Strong communication and presence. You can credibly engage a BD VP, a capture manager, and a CEO in the same week
- Detail-oriented pipeline management and forecasting discipline
- Comfortable operating with high autonomy and accountability in a fast-moving, early-stage environment
- Strong references (upon request) from current and prior roles, including former customers and/or employers.
- Experience as an early GTM hire at a startup, building a segment from scratch
- Existing relationships across the DIB, including BD leads, capture teams, and competitive intel functions; relationships with defense consultants or lobbyists who advise on acquisition and budget strategy are a meaningful plus
- Background in defense acquisition, government contracting, or national security markets
- Mission orientation: the work matters, and we want teammates who feel that weight
- High ownership: you'll run your segment and can expect autonomy and accountability in equal measure
- Directness: we communicate with candor and assume good intent
- Builder's mindset: we move fast and expect you to shape how we go to market, not just execute a handed-down playbook
- Bias toward action: we’d rather move and course-correct than wait for perfect information
- Competitive base salary commensurate with experience
- Variable compensation tied to bookings, with uncapped upside for strong performers
- Meaningful equity stake in a well-funded, fast-growing company
- Health, dental, and vision coverage
- Flexible, high-autonomy work environment
- Direct line to founders and real influence on product direction