Chief Revenue Officer (CRO)

About Wild West Systems

Wild West Systems is a defense technology startup redefining autonomous edge defense through modular, AI-powered weapon systems-designed, built, and launched in the USA. We're arming the future warfighter with precision, affordability, and swagger. If you're ready to operate where policy, power, and hardware collide, welcome to the frontier.

The CRO at Wild West Systems owns the entire revenue engine-government sales, strategic partnerships, primes, international allies (where applicable), and long-term program expansion.

This is not a slide-deck role. You are responsible for turning battlefield relevance into sustained, scalable revenue, while building the systems, processes, and discipline to support rapid growth under defense-grade constraints.

You sit at the intersection of product, policy, pricing, and power-and you're accountable for all of it.

Responsibilities

Total Revenue Ownership

• Own all revenue across government, primes, strategic partners, and follow-on programs.
• Build and manage a defensible, forecastable revenue pipeline under high uncertainty.
• Drive bookings, backlog, and long-term program value.

Go-To-Market & Contracting Strategy

• Define and execute the company's defense GTM strategy.
• Decide when to pursue primes vs. direct awards vs. rapid acquisition paths.
• Set pricing, contract structures, and expansion strategy for programs of record.

Government & Executive Relationships

• Serve as a senior-facing representative to:
• DoD leadership
• Acquisition executives
• Strategic partners and primes
• Lead high-stakes negotiations and long-cycle program discussions.

Team & Process Build-Out

• Build and lead government sales, BD, and revenue operations functions.
• Implement disciplined pipeline management, CRM rigor, and contract tracking.
• Create repeatable processes without slowing velocity.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Work hand-in-glove with Product, Engineering, and Operations to align delivery with revenue commitments.
• Translate customer demand into roadmap prioritization and deployment strategy.

Ownership Under Pressure

• Revenue gaps are your problem.
• Missed timelines are your problem.
• Wins are shared. Accountability is yours.

Required Qualifications

• Senior experience leading defense-focused revenue or business development.
• Deep familiarity with DoD acquisition, contracting, and budgeting cycles.
• Track record of scaling revenue in complex, regulated environments.
• U.S. citizenship and ITAR-compliant status.
• High tolerance for pressure, ambiguity, and responsibility.

Preferred Experience

• CRO, VP Sales, or Head of BD at a defense or deep-tech company.
• Experience taking products from prototype to program of record.
• Relationships with defense primes, integrators, or senior DoD stakeholders.
• Startup or scale-up experience in mission-critical industries.

What You'll Find at Wild West Systems

• Full ownership of revenue with real authority.
• A product that warfighters actually want.
• Direct influence on the future of autonomous defense.
• A culture that rewards execution, not politics.