Responsibilities

• Execute the Defense Heavyweight Pivot: Develop and own the overarching marketing strategy to transition Saildrone from an early-growth brand to a mature, dominant player within the national security and defense ecosystem.
• Drive BD Alignment: Architect and execute comprehensive campaign plans and marketing strategies that directly align with macro-level Business Development (BD) objectives, moving far beyond day-to-day communications to influence long-cycle federal acquisitions.
• Optimize External Agency Partnerships: Direct and orchestrate relationships with top-tier external public relations, public affairs, and crisis communication firms; selectively leverage outside counsel to maximize impact and ensure high-fidelity delivery at scale.
• Establish Washington Governance: Realign marketing operations to the Washington, DC ecosystem, setting up foundational frameworks, metrics, and regional messaging tailored to defense stakeholders and policymakers.
• Optimize Operational Throughput: Oversee the allocation of significant marketing budgets, ensuring strict fiscal discipline, high delivery standards, and measurable ROI across all enterprise campaigns.
• Foster Executive Collaboration: Work closely with Government Relations, Sales, and executive leadership to align messaging with rapidly shifting geopolitical realities and federal procurement cycles.
• Cultivate Accountability: Establish a culture of ownership, strategic rigor, and delivery excellence across the brand, digital, and public relations functions.
• Build the Bench: Recruit, retain, and mentor a high-performing marketing organization, developing internal talent while optimizing the mix of in-house capabilities and external agency support.
• Maintain Industry Ethics: Perform all responsibilities in accordance with Saildrone values, ensuring all strategies adhere to the strict ethical, security, and quality guidelines of the defense industry.

Requirements

• Proven Enterprise Scale: 12+ years of progressive marketing experience, with a track record of serving as a VP or senior leader who has successfully scaled a company from late-early growth to mature enterprise status.
• Defense Ecosystem Expertise: Deep, verifiable domain expertise working within the Washington, DC defense, national security, and federal contracting ecosystem.
• Strategic Campaign Mastery: Demonstrated proficiency in building macro-level marketing campaign plans and business development strategies tailored for complex, long-cycle B2G/G2G sales environments.
• Sophisticated Agency Management: Proven ability to manage, direct, and collaborate with top-tier external communication and crisis management firms, maintaining absolute discretion and a focus on high-fidelity delivery.
• Macro Decision-Making: Proven ability to analyze highly complex geopolitical and market issues, making rapid strategic pivots and budget reallocations under intense time and reputational pressure.
• Executive-Level Communication: Exceptional ability to clearly communicate visionary storytelling, strategic defense positioning, and marketing ROI to board members, federal partners, and cross-functional executives.
• Fiscal Leadership: Working knowledge of managing large-scale budgets and metrics-driven marketing requirements within a high-growth, venture-backed or public defense tech organization.
• PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS: Travel: Ability to travel domestically and internationally 20–30% of the time to support industry events, government briefings, and corporate headquarters.

Benefits

• Generous Time Off: Competitive Paid Time Off (PTO) accrual plus a robust annual holiday schedule and paid sick leave ensure you can rest, reset, and sustain performance over time.
• Comprehensive Health Coverage: Premium, multi-tier Medical, Dental, and Vision plans with significant company contributions for employees and dependents—providing security and peace of mind.
• Shared Ownership in the Mission: Equity grants are a core part of our compensation, allowing you to participate in the long-term value you help create through meaningful, operational work.
• Retirement Savings: Access to a 401(k) retirement plan with flexible pre-tax and Roth payroll contribution options supports long-term financial planning.
• Investment in Your Growth: We support your continuous learning through an annual professional development reimbursement program, empowering you to sharpen your skills and stay ahead of the curve in a rapidly evolving field.
• Relocation Support: For eligible roles, we offer relocation assistance to help bring the world's best talent to our mission-critical locations.