Director of Distributor Relations, Navy

Job Description

Job Description

Director of Distributor Relations, American AI LogisticsPosition Overview

American AI Logistics (AAIL) is hiring a Director of Distributor Relations to own the supply side of one of the most operationally critical platform groups in the U.S. fleet. These platforms move U.S. forces, refuel them in flight, and provide command, control, and early warning. The entire group is contending with an aging inventory and documented mission-capable shortfalls. The parts that keep them move through a network of distributors and stocking suppliers, and that network is what this role owns.

The measure of this role is simple: when a requirement comes in for these platforms, AAIL gets the quotes it needs, on time. That is the job. Someone who delivers on-time quote coverage consistently, across the platform group, is succeeding in this role, full stop. Everything else described below exists in service of that outcome.

The Director of Distributor Relations is the supply-side counterpart to the platform group's Government Program Director. While the Government Program Director works the line and the program offices to surface demand and get quotes accepted, the Director of Distributor Relations works the distributor network to make sure every requirement that hits AAIL's platform comes back with a fast, competitive, executable quote. They know which distributors stock which materials, who can source hard-to-find components, who quotes fast and who needs a phone call, and they keep that network engaged, competitive, and hungry for AAIL's business.

This role is hands-on, relationship-driven, and operationally focused, and it is not a role for someone who needs hand-holding. We are looking for a hungry, self-motivated operator who has lived inside the military aircraft parts aftermarket, ideally at a distributor serving these platforms, and can turn a stack of open RFQs into a stack of on-time quotes because they know exactly who to call and what to ask for. You will hit the ground running: owning your distributor portfolio, managing a book of supplier relationships, and helping define the supply-side playbook at a company on the rise. If you love this country and want your work to matter to the men and women who defend it, this is that job.

Key Responsibilities

• Own this role's number one outcome: on-time quote coverage. When a requirement comes in for the platforms in scope, make sure AAIL gets the quotes it needs, on time, every time. Everything else in this role exists in service of that.
• Own AAIL's relationships with the distributors and stocking suppliers who quote and supply parts for the platform groups, including OEM-authorized distributors, independent stocking distributors, and surplus and specialty sources
• Build and maintain a mapped distributor network for the platform group: who stocks what, for which platforms and engine families, and mission systems, and where the coverage gaps are
• Partner with the platform group's Government Program Director in a tight demand-and-supply loop: they surface what the customer needs and get quotes accepted; you make sure every requirement comes back with a fast, competitive, executable quote
• Work daily with AAIL's quoting team to match inbound RFQs to the right distributor, chase down quotes that are aging, and resolve part number, condition code, traceability, and lead-time questions before they stall a quote
• Work closely with AAIL's data team to keep the platform group's supply picture sharp: validating part and pricing data, flagging gaps in distributor coverage data, and using demand forecasts to warm up the right suppliers before requirements land
• Negotiate pricing, terms, and stocking arrangements with distributors to keep AAIL's quotes competitive, and structure win-win arrangements that give distributors a reason to prioritize AAIL's requirements
• Track distributor performance, starting with on-time quote coverage and response time, followed by pricing competitiveness, fill rate, and on-time delivery, and manage underperformers up or out of the rotation
• Onboard new distributors and suppliers for the platform group, including vetting traceability documentation, quality certifications, and counterfeit-part controls
• Coordinate with the development team so AAIL's platform reflects how distributors actually quote, feeding back friction points, data gaps, and automation opportunities from the distributor side
• Resolve post-award supply issues such as substitutions, delays, and discrepant material directly with the distributor so the Government Program Director can keep the customer relationship clean
• Represent AAIL at distributor site visits, aftermarkets and parts distribution industry events, and supplier conferences relevant to the platform group
• Contribute to AAIL's growing distributor playbook by documenting supplier relationships, sourcing strategies, and lessons learned that the distributor relations team can build on

A Typical Week Might Include

• A morning working the phones with three distributors to get quotes back on a batch of RFQs before the response deadline
• A pricing negotiation with a stocking distributor on a recurring consumables package, trading volume commitment for better unit pricing
• A working session with the quoting team to clear a stack of aged RFQs: identifying which need a new source, which need a nudge, and which need an alternate part number
• A call with a specialty supplier to run down a hard-to-source mission systems component, including traceability documentation review
• A quarterly business review with one of the platform group's highest-volume distributors, covering on-time quote coverage, response times, and win rates
• A sync with the platform group's Government Program Director on upcoming demand: what the bases are signaling, and where the distributor network needs to be warmed up in advance
• Drafting a short readout for leadership on distributor performance across the platform group: coverage, speed, pricing, and gaps

Required Qualifications

• 5+ years of experience in military/aerospace/naval parts distribution, aftermarket sales, sourcing, or supply chain, with a strong preference for candidates who have worked at a distributor serving the platforms in scope
• Established, working relationships with the distributors and stocking suppliers who actively quote and supply parts for the platforms in scope. You know who stocks what, who to call, and how to get a quote moved to the top of the pile
• Direct working knowledge of the parts and sustainment supply chains for one or more of the platforms in scope and the willingness to develop equivalent depth on the others quickly
• Demonstrated experience quoting, sourcing, or fulfilling defense parts requirements, including familiarity with NSNs, part number cross-referencing, condition codes, traceability documentation, and government sourcing requirements
• Strong negotiation and relationship-management instincts: equally credible on the phone with a distributor's inside sales desk and in a quarterly business review with their leadership
• Operational discipline: comfortable managing a high volume of open quotes, chasing responses, and keeping a pipeline of supplier actions moving every day
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience
• Must be eligible to obtain a Secret-level security clearance (an active clearance is not required to start)
• Willingness to travel to distributor facilities and industry events; anticipate 15 to 30% travel
• U.S. citizenship required

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior experience working at a distributor, stocking supplier, or aftermarket parts organization serving fleets, in inside sales, outside sales, sourcing, product line management, or program management
• Experience on both sides of the aftermarket is the ideal profile: time at an OEM that manufactures parts for the platforms in scope and at a distributor that sells them
• Familiarity with distribution quality and traceability frameworks, including counterfeit-part avoidance, and government source inspection requirements
• Experience quoting into DLA (DIBBS), Air Force/Naval sustainment channels, or prime contractor supply chains
• Prior experience in a growth-stage company or government technology startup
• Working knowledge of DFARS, ITAR, CUI, and CMMC frameworks as they apply to parts and components distribution
• Comfort with modern AI and data tools and an interest in using them to improve sourcing outcomes

Compensation & Benefits

• Target total cash compensation of up to $200,000, structured as a competitive base salary plus a performance bonus paid quarterly with uncapped upside
• Full-time, exempt position; remote flexibility with required travel to distributor facilities and industry events
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage for you and your family
• Unlimited PTO, sick time, and company holidays
• Company-paid basic life insurance, with options for additional dependent coverage; short-term and long-term disability coverage
• Access to primary and virtual care options
• Direct ownership of the supply side of one of the most operationally critical platform groups in the U.S. fleet, with a clear growth path as the portfolio and distributor network expand

What Success Looks Like

Success in this role is measured first by one number: on-time quote coverage. When a requirement comes in for a platform group, AAIL gets the quotes it needs, on time. A Director of Distributor Relations who delivers that consistently is doing the job we hired them to do, and doing it well.

From that foundation, everything else follows. The distributor network answers your calls first because you have built relationships worth prioritizing. Response times beat the competition and pricing wins. When the Government Program Director surfaces demand from the field, the supply side is already warmed up and ready to quote.

Over time, success is defined by becoming the person the platform group's distributor community wants to do business with, building a mapped, managed, high-performing supplier network that grows AAIL's win rate year over year, and developing into a leader who can scale the distributor relations function as AAIL expands across additional platform groups.

About American AI Logistics

American AI Logistics (AAIL) is a defense technology company scaling rapidly, growing from a startup into a full-scale defense technology platform at the most consequential moment in our short history. We build autonomous workflow software for a government sales market that still runs on manual effort, inboxes, spreadsheets, and deadline pressure. At the core of our offering is AutoBid, a proprietary AI-powered platform that automates the government bidding process and handles the full RFQ lifecycle. AutoBid is not a proposal tool. It is an autonomous agent that replaces the inside sales process for government bids.