Account Director Senior - Public Sector Business Development

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

The Role

The Business Development Account Director is accountable for developing and implementing the overall market penetration and growth strategy. They will work in close cooperation with internal and external teams to develop winning strategies and multiple strategic alternatives to solve customer problems through competitive positioning. Identifies potential teaming partners to enhance Lumen's value proposition.

The Main Responsibilities

The Business Development Account Director will gain a firm comprehension of the customer's requirements, long term objectives, hot buttons, and effectively communicates those goals to the internal Lumen groups, to better meet the eventual SOW’s (including product enhancements, pricing initiatives, and partnerships). They understand the strengths/weaknesses of our competitors in order to create/develop strategies that highlight strengths and mitigate weaknesses. They are actively involved in executing responses to complex and challenging problems,

Essential Duties :

• Actively participate in industry associations, facilitates agency/industry meetings for awareness of best practice solutions, and demonstrates value to Lumen through increased awareness, bid opportunities, and win effectiveness
• Contribute to scheduling of meetings for Lumen Executive Leadership with executives at assigned government organizations
• Develop and communicate prioritized list of strategic opportunities for target government organizations and briefs senior management on high dollar opportunities
• Develops and maintains milestones and metrics for presentation to management that measure the progress of strategic plans, projects, and programs against organizational goals and objectives
• Promote and position Lumen services and solutions through direct and indirect existing contracts, new customer contracts, and teaming opportunities
• Identifies, qualifies and develops a pipeline of strategic opportunities and growth strategy to achieve annual new business objectives
• Leads preparation of initial gate reviews and supports capture and proposal efforts throughout the opportunity lifecycle
• Penetrates target agencies/organizations as assigned and other supporting agencies/organizations to uncover longer term opportunities. Broadens and deepens existing customer relationships to gain strategic positioning, retain existing revenue, and attain additional business.
• Develops proposals for presentation to customers. Coordinates account resources with representatives from marketing, pre-sales engineering, and product management.
• Establishes trust, rapport and creditability with client organizations senior leadership and operational managers

What We Look For in a Candidate

• SLED telecommunications, carrier, hardware or network services sales/BD experience required within the last 12 months
• 7-10 years experience working within the SLED sector, with a minimum 5 years sales/business development experience calling on government/education organizations required
• Extensive knowledge of wireline telecommunications technologies and recurring revenue business models
• Knowledge of respective acquisition / procurement policies
• Ability to articulate telecommunications competitors, landscape, and industry trends
• Demonstrated success winning contracts and business in the government/education market place required
• Track record of success developing business within specific agencies identified below
• Strategic planning, account management, account planning (including account profiling, account positioning strategy, customer needs analysis, sales opportunity development, service improvement planning, and long range account management strategies) and proven contract negotiation skills required
• Training in consultative sales techniques required
• Ability to use Microsoft Word to create, edit, and share routine documents; Microsoft Excel spreadsheet package to organize, tabulate, and analyze data; and Microsoft PowerPoint to develop presentations
• Possess exceptional written/verbal communications skills, presentation skills, organizational time management skills, and display a strong customer-facing, sales and marketing, and presentation skills
• Ability to articulate the requirements for technical, contractual, commercial and management responses.
• Self motivated and driven leader with a sense of urgency to stay in front of strategic opportunities.
• Ability to travel nationally & internationally to customer facilities as required
• Ability to obtain security clearnance; as needed

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.

Location Based Pay Ranges:

$132,300 - $176,400 in these states: AL, AR, AZ, FL, GA, IA, ID, IN, KS, KY, LA, ME, MO, MS, MT, ND, NE, NM, OH, OK, PA, SC, SD, TN, UT, VT, WI, WV, and WY. $138,915 - $185,220 in these states: CO, HI, MI, MN, NC, NH, NV, OR, and RI. $145,530 - $194,040 in these states: AK, CA, CT, DC, DE, IL, MA, MD, NJ, NY, TX, VA, and WA.

Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short-term incentives, long-term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process.

Learn more about Lumen's:

Lumen26

Requisition #: 343594

Life at Lumen

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

To learn more about Life at Lumen and how we live the Lumen 8, please visit:

Background Screening

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page . Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

Equal Employment Opportunities

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all persons regardless of race, color, ancestry, citizenship, national origin, religion, veteran status, disability, genetic characteristic or information, age, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, marital status, family status, pregnancy, or other legally protected status (collectively, “protected statuses”). We do not tolerate unlawful discrimination in any employment decisions, including recruiting, hiring, compensation, promotion, benefits, discipline, termination, job assignments or training.

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Lumen is committed to protecting the privacy and security of personal information collected during the recruitment and hiring process. Our Applicant Privacy Notice explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect applicant information, as well as how individuals may request access to or deletion of their personal data.

To review Lumen’s Global Employment Applicant and Talent Community Privacy Notice, please visit:

Disclaimer

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

In any materials you submit, you may redact or remove age-identifying information such as age, date of birth, or dates of school attendance or graduation. You will not be penalized for redacting or removing this information.

Please be advised that Lumen does not require any form of payment from job applicants during the recruitment process. All legitimate job openings will be posted on our official website or communicated through official company email addresses. If you encounter any job offers that request payment in exchange for employment at Lumen, they are not for employment with us, but may relate to another company with a similar name.