Deal Desk Lead

Job Description

Job Description

Company Description

Every minute of every day, Smiths Detection’s threat detection and security screening technology helps to protect people and infrastructure, making the world a safer place. 

Smiths Detection is a global leader in the development, manufacture and management of security and detection solutions designed to make the world a safer place. Our technology provides threat detection and screening solutions for customers in our key markets: aviation, ports and borders, defense, and urban security.

Our expertise spans 21 global offices, seven manufacturing sites and five R&D centers, with a global network of 3,500 dedicated colleagues contributing towards over 40 years at the frontline of advances in safety and security.  

This results in careers built on variety and the opportunity to work on a range of state-of-the-art solutions, where you can develop your knowledge and experience every day.

Job Description

We are seeking an experienced Deal Desk Lead to build, standardize and scale our deal operations. In this role, you will act as the strategic bridge between Sales, Legal, Finance, Capture/Contracts, and Product teams. Because our core market is the U.S. Federal Government (USG) alongside growing business in Commercial and State, Local, and Education (SLED) sectors, you will navigate a bifurcated deal velocity environment: orchestrating complex, long-cycle government contract structures while maintaining agile, streamlined approvals for fast-moving commercial, state and local-level transactions.

Responsibilities

Deal Structuring & Strategy

• Serve as the advisory partner to sales and marketing management on complex, non-standard enterprise deals across USG, SLED, and Commercial accounts.
• Assist with development of pricing models, discounting frameworks, multi-year ramp structures, and custom commercial packaging that protect gross margins while accelerating time-to-close.
• Partner with stakeholders, including Contracts and Legal teams, to align commercial deal terms with Company policies and guidelines, public sector procurement constraints, balancing software licensing, professional services, subcontractor margins, and cloud consumption.
• Identify business terms in solicitations and contracts and lead negotiation of business terms in accordance with Company policy, guidelines and authorities.

 

Public Sector Governance & Compliance

• Collaborate with Contracts and Legal teams and Finance to ensure deal pricing adheres to federal compliance standards, including FAR/DFARS, Commercial-Off-The-Shelf (COTS) determinations, and GSA Multiple Award Schedule (MAS) discounting/Price Reductions Clause (PRC) monitoring.
• Structure teaming, sub-contracting, and reseller margins across Federal Systems Integrators (FSIs) and distribution partners.
• Adapt contracting terms for SLED frameworks.

 

Governance, Workflow & Deal Velocity

• Implement, and enforce approval matrices and escalation thresholds across Sales.
• Own and optimize the Quote-to-Cash (QTC) workflow within Salesforce and CPQ to reduce turnaround time on quotes and non-standard contract reviews.
• Manage Commercial deal review rhythms with low-friction, high-velocity workflows.

 

Analytics & Operational Cadence

• Chair weekly Deal Desk review sessions; conduct win/loss pricing retrospectives and pipeline margin health checks.
• Track and report on core Deal Desk KPIs: average quote turnaround time, deal velocity, discounting by tier/segment, margin realization, and contract concessions.
• Partner with Product and FP&A to operationalize new SKU rollouts, packaging tiers, and price book adjustments across all sales channels.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

  Education Requirements:   

• Bachelor’s degree required; preferred fields include business/finance, legal studies, or contract management. 

• Professional qualification in contract management is desirable.

 

Technical Knowledge, Skills and Abilities: 

Knowledge: 

• Understanding of contract law, risk management, and negotiation strategies. 

• Experience with federal, state and local government contracting strongly preferred. 

• Familiarity with contract lifecycle management tools. 

 

Skills: 

• Strong contract negotiation skills, especially with complex, high-value agreements. 

• Excellent communication, organization, and analytical abilities. 

• Ability to identify risks and recommend effective mitigation strategies. 

• Strong attention to detail and ability to manage multiple priorities. 

• Experience with contract management or CRM systems is a plus. 

 

Competencies: 

• Highly collaborative, able to work across diverse teams. 

• Skilled in stakeholder communication and relationship management. 

• Ability to maintain accurate, auditable commercial records. 

 

Planning and Decision Making: 

• Plan and execute assigned contract activities independently. 

• Make timely decisions within delegated authority. 

• Escalate issues appropriately and work closely with legal SMEs when needed. 

 

I mpact and Scope: 

• Protect the company from undue risk. 

• Support enhanced commercial outcomes, including revenue, margin, and operational efficiency. 

 

Key Internal and External Relationships: 

• VP of Sales 

• Legal Counsel and Contract Specialists 

• Sales Teams 

• Aftermarket Teams 

• Procurement 

• Finance 

• Customer and Supplier Representatives 

  Required Experience

• 5–8+ years of direct experience in Deal Desk, Sales Operations, Revenue Operations, or Commercial/Federal Contracts, ideally within enterprise B2B and/or B2G sales, IT hardware, or hybrid solution environments.
• Deep familiarity with USG procurement vehicles and regulations: Solid operational understanding of GSA schedules, GWACs/IDIQs, FAR/DFARS compliance impacts on commercial pricing, and channel partner margins.
• Hands-on experience with SLED purchasing: Understanding of state procurement codes, cooperative contracts and fiscal budget timing.
• Commercial SaaS fluency: Working knowledge of SaaS revenue recognition principles (ASC 606), ARR/ACV metrics, and subscription renewal economics.
• Tech Stack Proficiency: Advanced expertise with Salesforce CRM and enterprise CPQ systems (Salesforce CPQ, DealHub, or similar); expert financial modeling skills in Microsoft Excel/Google Sheets.
• Current or ability to obtain a Secret level national security clearance.
• Due to the nature of the work and attributes, US citizenship is required

Preferred Attributes

• Experience working alongside Defense/Intelligence capture teams or managing deals requiring FedRAMP/DoD IL-authorized solutions.
• Strong cross-functional diplomacy: ability to balance firm governance and fiduciary duty with a high-touch, solution-oriented mindset for sales teams.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Finance, Accounting, Economics, or equivalent practical experience.

Additional Information

We offer…

Join us and we’ll help build your career, with excellent training and opportunities for career growth across the business, both locally and globally. You’ll experience an inclusive environment, with strong leadership and a focus on safety and wellbeing. You’ll also have the flexibility to choose from a wide range of benefits to suit your lifestyle, offering you and your family support from a health and wellbeing, financial and lifestyle perspective.

Join us and work for a world-leader, with the benefits and training to reward your dedication and skills. Be part of a team where we are making the world a safer place.

The total compensation for this position ranges from $105,600 - $158,400/yr (Salary to be determined by the education, experience, knowledge, skills, & abilities of the applicant and the alignment with the internal team & market data). This role offers a competitive Business Profit Plan. This position includes a competitive benefits package. The comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental & vision insurance; 401(k) with company match; paid time off; and other benefits. For details, please visit the Rewards & Benefits tab on our main careers page at Careers | Smiths Detection.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, protected veteran status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic.

If you have a disability and you believe you need a reasonable accommodation in order to search for a job opening or to submit an online application, please e-mail View email address on ziprecruiter.com or call toll-free View phone number on ziprecruiter.com . This email and phone number is created exclusively to assist disabled job seekers whose disability prevents them from being able to apply online. Only messages left for this purpose will be returned. Messages left for other purposes, such as following up on an application or technical issues not related to a disability, will not receive a response. Smiths Detection participates in the Electronic Employment Verification Program.

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment based solely on their skills, experience, and ability to perform the job. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

We value professionalism, integrity, and respect in our workplace, and we strive to maintain an environment where every employee can contribute effectively to our mission.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Detection, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website.

All qualified applicants will receive equal consideration for employment based solely on their skills, experience, and ability to perform the job. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

We value professionalism, integrity, and respect in our workplace, and we strive to maintain an environment where every employee can contribute effectively to our mission.

At no time during the hiring process will Smiths Detection, nor any of our recruitment partners ever request payment to enable participation – including, but not limited to, interviews or testing. Avoid fraudulent requests by applying jobs directly through our career’s website.