Defense Drones & Robotics Sales Director

About the Opportunity

The Adjacent Market sales team engages customers in collaborative, strategic, and long-term partnerships that unlock the full value of Aptiv's robotics, drone, autonomy, and intelligent systems technologies. We strive to be the premier provider of integrated hardware, software, and services solutions-partnering with customers at the senior leadership level to shape vision, drive measurable outcomes, and accelerate transformation across unmanned systems markets (UAVs) and AGV's .

As a Defense Drones & Robotics Sales Director , you will own a quota-bearing, hunter-focused role responsible for developing new pipeline, penetrating new markets, and driving growth across a broad portfolio. This role sells into a diverse customer base , ranging from defense primes to mid-market and early-stage companies that are scaling rapidly .

While this role is primarily centered on hardware solution selling , success requires a full-solution mindset-bringing together hardware, software, and services to solve complex customer challenges across both established and emerging organizations.

You will bring a strong point of view to customer engagements, orchestrate internal and partner resources, and manage opportunities across the full lifecycle-from pipeline creation to predictable quarterly closure.

Ideally, you bring a strong Defense background and rolodex that will help us achieve our growth initiatives.

Responsibilities & Accountabilities

Account & Customer Relationship Management

• Territory - This role is based in the USA, however international travel may be required for customers around the globe.

• Annual Revenue: Accurately forecast, manage, and exceed quota targets across robotics and drone customers.
• Hunter Focus: Build new pipeline in previously untapped or underdeveloped markets; identify whitespace opportunities and drive net-new customer acquisition across commercial, defense, and emerging technology sectors.
• Customer Coverage: Sell into a wide spectrum of organizations, including:
  • Large Industrial OEM's
  • Mid-sized technology firms
  • Early-stage and scaling robotics & drone companies
• Expansion Opportunity Identification: Proactively uncover upsell and expansion opportunities within existing accounts by aligning with internal delivery, engineering, and customer success teams.
• C-Level Access: Engage and influence senior executives, founders, and technical leaders, including coordination with internal Executive Sponsors.
• Solution Selling: Lead with a full-portfolio approach-from hardware to software and services-to build differentiated value across robotic and unmanned systems use cases.
• Strategic Account Planning: Develop actionable territory and account plans to drive sustainable growth across both new and existing customers at varying stages of maturity.
• Political Acumen: Understand customer organizational structures, power maps, budget owners, and key influencers in government, enterprise, and startup environments.
• Post Close: This role will maintain account ownership and renewal/expansion opportunities.
• Reporting: Delivering forecast (Weekly), Account plans, pipeline reviews, opportunity reviews and close plans, including risk assessments.
• Trusted Advisor: Build strong relationships through industry insight, technical understanding, and business-outcome alignment.

• Market Insight: Identify and assess new business opportunities, emerging markets, and strategic partnerships within the Aerospace, Government and Defense sectors. Analyze public information such as press releases, funding announcements, earnings, and industry trends to anticipate customer needs and competitive dynamics.

• Complex Deal Leadership: Orchestrate cross-functional teams across engineering, product, services, legal, and partners to ensure the right resources are applied at the right stage of the sales cycle.
• Trade Show & Event Engagement: Represent Aptiv at key robotics, drone, autonomy, defense, and industrial trade shows and conferences to identify prospects, generate new pipeline, gather competitive intelligence, and strengthen brand presence.

Demand Generation, Pipeline & Opportunity Management

• Pipeline Creation: Maintain a disciplined approach to prospecting and weekly funnel creation; this role is responsible for generating substantial new outbound pipeline across robotics and drone markets.
• New + Expansion Opportunity Development: Identify, qualify, and advance both new customer opportunities and expansion opportunities within existing accounts to drive total account value. Initially, this will be 100% net new.
• Predictability & Execution: Manage the full sales cycle-from early-stage pipeline development to predictable quarterly forecast and closure.
• CRM Excellence: Maintain real-time accuracy in Salesforce (SFDC) to drive operational rigor and transparency.
• Cross-Functional Pipeline Partnerships:
  • Collaborate with marketing, inside sales, SDR teams, Aptiv- Wind River & Winchester sales teams, Customer Success, engineering, delivery, and product teams to scale pipeline and uncover new customer needs.
  • Partner with internal stakeholders to identify emerging opportunities, validate customer requirements, and create winning strategies.
  • Build a strong "win together" culture by aligning internal teams early and often throughout the deal cycle.
• Advance & Close Opportunities: Execute the sales strategy to progress deals through all stages and win large, complex robotics or drone-based autonomy programs .
• Market Development: Champion Aptiv's entry into new sectors and emerging robotics, drone, and unmanned systems segments.

Qualifications

Experience

• Minimum 12 years of Aerospace/Government/Drone, or defense technology sales experience , including substantial experience with hardware-centric solutions and demonstrated competency in solution selling across hardware, software, and services.
• Proven track record selling into Product Management, Engineering, Operations, and/or IT organizations-consistently exceeding annual quota and driving large, complex program wins.
• Hunter DNA: Demonstrated ability to break into new markets, create pipeline from scratch, and close net-new business across both established enterprises and early-stage customers.

Industry Knowledge

• Expertise in robotics, drones, autonomy, or unmanned systems strongly preferred.
• Experience selling into Government, aerospace, or drone OEM's is a strong plus.
• Understanding of cloud, edge, embedded systems, safety-critical, and mission-critical environments.

Core Skills & Characteristics

• Strong sense of urgency and bias for action.
• Quick learner capable of ramping rapidly in fast-moving technical domains.
• Pipeline Discipline: Comfortable working both ends of the pipeline-creating early-stage demand and driving late-stage predictability.
• Organizational Excellence: Skilled in deal orchestration across complex enterprises as well as lean, fast-growing organizations.
• Complex Program Leadership: Experience owning and driving multi-stakeholder, multi-year strategic programs.
• Passion for Market Expansion: Motivated by entering new markets, supporting scaling customers, and building new business from the ground up.
• Communication & Influence: Ability to articulate technical concepts to both technical and non-technical stakeholders, from founders to senior executives.
• Team-Driven: Strong collaborator who partners with internal stakeholders to uncover opportunities and win together .

Additional Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, or related field; advanced degree a plus.
• Willingness to travel as required for customer visits, trade shows, and industry events.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without requiring visa sponsorship now or in the future.

What We Offer

• Impact: Shape the future of robotics, drones, industrial automation, aerospace, defense, and next-generation autonomous systems.
• Compensation: Competitive base salary with uncapped performance-based incentives .
• Benefits: Comprehensive health, dental, vision, and retirement benefits.
• Career Growth: Significant opportunities for advancement within a leading technology company.
• Innovation Culture: Work with cutting-edge robotics, drone, and embedded technologies alongside a team committed to excellence and innovation.

#LI-JP1

Privacy Notice - Active Candidates:

Aptiv is an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.