Defence Sales Manager
Alta Ares
Defence Sales Manager
Alta Ares
Autonomous AI defense and ISTAR platform
Alta Ares is an air defense Neoprime. We build AI-guided interceptors to counter drones and cruise missiles, along with the software platform that powers them.
Our customers are NATO-aligned militaries and defense institutions, and our systems are regularly deployed during live exercises and operational demonstrations across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia.
Founded in 2024, we have grown to 90 people, raised over $60M, and increased revenue 40× this year. We are now entering a new phase of international expansion, industrial scaling, fundraising, and product development.
As Defence Sales Manager APAC, you will own Alta Ares' commercial development across the entire Asia-Pacific region — one of the most dynamic and fast-evolving defence procurement theatres in the world. You will build the pipeline from scratch across Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, positioning Alta Ares as the AI-enabled defence partner of choice for APAC armed forces and their industrial ecosystems.
The Indo-Pacific security environment is reshaping defence procurement at an unprecedented pace — AUKUS, Japan's historic rearmament, South Korea's defence export surge, and Southeast Asia's rapid capability build-up all represent concrete near-term opportunities for Alta Ares' ISR, C-UAS, and autonomy stack. You will be the person on the ground, opening doors and converting relationships into contracts.
This is a builder role with broad geographic scope and high ownership. You will operate with significant autonomy, reporting directly to Paris leadership, and will define how Alta Ares shows up across the world's most strategically consequential region.
Own and drive the full APAC sales pipeline across priority markets: Japan (MOD / ATLA / SDF), South Korea (DAPA / ROK Armed Forces), Australia (Defence / CASG / ADF), New Zealand (NZDF), Singapore (MINDEF / SAF), and broader Southeast Asia
Lead qualification, opportunity shaping, proposal development, and contract negotiations across ISR, C-UAS, autonomy, and AI programmes
Identify and pursue relevant procurement vehicles across each market: AUKUS Pillar II opportunities, Japan's counter-drone programmes, South Korea's defence AI initiatives, and Singapore's C-UAS requirements
Convert demonstrations, pilot engagements, and proof-of-concept deployments into scalable, long-term contracts
Maintain accurate pipeline forecasting and deal tracking, reported regularly to the Head of Sales and top management
Build and maintain trusted, senior-level relationships with military end-users, procurement officials, and MOD programme managers across APAC
Engage with regional defence primes and industrial partners as teaming and channel partners: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Hanwha Defence, BAE Systems Australia, ST Engineering, and equivalent
Navigate the specific procurement culture of each APAC market — understanding bilateral cooperation frameworks, foreign vendor access rules, and local industrial partnership requirements
Represent Alta Ares at key regional defence events: IMDEX Asia, Indo Pacific, DSEI Japan, Seoul ADEX, Avalon Airshow, and bilateral exercises
Map APAC defence markets across all priority countries: procurement budgets, capability gaps, C-UAS and ISR priorities, threat environments, and competitive landscape
Track regional security dynamics and their procurement implications: Taiwan Strait tensions, North Korean drone proliferation, South China Sea, and Indo-Pacific alliance frameworks (AUKUS, Quad, Five Eyes)
Monitor bilateral defence cooperation frameworks between France, EU, and APAC nations relevant to Alta Ares' market access
Provide regular market intelligence and strategic recommendations to the Paris leadership team
Support export compliance across multiple jurisdictions: French AECA, Australian export controls, Japanese security trade regulations, ITAR considerations
Work closely with Engineering and Product in Paris to align demo schedules, technical proposals, and delivery timelines with APAC client requirements
Prepare and deliver tailored capability briefings, product demonstrations, and technical presentations for diverse APAC military and institutional audiences
Coordinate logistics for client visits, field demonstrations, and operational showcases across the region
Act as the cultural and operational bridge between APAC partners and Alta Ares HQ in Paris — translating context, expectations, and timelines in both directions
Brief leadership on pipeline status, key account developments, and strategic risks across APAC
4–7 years of experience in defence sales, business development, or programme management — with direct exposure to APAC defence procurement across at least two of the priority markets
Proven track record building relationships and closing contracts with APAC military or government clients
Experience working with or within a defence prime, neoprime, or advanced defence tech company operating in APAC (e.g., Thales, Airbus Defence, BAE Systems, Elbit, Palantir, Anduril, or equivalent)
Demonstrated ability to manage a multi-country sales territory simultaneously with different procurement cultures, timelines, and access requirements
Background in C-UAS, ISR, AI autonomy, or adjacent systems is a strong plus
English fluency — mandatory: primary language across all APAC markets and internal reporting
Additional Asian language is a strong plus: Japanese, Korean, or Mandarin significantly increases effectiveness in key markets
French is a meaningful plus — direct communication with Paris HQ
Culturally agile: able to adapt communication style, relationship approach, and commercial cadence to Japan, Korea, Australia, and Southeast Asia simultaneously — four very different operating environments
Hunter mindset — proactive, persistent, and comfortable building pipeline from scratch across a large, diverse region
Comfortable operating autonomously across multiple time zones, geographies, and institutional cultures
High integrity and discretion — you operate in security-sensitive environments across multiple jurisdictions
Entrepreneurial and resilient: long sales cycles, complex stakeholder maps, and remote-from-HQ operations are features of this role, not bugs
Alta Ares builds an autonomous AI defense stack for air defense and ISTAR missions, combining hardware interceptors, software for sensing and decision-making, and a mission-management layer to operate in GNSS-denied environments. It includes Black Bird, a turbojet interceptor for mid-long range threats, and X-Lock, a multirotor interceptor for drone swarms, both with AI-guided terminal guidance that works under jamming. Its software lineup features Pixel Lock for counter-UAS detection and guidance, Gamma ISTAR for real-time edge video intelligence, and Cyclops for sensor fusion and mission planning. The company positions itself as a sovereign European builder serving allied nations from the Baltic to the Indo-Pacific, aiming to provide interoperable, rapidly deployable defense capabilities and to grow its sovereign industrial base; it has a €50M Series A in June 2026 and was the first investment of Airbus-backed E2D defence fund.
Explore more opportunities at Alta Ares