Federal Account Director, Intelligence Community

About this role

About the Team OpenAI’s mission is to build safe artificial general intelligence (AGI) which benefits all of humanity. This long-term undertaking brings the world’s best scientists, engineers, and business professionals into one lab together to accomplish this.

In pursuit of this mission, our Go To Market (GTM) team is responsible for helping customers learn how to leverage and deploy our highly capable AI products across their organization. The team comprises Sales, Solutions, Support, Marketing, and Partnership professionals who collaborate to create valuable solutions that will help bring AI to as many users as possible.

About the Role

Our Government Sales team has a unique mission to help the U.S. Intelligence Community understand the transformative impact that highly capable AI models can bring to its most critical missions. This role combines technical understanding, strategic vision, relationship management, and value-driven sales strategy tailored specifically to Intelligence Community customers.

You’ll drive key opportunities throughout the full sales cycle, from pipeline generation through deployment and expansion. You’ll collaborate closely with researchers, engineers, solution strategists, and cross-functional partners to help Intelligence Community customers advance their missions through AI.

This role is based in Washington, D.C. We use a hybrid work model of three days in the office per week and offer relocation assistance to new employees. In addition, this role requires frequent on-site engagement at customer and partner facilities across the Washington, D.C./Northern Virginia corridor, including classified environments.

In this role, you will:

- Manage a focused set of key U.S. Intelligence Community accounts, developing and executing comprehensive account strategies.

- Lead Intelligence Community customers through their AI adoption journey, from initial consideration through successful deployment and expansion.

- Build trusted relationships with senior leaders, mission owners, technical stakeholders, acquisition professionals, and other decision-makers across the Intelligence Community.

- Partner with Solutions and Research Engineering teams to design and execute complex customer programs and deployments.

- Develop and execute capture and co-sell strategies with federal systems integrators and specialized mission partners to position OpenAI in multi-year programs of record.

- Align opportunity planning and deal strategy to MIP and NIP funding cycles, classified contract vehicles, appropriations timing, and extended approval chains.

- Work with cleared technical teams to demonstrate value across cloud, hybrid, on-premises, and air-gapped environments and translate technical fit into mission outcomes.

- Own and manage an Intelligence Community consumption revenue target.

- Develop pipeline, lead complex deal strategies, and drive opportunities through the full sales cycle.

- Oversee revenue forecasting, pipeline management, and account reporting.

- Analyze account performance and provide actionable insights to internal and external stakeholders.

- Closely monitor Intelligence Community priorities, policies, acquisition trends, competitors, and partners to inform product roadmaps and company strategy.

- Navigate complex security, compliance, procurement, and contracting requirements associated with Intelligence Community customers.

- Collaborate cross-functionally with Solutions, Product, Engineering, Government Affairs, Marketing, Communications, Business Operations, People Operations, Finance, and Legal.

- Support the recruitment and onboarding of team members focused on the Intelligence Community.

- Help build and strengthen OpenAI’s culture and operating model within the Intelligence Community practice.

We're seeking someone with experience including:

- 10+ years selling commercial technology, including platform-as-a-service, software-as-a-service, cloud, data, cybersecurity, or other enterprise technology, to the U.S. Intelligence Community.

- A documented track record of closing high-value, multi-stakeholder enterprise technology deals across major Intelligence Community organizations and their supporting ecosystems.

- An active Top Secret clearance with Full Scope Polygraph.

- Developing and executing complex account and deal strategies within the Intelligence Community.

- Navigating Intelligence Community procurement, acquisition, contracting, security, and deployment processes.

- Deep familiarity with MIP and NIP funding cycles, classified contract vehicles, multi-year programs of record, and extended acquisition timelines.

- An established senior-level network of GS-15/SES/SIS and C-suite relationships across major Intelligence Community organizations and their supporting ecosystems.

- Experience partnering with federal systems integrators and specialized mission partners on capture strategies, co-selling, and program expansion.

- Proven experience selling cloud, cybersecurity, hybrid-cloud, or AI infrastructure into sensitive or classified environments, including on-premises and air-gapped deployment patterns.

- Consistently delivering growth in fast-paced, high-performance environments.

- Working directly with senior Intelligence Community executives, mission leaders, technical stakeholders, and decision-makers.

- Deep relationships and native familiarity with Intelligence Community missions, organizational structures, workflows, and buying processes.

- Translating technical capabilities into clear mission outcomes and strategic value.

- Communicating technical and strategic concepts clearly to both Intelligence Community customers and internal stakeholders.

- Leading high-visibility customer briefings, executive engagements, demonstrations, and industry events.

- Gathering, distilling, and applying detailed market intelligence, including agency priorities, policy developments, budget…