Government Contracts R&D Sales Rainmaker
16 days ago
Troy
Job Description Government Contracts R&D Sales Rainmaker Company: International Electronic Machines Corporation Location: Troy, NY - Onsite Role Type: Full-Time, Senior Business Development / Sales Leadership International Electronic Machines Corporation is seeking a high-performing R&D Sales Rainmaker to lead the identification, pursuit, proposal development, and closing of new funded research and development contracts. This is not a passive sales role. We are looking for a driven, technically curious, commercially aggressive professional who can create opportunity pipelines, build agency and customer relationships, shape R&D opportunities around IEM’s core technical strengths, and close funded contracts that support company growth. The successful candidate will help position IEM for sustained growth by building a structured, marketing-driven R&D sales process rather than simply reacting to incoming opportunities. The role requires a blend of business development, government contracting awareness, technical sales judgment, proposal leadership, customer relationship management, and high-level contract/project follow-through. Primary Performance Objectives The R&D Sales Rainmaker will be expected to: 1. Build a Marketing-Driven R&D Sales Pipeline Identify opportunity clusters that align with IEM’s technical capabilities, strategic priorities, and existing work. Develop a proactive sales approach based on targeted customers, agencies, programs, and technical domains. The goal is to generate synergistic R&D contract opportunities where the technical and business value strengthen IEM’s long-term position. 1. Achieve New R&D Contract Sales Goals Lead the full R&D sales cycle, including: • Lead generation through agency outreach, industry contacts, PR, advertising, cold and warm calls, conferences, and direct customer engagement, • Opportunity qualification and prioritization, • Development of customer relationships, • Coordination of proposal responses with engineering, management, and other internal departments, • Customer visits, presentations, technical discussions, and site visits, • Proposal preparation, submission, and follow-up, • Closing funded R&D contracts The target objective is to help achieve approximately $4 million in new funded R&D contract awards over the annual performance period, reviewed on a six-month basis. 1. Maintain Strong Sales Metrics and Management Communication Create and maintain a disciplined reporting routine for: • Sales forecasts, • Active opportunity pipeline, • Proposal status, • Purchase order and contract status, • Customer follow-ups, • Win/loss debriefs, • Strategic opportunity tracking The successful candidate must keep management informed through routine, scheduled updates and clear performance metrics. 1. Serve as a Strong Customer Interface Represent IEM professionally with government agencies, commercial R&D customers, strategic partners, and external collaborators. This includes responding to customer issues, communicating IEM’s position clearly, recommending practical solutions, and maintaining productive customer relationships before and after contract award. 1. Support R&D Contract and Project Management Provide high-level contract and project follow-through after award, including: • Contract review support, • Proposal-to-contract transition, • Contract modifications and extensions, • Customer follow-up after project start, • Coordination with internal project execution teams, • Occasional support for payment or accounts receivable follow-up when needed The role is sales-led, but the ideal candidate understands that R&D contract success depends on strong handoff, customer confidence, and continued relationship management after the sale. 1. Position R&D Sales for Long-Term Growth Develop new channels, agency relationships, customer contacts, alliances, and technical opportunity areas consistent with IEM’s growth plan. Expected activities include: • Establishing at least two new agency or customer contacts per month, • Improving proposal hit rate, • Reusing prior work and technical assets where appropriate, • Identifying opportunities that can produce reusable prototypes or platform technologies, • Supporting IEM’s long-term growth through strategic, synergistic R&D sales Ideal Candidate Profile The ideal candidate will have: • Proven success in selling or capturing funded R&D contracts, • Experience with government agencies, federal/state R&D programs, SBIR/STTR-style opportunities, or technology development contracts, • Strong ability to find, shape, and close opportunities rather than simply respond to published solicitations, • Ability to understand technical products, engineering concepts, prototypes, and development programs, • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, • Proposal development experience, • Strong customer-facing presence, • Ability to work with engineers, executives, customers, and contracting personnel, • Disciplined use of CRM, pipeline tracking, forecasting, and sales metrics, • Persistence, creativity, and strong follow-through Preferred Background Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable: • Transportation technology, • Railroad systems, • Machine vision, • Sensors and instrumentation, • Wireless monitoring systems, • Defense, infrastructure, or industrial automation, • Government-funded technology development, • Applied research commercialization, • Technical proposal development, • Contract capture management Success Measures Success in this role will be measured by: • Funded contracts signed and awarded, • Total new R&D contract value, • Quality and strategic fit of new opportunities, • Proposal volume and proposal success ratio, • Customer relationship growth, • Number of new agency/customer contacts developed, • Strength and accuracy of the opportunity pipeline, • Regularity and usefulness of management reporting, • Contribution to IEM’s long-term technical and business growth Compensation Compensation will be competitive and may include a base salary plus performance-based incentives tied to funded R&D contract awards, strategic customer development, and achievement of sales objectives. How to Apply Qualified candidates (only US Citizens or Green Card holders) should submit a resume and a brief cover letter describing: • Prior experience selling, capturing, or developing funded R&D contracts, • Examples of customers, agencies, or technical markets previously served, • Experience with proposal development and contract closing, • Demonstrated ability to generate new opportunities from the ground up This is a senior growth role for a true R&D sales rainmaker — someone who can create opportunities, build relationships, and convert technical capability into funded contracts. $95,000 - $115,000 a year based on experience Competitive Benefit package offered IEM is an Equal Opportunity Employer.