How to apply for Sales Director - Defense

About Velo3D

Velo3D builds metal 3D printing systems used in defense, aerospace, energy, and transportation. The company positions its technology around cleaner energy and more efficient transportation. This role sits inside the Velo3D Defense team, so you would sell into government and defense accounts rather than general commercial markets.

About the role

You would lead Velo3D's sales effort to sell metal 3D printing into Defense and Government sectors. The job is to build a pipeline of direct government contracts and a small number of prime contractors, then close enough new contracts and bookings to meet or exceed company goals. You would also need to understand how government contracts and funding work and translate the technical value of metal 3D printing into business value for customers.

A typical day

The job is remote, so a typical day likely involves calls with government customers, defense primes, and internal teams such as engineering or applications. You would spend time qualifying opportunities, moving contracts through the government funding process, and coordinating cross-functional team members to close new business. Ask the hiring team how much travel is expected and how the Defense team is structured.

Who Velo3D is looking for

• Has a track record selling into government entities and defense primes, with working knowledge of government contracts and funding mechanisms.
• Has sold into industrial companies such as aerospace, defense, energy/oil and gas, industrial pump and turbo-machinery OEMs, or metal production parts contract manufacturers serving those industries.
• Has deep defense industry insight and existing relationships at government agencies and target industrial companies, including their manufacturing supply base and contract manufacturers.
• Can grasp a technical value proposition, run cross-functional sales campaigns, and work with customers to connect that value to critical business problems.

Tips for this application

• Name specific government contracts, funding vehicles, or defense programs you have sold into. Velo3D needs proof you understand how government money moves.
• List the defense primes and industrial OEMs you have closed or worked with. The job description calls out a limited number of prime contractors, so show you can manage a focused account list.
• Quantify bookings, contract values, and pipeline you generated in prior defense or government sales roles. The role is measured on booking goals and new contract counts.
• Show you can sell a technical product. Give an example where you learned a complex manufacturing or engineering value proposition and used it to solve a customer's business problem.
• If you have sold metal 3D printing, additive manufacturing, or capital equipment into defense or aerospace, put that in the first few lines of your resume and cover letter.

What to cover in your cover letter

['Your direct experience selling into government entities and defense primes, including how you built the pipeline and closed the contracts.', 'Your knowledge of government contracts and funding, with concrete examples of programs or vehicles you have worked with.', 'Your existing relationships in defense and industrial accounts, especially aerospace, energy/oil and gas, pump and turbo-machinery OEMs, or contract manufacturers.', 'A specific example of leading a cross-functional sales campaign to close, retain, or upsell business with a technical product.']

Research before applying

• Velo3D's metal 3D printing technology and which defense or aerospace applications it is already used for.
• Velo3D's existing defense and government customers, contracts, or public announcements.
• The company's recent financial performance, backlog, and booking trends, since the role is measured on bookings.
• Government funding and contract vehicles relevant to metal additive manufacturing, such as defense innovation programs or prime contractor supply chains.

Likely interview topics

Based on the job description, expect questions about:

• How you would build a sales pipeline of direct government contracts from scratch for Velo3D's metal 3D printing systems.
• Your understanding of government contracting and funding, and how that shapes the sales cycle for defense customers.
• Which defense primes and industrial OEMs you would target first, and why.
• How you would explain the technical value of metal 3D printing to a defense customer and connect it to a business problem.
• A past sales campaign where you used cross-functional team members to close, retain, or upsell business, and what the result was.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Applying without showing any government or defense sales experience. This role requires direct government contracts and defense prime relationships.
• Listing generic sales achievements without contract values, booking amounts, or named government programs.
• Treating this as a standard commercial sales role and ignoring the government contracting and funding knowledge the job description explicitly requires.