Defence Sales Manager APAC

ABOUT ALTA ARES 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. ROLE & MISSION 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. 1. DEFENCE SALES & PIPELINE DEVELOPMENT - 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 2. INSTITUTIONAL & PARTNER RELATIONS - 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 3. MARKET INTELLIGENCE & STRATEGY - 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 4. CROSS-FUNCTIONAL COORDINATION - 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 CANDIDATE PROFILE EXPERIENCE - 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 SKILLS & QUALITIES - 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