Senior Director, Federal Sales

Job Description

Company: Tenable, Inc.

Location: Columbia, US

Your Role:

In an era of evolving digital threats, securing our nation’s most critical infrastructure has never been more vital. We are seeking a Senior Director of Federal Sales to lead a high-performing team of seasoned sales professionals across the Civilian, Department of Defense (DoD), Intelligence Community (IC), and Federal System Integrator (FSI) sectors.

As the architect of our Federal vision, you will map the strategic course for the sector, implementing annual plans that deliver measurable results. We are looking for a leader who can navigate the complexities of Federal procurement while driving the adoption of cutting-edge technologies-including Artificial Intelligence-to meet the mission requirements of the U.S. Government.

Note: Due to the nature of our work with the Federal Government, candidates must be willing and able to travel approximately 50% of the time to support regional operations and client engagements.

Your Opportunity:
• Strategic Leadership: Recruit, mentor, and empower a diverse sales team, fostering a culture of high performance and continuous professional growth.
• Operational Excellence: Maintain rigorous oversight of the pipeline lifecycle and forecasting, providing predictable, data-driven insights to executive leadership.
• Executive Engagement: Balance strategic management with high-level customer interfacing, building long-term trust with senior Federal stakeholders.
• GTM Strategy & Innovation: Design and execute a comprehensive Federal Go-to-Market plan. You will drive AI adoption across agencies, ensuring our solutions remain at the forefront of digital transformation and Federal mission goals.
• Complex Negotiations: Lead the strategy for large-scale, multi-year contracts, navigating FAR/DFARS requirements and complex budgetary constraints.
• Ecosystem & Alliance Building: Cultivate high-impact relationships with FSIs and specialized Federal channel partners to co-design and execute winning joint-sales campaigns.
• Cross-Functional Synergy: Collaborate with Sales Engineering, Legal, Government Affairs, and R&D to ensure product alignment with critical Federal certifications (e.g., FedRAMP, FIPS).

What You’ll Need:
• Proven Leadership: 7+ years of Director-level management experience in a fast-paced enterprise software sales environment.
• Federal Sales Track Record: 5+ years in a quota-carrying role specifically within the Federal Government, with a consistent history of exceeding multi-million dollar targets.
• Domain Expertise: Minimum 5 years of experience selling Cybersecurity solutions (Vulnerability Management, Zero Trust, Cloud Security, or Compliance frameworks).
• Procurement Fluency: Deep understanding of Federal contract vehicles (SEWP, GSA, ITES-SW2) and agency-specific buying behaviors.
• Strategic Network: An established, referenceable network of agency decision-makers, influential stakeholders, and key Federal channel partners.
• Technical Acumen: The ability to translate complex technical capabilities into clear, mission-focused outcomes for Federal customers.
• Collaboration Skills: A history of orchestrating internal multi-functional teams-including Sales Engineers, Field Marketing, and Professional Services-to streamline the sales cycle.
• Candidates must be willing and able to travel approximately 50% of the time to support regional operations and client engagements.

Source: Ladders