Federal IC Major Account Manager

Forward Networks is revolutionizing the way large networks are managed. The Forward Enterprise platform delivers a vendor-agnostic "digital twin" of the network, based on a mathematical model. The platform scales to support hundreds of thousands of network devices, whether cloud, hybrid cloud, or on-prem. It serves as a single source of truth for the network, enabling network operators to instantly verify security posture, accelerate troubleshooting, avoid outages, and modernize network management.

Over the past few years, Forward Networks has received tremendous industry recognition, including "Cool Vendor in Enterprise Networking" by Gartner, "Product of the Year" by Cloud Computing, "Hot Company" by Cyber Defense Magazine, "Enterprise Cloud Computing Software of the Year," and has been named to Fortune's "Best Workplaces in the Bay Area" list.

The company was founded by four Stanford PhD graduates who saw a massive opportunity to improve network operations. Investors include Andreessen Horowitz, MSD Capital, Threshold Ventures, and Goldman Sachs.

Forward Networks is looking for an experienced Federal IC Major Account Manager

Do you want to create a category and help build a special company?
Do you want to sell a platform that solves real networking problems?
Do sensible quotas and no cap on earnings pique your interest?
Join a company that has been in the market for 6+ years and has some of the top F500/Global 2000 and Federal agencies already buying and referenceable.

If you have 10 years of wildly successful experience selling to Federal Intelligence agencies and have also been on the journey of building a growth-stage company...you may be the one!
We are building an exceptional team and hope you consider us if you want to experience changing the networking world as we know it.

Responsibilities:
Account Ownership & Strategy

•   Own and manage strategic Federal accounts across the US Intelligence Community, with full responsibility for revenue growth, renewals, and customer satisfaction.
•   Develop and execute comprehensive account strategies aligned with customer missions, budgets, and acquisition cycles.
•   Map customer organizations to identify decision-makers, influencers, and funding channels that drive adoption of Forward Networks’ technology.
•   Partner with Federal Systems Integrators (FSIs) and OEMs, to build strong joint go-to-market strategies.

Customer Relationship Management

•   Establish Forward Networks as a trusted mission partner by aligning our technology to agency goals in areas such as Zero Trust, Network Visibility, Compliance, and Cloud Migration.
•   Conduct executive briefings, demonstrations, and quarterly business reviews to ensure alignment and continued value realization across key groups and stakeholders within each respective agency..
•   Manage senior relationships within both customer and partner ecosystems, including C-level, SES, Program Executive Offices and emerging Networking and Cyber organizational leaders.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

•   Work closely with Customer Success, Systems Engineering, Product Management, Engineering, and Executive Leadership Team to ensure successful deployments and renewals.
•   Coordinate with Legal, Contracts, and Operations to ensure all engagements comply with Federal procurement standards and Forward Networks’ policies.

 

Forecasting & Reporting

•   Maintain accurate opportunity data and forecast information in CRM systems.
•   Provide leadership with timely updates on key deals, pipeline health, and competitive intelligence.

Qualifications

• Experience: 10+ years of direct Federal enterprise software or network sales experience, with at least 5 years managing major accounts or programs.
• Track Record: Consistent overachievement of multi-million-dollar quotas within Federal IT infrastructure, cybersecurity, or network domains.
• Skills: Exceptional communication, presentation, and executive relationship skills; ability to navigate complex technical and organizational structures.
• Clearance: Active TS/ SCI Full Scope Polygraph clearance is required
• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Experience

Experience and knowledge ideally in a networking and/or security industry
Demonstrated experience selling complex solutions, value selling, and/or consultative sales techniques.
Technical aptitude for understanding how technology products and solutions solve business problems.
Identifies problems, reviews data, determines the root causes, and provides scalable solutions.
Demonstrates in-depth knowledge of the full sales cycle and the ability to follow a structured sales process.
Ability to take a holistic approach to problem-solving by understanding the bigger picture of a customer’s environment.

Key Competencies

•   Deep Federal market acumen and mission understanding
•   Strategic and consultative selling skills
•   High integrity and credibility with senior government leaders
•   Ability to manage complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles
•   Team-oriented mindset with a focus on customer outcomes

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location. For candidates who receive an offer at the posted level, the starting base salary + bonus is expected to be between $330,000/yr and $350,000/yr. The offered compensation may also include stock.