Sales Director - 3D Mapping, Geo Spatial, Digital Twin

Job Description

Sales Director – Automotive & Enterprise Software

I'm looking to hire a Sales Director to own and grow a high‑value book of business in a very specific niche: automotive software, mapping, ADAS/AV and adjacent digital twin/simulation technologies, plus emerging enterprise use cases (anything non‑automotive / non‑government – think semiconductors, AI, broader tech and industrial).

This is not a generic software sales role. It's a senior, hands‑on hunter–farmer position for someone who understands how OEMs, Tier 1s, and advanced tech companies actually buy complex, data‑heavy, software‑driven solutions – and who can credibly sit with senior engineering and product leaders to win business.

What youll be responsible for

Own the customer and the number

• Take full commercial ownership for a defined territory (initially US OEMs/Tier 1s; potentially expanding into Europe and enterprise accounts based on your background and network).
• Meet or exceed annual revenue targets through new logo acquisition and expansion of existing accounts.
• Develop, maintain and execute robust account plans with clear strategies, stakeholders, and deal maps.

Drive complex, high‑value software deals

• Build, qualify and manage a pipeline of opportunities across automotive and enterprise segments.
• Lead the full sales lifecycle: prospecting, discovery, shaping requirements, solution positioning, proposal creation, pricing, negotiation and close.
• Quickly digest technical, commercial and competitive inputs to craft compelling proposals and terms that make sense for both sides.
• Negotiate complex OEM/Tier 1 terms & conditions and non‑standard commercial structures with minimal internal hand‑holding.

Be the primary customer interface

• Serve as the single point of accountability for your accounts – from pre‑sales through delivery and after‑sales.
• Provide top‑to‑bottom customer support: ensuring issues are addressed quickly, escalation paths are clear, and expectations are managed.
• Act as the customer process owner: understand and navigate customer policies, purchasing processes, engineering workflows, and internal politics.
• Build deep, credible relationships with senior stakeholders (engineering, product, purchasing, leadership) and internal teams.

Grow revenue beyond the initial win

• Spot and shape new opportunities by listening to customers and reading between the lines of their roadmaps.
• Develop after-sales, renewals and service proposals that extend and increase revenue over time.
• Work both on the urgent (active deals, RFQs, CRs) and ahead of demand (future programs, platform shifts, new use cases).

Run sales like a process, not a hobby

• Forecast accurately, manage your funnel and support an ISO‑driven sales process.
• Own contract management for your accounts: review agreements, develop positions, manage redlines and renewals well ahead of deadlines.
• Partner closely with program management, engineering, product, marketing and finance to ensure responses to RFQs/CRs are thorough, timely and commercially sound.
• Help keep accounts receivable on track by working with finance to resolve payment discrepancies and account setup issues.

What I'm actually looking for

This role will suit you if you:

• Come from automotive software / ADAS / data / mapping / navigation / AV / simulation / digital twin or very closely related domains.
• Are genuinely comfortable in technical conversations – you don't need to be an engineer today, but you can talk credibly with senior engineering leaders, understand their problems, and translate them into commercial opportunities.
• Have closed meaningful, complex deals with OEMs and Tier 1s over multiple cycles, not just quick transactional wins.
• Can bridge technical and commercial discussions naturally – you can talk API and data pipelines in one meeting and commercial strategy and terms in the next.
• Have the resilience, initiative and situational awareness to operate in a growing, evolving business without a huge support structure.

Hard requirements

• 10+ years experience in one or more of: automotive software, ADAS, data licensing, navigation services, mapping / HD maps, simulation / digital twin, or closely related software‑centric automotive technologies.
• 5+ years selling into automotive OEM and/or Tier 1 accounts, including direct experience negotiating terms & conditions.
• 5+ years successfully presenting to and influencing C‑level / senior executive stakeholders on the customer side.
• Demonstrably strong track record of closed deals and revenue growth in relevant segments.
• Flawless command of written and spoken English and excellent skills with MS Excel (for pricing, business cases, modeling).
• Experience using a modern CRM (Salesforce, NetSuite or similar) to run and report on your business.

A Master's degree in Business or Engineering is preferred, but I'm happy to trade formal education for a clear track record of performance in the right niche.

Who you are – beyond the CV

• High integrity, straightforward, commercially sharp.
• Strategic in how you view the automotive and mobility landscape and where software, data and mapping are heading.
• High energy, self‑directed and comfortable working with ambiguity as we grow.
• Strong customer‑service orientation – you don't disappear after the contract is signed.
• Able to juggle multiple complex deals and projects without dropping the ball.

Compensation & structure

• Base salary: roughly $175,000 – $220,000 depending on experience and relevance of your background (e.g., direct mapping/HD map / ADAS / simulation sales experience will tilt you toward the top end).
• Commission:
  • 1% of revenue generated, with the ability to earn up to 2x your base salary in commission.
  • This is not theoretical – people in comparable roles have hit the cap.
• Other:
  • Corporate card for business travel and expenses.
  • Monthly phone allowance.
  • No company car or car allowance.

Location & working model

• US‑based role in Michigan
• Hybrid is preferred – time in the office is valuable, particularly for cross‑functional collaboration – but there is flexibility and most of the team operates in a hybrid / remote mix.
• Regular travel to customers and internal sites as needed.

Why this role is compelling

You'll be selling genuinely advanced, high‑impact technology into organisations that are re‑architecting how vehicles and related systems are designed, tested and operated. The space is moving fast – ADAS, AV, simulation, AI, digital twins – and we were in the middle of it.

You'll have:

• A clear, meaningful revenue target and autonomy to go after the right opportunities.
• A product set that is already used by major players and is evolving with the market.
• The ability to materially impact both your earnings and the growth trajectory of the business.