Key Account Executive - Aerospace & Defense

About CoLab At CoLab, we help mechanical engineering teams bring life-changing products to market years sooner. We build AI for engineers designing cars, medical devices, and jet engines. Products this complex aren’t sketched and sent to production. Teams spend months on iterations, reviews, and tests, predicting how every part performs before anything is built. CoLab is where those reviews happen, and we capture the rationale behind every change. Other tools show what changed between versions. Only CoLab knows why. That’s how our AI helps manufacturers like Bobcat, Triumph Motorcycles, and GE Appliances make better decisions, eliminate rework cycles, and get to market faster. Proudly based in St. John’s, Newfoundland, CoLab started with one customer in 2018. Since then we’ve raised a $72M Series C, been named the 57th fastest growing company in North America by Deloitte (Fast 500™), signed multi-year AI partnerships with companies like Bombardier, and grown to a team of 250+. About the Role As a Key Account Executive focused on Aerospace & Defense, you’ll own and grow some of CoLab’s most strategic enterprise accounts across North America. You’ll engage with senior engineering, program, and procurement leaders at large A&D companies, closing enterprise deals ranging from $200K to $2M+, and uncovering opportunities to expand across business units and global programs. This is a high-impact role for a consultative, relationship-driven seller who understands the complexity of regulated industries and thrives in long-cycle, multi-stakeholder enterprise sales. You’ll play a key role in shaping CoLab’s presence in the A&D market, bringing valuable insights from the field back into our GTM and product strategy. This position will require occasional travel for on-site team meetings in Newfoundland Canada, at least twice per year (primarily in December and June) in addition to occasional travel to customer sites. We recognize that travel can involve personal commitments, and we strive to accommodate individual circumstances, however the expectation is that travel to, and attendance at, the majority of these events is mandatory. Details about travel arrangements and covered expenses will be discussed during the hiring process. Job Responsibilities Own the full sales cycle for CoLab’s largest Aerospace & Defense accounts across North America. Close high-value enterprise deals ($200K–$2M+), navigating complex buying processes with multiple technical and executive stakeholders. Lead in-depth discovery conversations to understand engineering workflows, regulatory constraints, and program pressures. Partner with Sales Development, Marketing, and Customer Success to drive high-quality engagement and expansion across enterprise accounts. Build and maintain executive-level relationships with engineering, operations, and procurement leaders within target A&D organizations. Serve as a strategic advisor—articulating how CoLab can help reduce rework, accelerate time-to-market, and improve design quality across the product lifecycle. Develop strategic account and territory plans for large enterprise A&D organizations. Maintain a healthy pipeline and accurate forecasting using Salesforce. Collaborate on contract renewals and expansion motions to grow customer lifetime value (CLV) over time. What You’ll Need: 5+ years of experience in enterprise SaaS sales with a proven track record of closing high-value contracts (ranging from $200K to $2M+). Experience selling into large organizations (10,000+ employees) and managing complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles. Familiarity with selling into Aerospace & Defense , or similar sectors such as defense tech, aviation, industrial systems, or manufacturing. Strong consultative selling and solution-based approach, particularly in industries like industrial equipment, automotive, aerospace, or similar highly technical sectors. Ability to manage a growing pipeline of high-value enterprise opportunities, ensuring effective follow-up and timely progression of deals. Comfortable with ambiguity: Ability to navigate complex enterprise sales cycles and align internal resources to close deals. Strong communication and negotiation skills, with the ability to influence and persuade senior decision-makers in large organizations. Experience using Salesforce to manage pipeline and forecast deals with accuracy and attention to detail. Team player with the ability to collaborate across departments to ensure alignment on customer needs and business objectives. Self-motivated and driven to exceed sales targets and grow enterprise accounts.