Shipyard AI - Account Executive

Overview: BigBear.ai builds AI and simulation software for defense, national security and critical industry. Shipyard AI is our planning, simulation and decision-support platform for shipbuilding and ship repair. It is in use at Tier 1 US shipyards and at all three of Canada's major shipbuilders, where yards use it to plan capacity, sequence work, and test facility and schedule decisions before committing money or labor to them. The role: We're hiring an Account Executive to sell Shipyard AI to shipbuilders and ship repair yards in the US and abroad. This is a seller who has worked in a shipyard. You've walked the waterfront, sat in the production meetings, and know why a schedule slips. Customers should see you as someone who understands their operation first and a salesperson second. You'll own a set of accounts end to end: finding the problem, scoping the work, building the business case, and closing. You'll work alongside our delivery team and developers, and you'll be expected to carry a technical conversation about generative AI and simulation with yard leadership, planners and engineers. This is a base + commission role (published salary range is base). What you will do: Build and work a pipeline of shipyard and ship repair accounts, from first meeting to signed contract Get on site, learn how each yard actually runs, and pin down the operational problems worth solving: capacity, labor loading, schedule, facility planning, rework Translate those problems into a scoped Shipyard AI engagement with a clear business case and measurable outcomes Run discovery sessions, demos and working sessions with production, planning, engineering and executive stakeholders Explain how generative AI and discrete-event simulation apply to a yard's real decisions, in plain terms, without overselling Work with our delivery team and developers to shape solutions, write proposals and price work Keep relationships going after the sale and grow accounts into follow-on work Keep an accurate forecast and pipeline in the CRM Represent BigBear.ai at industry events and customer sites What you need to have: 5+ years working in a shipyard, preferably in operations, production, planning or engineering 5+ years of quota-carrying sales in a relevant industry (shipbuilding, maritime, defense, heavy manufacturing, or industrial software) with a proven record of hitting or beating targets Process expertise: you can map how work flows through a yard and spot where time, labor and capacity are lost A track record of building credibility and rapport with shipyard leadership, from production supervisors to executives Working knowledge of generative AI and how it's applied in an operational setting Working knowledge of simulation (discrete-event or similar) and how it supports planning decisions Strong written and spoken communication, including proposals and executive presentations Engineering or Naval Architecture experience required Bachelor's degree, equivalent experience may be considered in lieu of a degree Ability to travel to customer sites What we'd like you to have: Experience in naval shipbuilding, ship repair or a naval maintenance availability environment Existing relationships with US or international shipyards Industrial engineering, naval architecture or marine engineering background Experience selling software, simulation or analytics into industrial customers Hands-on use of simulation tools or generative AI tools Experience with complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles of six months or longer Ability to obtain a US security clearance About BigBear.ai: BigBear.ai is a leading provider of AI-powered decision intelligence solutions for national security, supply chain management, and digital identity. Customers and partners rely on Bigbear.ai’s predictive analytics capabilities in highly complex, distributed, mission-based operating environments. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, BigBear.ai is a public company traded on the NYSE under the sy…

View the full posting and apply