Defence Sales Manager APAC

About Alta Ares

Alta Ares is a deeptech startup founded in 2024, building real-time AI for defense operations — ISR, C-UAS, and autonomous systems. Our clients are NATO-aligned militaries and defence institutions, with regular deployments during live exercises and operational demonstrations. We raised €2M seed in May 2025, 50M in June 2026, and are expanding fast.

Our product suite includes:

• Real-time AI ISR module deployable on drones and tactical platforms
• Counter-UAS solution enabling autonomous drone takeover in GNSS-denied environments
• Full-stack MLOps platform for training & deploying military-grade AI models
• Data fusion and trajectory prediction

Role & Mission

As Defence Sales Manager APAC, you will own Alta Ares' commercial development across the entire Asia-Pacific region — one of the most dynamic and fast-evolving defence procurement theatres in the world. Based in Singapore, you will build the pipeline from scratch across Japan, South Korea, Australia, New Zealand, and Southeast Asia, positioning Alta Ares as the AI-enabled defence partner of choice for APAC armed forces and their industrial ecosystems.

The Indo-Pacific security environment is reshaping defence procurement at an unprecedented pace — AUKUS, Japan's historic rearmament, South Korea's defence export surge, and Southeast Asia's rapid capability build-up all represent concrete near-term opportunities for Alta Ares' ISR, C-UAS, and autonomy stack. You will be the person on the ground, opening doors and converting relationships into contracts.

This is a builder role with broad geographic scope and high ownership. You will operate with significant autonomy, reporting directly to Paris leadership, and will define how Alta Ares shows up across the world's most strategically consequential region.

1. Defence Sales & Pipeline Development

• Own and drive the full APAC sales pipeline across priority markets: Japan (MOD / ATLA / SDF), South Korea (DAPA / ROK Armed Forces), Australia (Defence / CASG / ADF), New Zealand (NZDF), Singapore (MINDEF / SAF), and broader Southeast Asia
• Lead qualification, opportunity shaping, proposal development, and contract negotiations across ISR, C-UAS, autonomy, and AI programmes
• Identify and pursue relevant procurement vehicles across each market: AUKUS Pillar II opportunities, Japan's counter-drone programmes, South Korea's defence AI initiatives, and Singapore's C-UAS requirements
• Convert demonstrations, pilot engagements, and proof-of-concept deployments into scalable, long-term contracts
• Maintain accurate pipeline forecasting and deal tracking, reported regularly to the Head of Sales and top management

2. Institutional & Partner Relations

• Build and maintain trusted, senior-level relationships with military end-users, procurement officials, and MOD programme managers across APAC
• Engage with regional defence primes and industrial partners as teaming and channel partners: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Hanwha Defence, BAE Systems Australia, ST Engineering, and equivalent
• Navigate the specific procurement culture of each APAC market — understanding bilateral cooperation frameworks, foreign vendor access rules, and local industrial partnership requirements
• Represent Alta Ares at key regional defence events: IMDEX Asia, Indo Pacific, DSEI Japan, Seoul ADEX, Avalon Airshow, and bilateral exercises

3. Market Intelligence & Strategy

• Map APAC defence markets across all priority countries: procurement budgets, capability gaps, C-UAS and ISR priorities, threat environments, and competitive landscape
• Track regional security dynamics and their procurement implications: Taiwan Strait tensions, North Korean drone proliferation, South China Sea, and Indo-Pacific alliance frameworks (AUKUS, Quad, Five Eyes)
• Monitor bilateral defence cooperation frameworks between France, EU, and APAC nations relevant to Alta Ares'