Senior Director Strategic Sales - Public Sector

Lumen is the trusted network for the AI‑powered world, connecting people, data, and applications through our expansive fiber network and connected ecosystem. We enable secure, high‑performance connectivity across cloud, edge, and AI workloads for enterprises, governments, and communities.

At Lumen, you’ll work on infrastructure customers rely on today and build for what’s next, where performance, security, and resilience matter.

This is a high accountability environment where bold ideas drive real innovation for our customers, partners, and industry. The work is challenging, expectations are clear, and trust is built into how we operate. If you’re ready to take ownership, deliver meaningful impact, and help shape the future of AI‑ready connectivity, join us today.

The Role

The Senior Director of Sales – Public Sector Strategic is responsible for leading and accelerating revenue growth across Lumen’s most strategic Public Sector customer portfolio. This executive leader owns sales strategy, execution, customer relationships, and overall business performance across assigned strategic segments, which may include Department of War, Intelligence and other Strategic Investment Portfolio’s within the Public Sector Segment at Lumen Technologies.

Operating within highly regulated and complex Public Sector environments, this leader possesses deep expertise in government procurement requirements, acquisition frameworks, funding mechanisms, customer mission priorities, and multi-stakeholder decision-making processes. The Senior Director guides strategy and execution across sophisticated customer ecosystems, translating evolving customer, technology, compliance, and procurement requirements into measurable business outcomes.

This leader serves as a senior executive partner to customers navigating technology modernization, network transformation, cybersecurity, cloud, and mission-critical connectivity needs.

The Senior Director partners closely with Public Sector leadership, business development and capture teams, solution engineering and architects, product management, customer success, operations, marketing, public policy, finance, legal, and delivery organizations to develop differentiated, outcome-based solutions that advance customer missions while driving sustainable and profitable revenue growth aligned to Lumen's strategic objectives.

The Main Responsibilities

• Create, orchestrate, and execute multi-year customer growth strategies across Lumen's most important Public Sector customers while leading the transition from product-centric selling to outcome-based, platform-led solutions.

• This leader serves as the senior executive accountable for strategic account planning, executive engagement, ecosystem alignment, and long-term customer value creation across Lumen's most critical Public Sector relationships.

• Own strategic account planning across the assigned portfolio, including multi-year customer growth strategies, executive engagement plans, whitespace identification, competitive displacement strategies, and customer modernization roadmaps.

• Develop and strengthen partnerships with system integrators, OEMs, cloud providers, and strategic alliance partners to expand market access and create differentiated customer solutions

• Lead organizational transformation by championing cross-functional selling, data-driven decision making, customer-centricity, and the adoption of modern sales practices aligned to Lumen's digital future.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy for assigned Public Sector strategic segments with a focus on expanding existing relationships, winning new business, and furthering market penetration to strengthen Lumen’s position within the Public Sector market.

• Drive rigorous pipeline management, opportunity progression, forecast accuracy, and execution discipline to achieve revenue, bookings, and profitability objectives.

• Partner across functions (engineering, BD/Capture, marketing, product, operations, public policy, legal) to ensure account strategies are well-supported, resourced, and aligned to Lumen’s North Star.

• Build and maintain trusted relationships with senior government executives, agency leaders, procurement officials, and other key decision-makers while driving executive alignment.

• Lead complex, multi-year sales pursuits involving multiple stakeholders, business units, contract vehicles, and partners.

• Identify market trends, customer priorities, competitive dynamics, and emerging government technology requirements to inform sales strategy.

• Establish a disciplined operating cadence around pipeline generation, opportunity progression, forecasting, and performance management.

• Partner with solution architecture and technical teams to translate customer mission requirements into differentiated Lumen solutions.

• Recruit, coach, and develop high-performing sales leaders and sellers while establishing a culture of accountability, collaboration, and customer focus.

• Ensure sales activities comply with Lumen policies, government contracting requirements, and applicable regulatory and ethical standards.

What We Look For in a Candidate

• Active Top Secret clearance with ability to maintain eligibility required.

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience.

• 10+ years of sales and business development experience, within telecommunications, technology, networking, cybersecurity, cloud, or related industries.

• Experience identifying, qualifying, and shaping Public Sector opportunities prior to solicitation release, including opportunities pursued through IDIQs, GWACs, BPAs, state contracts, or other government procurement vehicles.

• Proven experience meeting and exceeding quota.

• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex procurement environments, including RFPs, contract vehicles, competitive bid processes, and multi-year purchasing cycles.

• Proven experience leading teams that support highly complex customer environments with diverse stakeholder groups, governance structures, regulatory requirements, and mission-critical objectives.

• Experience strengthening and fostering cabinet-level agency and/or DOW relationships, and have proven success selling complex mission solutions.

• Significant experience selling to government or Public Sector customers.

• Strong understanding of government procurement, contracting, and buying processes.

• Experience with large government contract vehicles and channel/partner ecosystems.

• Experience leading geographically distributed teams and large strategic portfolios.

• Demonstrated success leading complex enterprise organizations.

• Proven track record of achieving revenue and growth objectives.

• Experience managing executive-level customer relationships and complex sales cycles.

• Strong executive presence and ability to influence across a complex matrixed organization.

• Demonstrated ability to lead, coach, and develop high-performing sales teams.

Compensation

This information reflects the anticipated base salary range for this position based on current national data. Minimums and maximums may vary based on location. Individual pay is based on skills, experience and other relevant factors.

Location Based Pay Ranges

$171,639 - $228,852 in these states: AK CA CT DC DE IL MA MD NJ NY TX VA WA

Lumen offers a comprehensive package featuring a broad range of Health, Life, Voluntary Lifestyle benefits and other perks that enhance your physical, mental, emotional and financial wellbeing. We're able to answer any additional questions you may have about our bonus structure (short-term incentives, long-term incentives and/or sales compensation) as you move through the selection process.

Learn more about Lumen's:

Benefits

Bonus Structure

#Lumen26

Requisition #: 343539

Life at Lumen

Life at Lumen is human and connected, even in a fast moving, AI‑focused organization. We set clear expectations and trust people to meet them. With real support and shared accountability, teams collaborate better, move faster, and deliver meaningful outcomes.

Our Lumen 8 behaviors guide how we interact, make decisions, and work together, shaping a culture built to perform and win.

To learn more about Life at Lumen and how we live the Lumen 8, please visit:

Background Screening

If you are selected for a position, there will be a background screen, which may include checks for criminal records and/or motor vehicle reports and/or drug screening, depending on the position requirements. For more information on these checks, please refer to the Post Offer section of our FAQ page. Job-related concerns identified during the background screening may disqualify you from the new position or your current role. Background results will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis.

Pursuant to the San Francisco Fair Chance Ordinance, we will consider for employment qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.

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Disclaimer

The job responsibilities described above indicate the general nature and level of work performed by employees within this classification. It is not intended to include a comprehensive inventory of all duties and responsibilities for this job. Job duties and responsibilities are subject to change based on evolving business needs and conditions.

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