Director of Public Sector Business Development

Who We Are Verkada is transforming how organizations protect their people and places with an integrated, privacy-sensitive AI-powered platform that includes solutions for video security, access control, air quality sensors, alarms, intercoms, and visitor management.  We’ve got serious momentum in the market: more than 30,000 customers (including 100+ of the Fortune 500), a $5.8B valuation, more than $1 billion in annualized bookings, and backing from CapitalG, Sequoia Capital, General Catalyst, Felicis Ventures, Next47 and more. Physical AI is one of the most consequential technology shifts of our time, and Verkada is at the center of it. You can look at all kinds of communities to see our platform’s impact in the world. It's the retailer that uses our agentic AI to deter theft before it happens. The warehouse that uses AI-powered alerts to make sure its team is protected on the floor with proper PPE. The school that’s alerted to a threat in real-time and triggers a lockdown in seconds, not minutes. We’re rapidly scaling this impact: today, more than 2 million Verkada devices are deployed across 170+ countries. About the Role Verkada is entering a transformative phase of growth in the public sector. To accelerate this momentum in 2026 and beyond, we are seeking a strategic, high-impact Director of Public Sector Business Development. This is a foundational hire responsible for building an integrated public sector business development function that aligns sales strategy and business development across both federal and state public sectors. You will be the architect of Verkada’s touchpoints with key government stakeholders, ensuring that our cloud-based physical security solutions—from AI-powered cameras to integrated access control—are the standard for modern government infrastructure. What You'll Do Strategic Leadership & Revenue Acceleration Develop the Playbook: Create and execute a comprehensive government sales strategy initially focused on U.S. Federal and SLED markets, with expansion into international territories as Verkada scales. Bridge Policy & Sales: Partner directly with the Public Sector Sales organization to unlock procurement pathways, navigate agency-specific requirements, and support account-level strategy. Thought Leadership: Position Verkada as the leading provider in physical security modernization, educating policymakers on the benefits of cloud-native safety technology. External Partner & Association Management Partner Engagement: Identify, hire, manage partners, procurement-focused partners, lobbyists, consultants, and advisors to deliver high ROI by navigating complex contracting vehicles for priority targets like the VA, DoW, and major school systems (e.g., NYC Public Schools). High-ROI Engagement: Curate Verkada’s presence in elite organizations such as NASCIO, NASTD, Major Cities Chiefs Association, and the National Governors Association. Relationship-Building, Strategy & Compliance Build relationships with key government stakeholders and technology leaders to advocate for funding (e.g., school safety grants) and appropriations that favor the adoption of modernized cloud-based physical security platforms. Partner with legal, government affairs, and policy functions to monitor the evolving legislative and appropriations landscape relating to issues that impact Verkada’s platform and product roadmap, including but not limited to physical security and cybersecurity mandates, AI governance, data privacy (CCPA/GDPR), data security programs (such as FedRAMP and similar state programs), and (NDAA/FedRAMP) that impact our product roadmap. Partner with Legal to ensure all activities meet the highest standards of ethics and disclosure requirements. What You Bring Experience: 10+ years in public sector sales, government funding, appropriations, and procurement, and/or public sector business development. Industry Background: Must come from a technology (SaaS/Cloud/Hardware) or a highly regulated industry (e.g., Aerospace, Defense, Telecom, or FinTech). Procurement Expertise: Deep understanding of the "mechanics" of government buying—you know how to influence a specification before the RFP is released. Travel Readiness: Willingness to travel 50% of the time to engage with stakeholders in Washington D.C., state capitals, and international markets. This role requires regular travel, estimated to be more than 50% of the time, including both domestic and international destinations as needed. The successful candidate must be comfortable with frequent travel to support business operations, customer and partner engagements and team collaboration.  The "Builder" Mindset: You are comfortable starting with a blank slate and flying “solo” without a team under you for support, and regularly “rolling up your sleeves” to get the work done and achieve results. Cross-Functional Expert:  Effective development of public sector sales strategy does not happen in a silo; it requires clear and concise communication skills while managing constant cross-functional work across internal and external teams. US Employee Benefits Verkada is committed to fostering a workplace environment that prioritizes the holistic health and wellbeing of our employees and their families by offering comprehensive wellness perks, benefits, and resources. Our benefits and perks programs include, but are not limited to: Healthcare programs that can be tailored to meet the personal health and financial well-being needs - Premiums are 100% covered for the employee under at least one plan and 80% for family premiums under all plans Nationwide medical, vision and dental coverage Health Saving Account (HSA) with annual employer contributions and Flexible Spending Account (FSA) with tax saving options Expanded mental health support Paid parental leave policy & fertility benefits Time off to relax and recharge through our paid holidays, firmwide extended holidays, flexible PTO and personal sick time Professional deve