Business Unit Executive - AI Security at Merlin… · McLean

About Merlin Group

Merlin Group operates at the intersection of cyber innovation, national security, and technology-driven transformation. With a mission to accelerate the adoption of high-impact technologies across the U.S. public sector and regulated commercial markets, Merlin is uniquely structured around three core tenets – Invest, Enable, and Scale – each designed to address a specific stage of the technology lifecycle. Together, our affiliates – Merlin Ventures, CGC, and Merlin Cyber – form a flywheel that builds enduring capability for customers, partners, and the broader cyber ecosystem, operationalizing technological advancement into mission-ready, enterprise-grade solutions.

At Merlin, we believe our strength lies in our people. Team members are encouraged to be creative, collaborative, and nimble, pursuing paths to deliver the cutting-edge cybersecurity solutions that our customers rely on. From next-generation cyber defense to secure cloud and AI, we are united by one purpose – transforming innovation into mission impact.

The Opportunity

We’re seeking an exceptional Business Unit Executive to build, lead, and scale our AI Security Technical Practice Area from the ground up. This is not a traditional management role – it’s an entrepreneurial opportunity to own and operate a business unit within Merlin’s cyber practice. You'll have full P&L accountability, the autonomy to build your team, and direct access to company resources to execute your vision. Think of this as running your own AI Security business focused on public sector and critical infrastructure, backed by Merlin’s platform, partnerships, managed services capabilities, and support infrastructure.

At Merlin, AI Security means securing enterprise AI adoption, protecting AI models and applications, securing agentic AI, and using AI to improve cyber defense. The practice is built around three complementary skillsets:

• Security for AI: Protecting AI applications, models, data, infrastructure, and agentic workflows, including AI posture management, runtime protection, governance, and identity and access controls for AI agents.
• AI for Security: Applying AI, automation, and agentic capabilities to improve security operations, detection, investigation, response, and operational efficiency.
• Secure AI Adoption: Helping public sector and critical infrastructure organizations adopt AI safely through security architecture, governance, risk management, and integration with existing enterprise security environments.

You will also own the development of repeatable solutions, service offerings, and capabilities that integrate with Merlin’s broader managed services (MSP) strategy, delivering integrated AI Security outcomes rather than point products.

Primary Duties & Responsibilities

What You'll Build

• Build a dedicated sales team to drive revenue growth across public sector and critical infrastructure, with an initial focus on federal.
• Develop a comprehensive go-to-market strategy that scales our AI Security practice.
• Define solution positioning, value propositions, and competitive differentiation.
• Drive revenue generation while building your practice infrastructure.
• Identify and integrate complementary technology partners to grow deal sizes.
• Develop repeatable solutions, service offerings, and capabilities that integrate with Merlin’s broader MSP strategy.
• Create customer success frameworks that drive retention and expansion.
• Establish thought leadership and brand recognition in AI Security across public sector and critical infrastructure.
• Drive cross-practice collaboration to deliver holistic cybersecurity solutions.

Your Responsibilities:

Revenue & Growth Ownership

• Manage revenue quota and gross profit targets for the AI Security practice area.
• Drive new customer acquisition and existing account expansion.
• Build and scale sales pipeline to support aggressive growth targets.
• Balance short-term revenue generation with long-term market positioning.

Go-to-Market Strategy

• Develop and execute comprehensive GTM strategies for AI Security across public sector and critical infrastructure markets.
• Define solution positioning across Public Safety, Civilian, DoW, Intelligence, SLED, and critical infrastructure verticals.
• Build competitive intelligence and differentiation strategies.
• Create compelling value propositions that resonate with public sector and critical infrastructure buyers.

Team Building & Leadership

• Build a dedicated sales team.
• Foster a customer-centric culture of collaboration and innovation.
• Develop talent through coaching, enablement, and career development.

Solution Innovation

• Drive development of differentiated value-add services (AI security and readiness assessments, AI governance and posture reviews, automation, health checks).
• Create integrated solutions that combine multiple OEM technologies and Merlin services into “better together” offerings across Security for AI, AI for Security, and Secure AI Adoption.
• Identify emerging trends and position practice ahead of market shifts.
• Shape AI Security managed service offerings (e.g., ongoing AI posture monitoring, AI governance support, AI-enabled detection and response) in partnership with Merlin’s managed services team.

What Success Looks Like

Quantitative

• Revenue attainment (primary metric)
• Pipeline coverage and conversion rates
• Customer acquisition and retention rates
• Team hiring and development milestones
• Win rates and deal velocity
• Growth in recurring and managed services revenue

Qualitative

• Market recognition as a leading AI Security provider across public sector and critical infrastructure
• High-performing team culture with low attrition
• Innovative value-add approach that differentiates Merlin
• Seamless collaboration with other practices and functions

Qualifications

Required

• 10+ years in the public sector and/or critical infrastructure cybersecurity market with deep understanding of federal and regulated-industry buying patterns, compliance requirements, and procurement cycles.
• Proven revenue generation track record in public sector or critical infrastructure sales.
• AI Security and cybersecurity domain expertise with the ability to discuss Security for AI, AI for Security, and Secure AI Adoption credibly with CISOs, Chief AI Officers, executives, architects, and technical teams.
• Builder mentality with experience launching territories, practices, or business units from early stages.
• Technical fluency sufficient to collaborate with engineers, understand architecture, and identify solution opportunities (you don’t need to build models or configure guardrails, but you need to understand why prompt injection, sensitive data exposure, and AI agent identity matter).
• Revenue Attainment with demonstrated ability to deliver results.

Preferred

• Built or scaled a practice area within a software company, SI, consulting firm, or managed services provider.
• Managed sales teams or technical organizations in the public sector or critical infrastructure cybersecurity ecosystem.
• Experience building or selling managed security services, recurring-revenue offerings, or integrated multi-vendor solutions.
• Possess strong relationships across federal agencies, critical infrastructure organizations, and system integrators.

Critical Competencies

• Business Acumen: You understand how to scale responsibly, balancing rapid growth with disciplined margin and profitability management
• Strategic Thinking: You can develop multi-year strategies while executing tactical wins
• Influencing Without Authority: You can drive outcomes through matrixed resources and collaborative relationships
• Talent Magnet: People want to work for you and with you
• Executive Presence: You can hold your own with executive-level leaders
• Bias to Action: You move fast, make decisions, and iterate based on results
• Collaborative Builder: You win by helping others win—comfortable sharing credit and resources

Technical Baseline

• Comfortable engaging in technical discussions with public sector and critical infrastructure IT, security, and AI leaders about AI security architecture, AI posture management, runtime protection, data security, identity and access controls for AI agents, and AI governance
• Understands how AI Security integrates with broader cybersecurity and AI risk frameworks (NIST CSF, NIST AI RMF, Zero Trust Architecture, OWASP Top 10 for LLM Applications, MITRE ATLAS, etc.)
• Familiarity with how AI, automation, and agentic capabilities are applied in security operations, including detection, investigation, and response
• Ability to evaluate emerging AI and security technologies and their applicability to public sector and critical infrastructure use cases

What Makes This Role Unique

Autonomy + Resources

• Flat organization—you report directly to decision-makers
• Minimal bureaucracy and red tape
• Company actively invests in practice development
• Freedom to make decisions and move quickly

Builder’s Canvas

• Create something from an early stage with enterprise backing
• Define the culture, processes, and go-to-market approach
• Hire your team based on your vision
• Leave your mark on a growing organization

Innovation Platform

• Labs team available to build proprietary tools and services
• Encouraged to develop AI-driven automation, managed service offerings, and value-add capabilities
• Support for creating differentiated IP, not just reselling existing product
• Cross-practice collaboration to solve complex public sector and critical infrastructure challenges

Work Environment & Location

• Primary Location: Tysons, VA (several days per week minimum)
• Travel: Expect periodic travel to customer sites, partner meetings, and conferences

Success Attributes

Benefits & Perks

We want to empower and inspire employees to be and do their best. Our workdays are dynamic, collegial, and fun. Our office features multiple places to work unconstrained by typical office barriers. Our wellness package provides access to an on-site gym and includes medical, dental, and vision insurance along with options for FSA and EAP. We offer 401(k) with employer match, unlimited PTO, and a culture respectful of the reality that not everything in one’s personal life is guaranteed to happen only after hours.

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by applicable federal, state, local, or international law.