Academic & Research Sales Manager

TL;DR

Academic & Research Sales Manager (UAV and geospatial technology): Growing university and research-agency adoption of drone software, magnetometry, GPR, and bathymetry systems with an accent on institutional sales, academic procurement, and training programs. Focus on acquiring research accounts, managing grant- and tender-driven sales cycles, and building a student certification pipeline.

Location: Remote or hybrid from Hungary, Latvia, or Serbia

Company

hirify.global develops UAV software solutions, integration services, and custom technology for surveying, data collection and processing, and entertainment applications.

What you will do

• Grow existing university and research-agency accounts through upselling and cross-selling across the product portfolio.
• Identify and acquire universities, research laboratories, and government research agencies in geophysics, remote sensing, geomatics, environmental science, and UAS or robotics.
• Manage relationships with faculty, laboratory directors, procurement offices, and research consortia, including representation at academic events.
• Own the full sales cycle, including demonstrations, quotations, tenders, framework agreements, grant cycles, negotiations, and closing.
• Design and launch a student course or certification program in cooperation with product and training teams.
• Develop partnerships for co-branded content, guest lectures, internships, joint research, and pilot programs while maintaining CRM and revenue forecasts.

Requirements

• Proven experience selling to universities or research institutions, with demonstrable closed deals, quota attainment, or account growth.
• Existing network within university research departments, procurement offices, or research funding bodies.
• At least 3 years of B2B sales or business development experience.
• Strong understanding of academic and institutional procurement, including tenders, grants, framework contracts, and university purchasing cycles.
• Ability to design training content or curricula, or collaborate with technical trainers to create them.
• Excellent written and verbal English; B2 proficiency is required.

Nice to have

• Spanish, German, or French language skills.
• Background in geophysics, remote sensing, geomatics, or a related academic discipline.
• Experience with geospatial, UAS or drone, geophysical, survey, or scientific instrumentation products.

Culture & Benefits

• Remote or hybrid work arrangement with offices in Latvia, Serbia, and Hungary.
• Opportunity to influence strategy and test new ideas.
• Direct communication with the COO and the wider team.
• Medical insurance after the three-month probation period.
• International customer and partner network spanning more than 150 countries.