Strategic Partnerships & Growth Lead — COCOM / SOF
Job description
Our mission is to automate coding. The first step in our journey is to build the best tool for professional programmers, using a combination of inventive research, design, and engineering. Our organization is very flat, and our team is small and talent dense. We particularly like people who are truth-seeking, passionate, and creative. We enjoy spirited debate, crazy ideas, and shipping code.
About the Role
Cursor is the AI code editor used by software engineers across the defense industrial base and the national security community. We're now building a dedicated motion into the Combatant Commands (COCOMs) and Special Operations Forces (SOF) ecosystem — communities that move fast, demand mission-ready tools, and have the acquisition authority to act on them.
This role owns Cursor's COCOM and SOF channel by building relationships with the prime contractors, systems integrators, and SOF-focused technology companies that develop and operate software across USSOCOM, the geographic COCOMs, and the special mission units they support. The mission is to embed Cursor into the software development workflows of every developer building for these communities.
SOF and COCOM communities are early adopters with real procurement velocity — MFP-11 budget authority, rapid acquisition mechanisms, and a culture of adopting the best commercial tools available. This is not a slow-burn government sales motion. It's a relationship-driven channel play with urgency on both sides.
This is a senior individual contributor role with revenue ownership, reporting directly to sales leadership.
What You'll Do
Prime Contractor & Channel Partnerships
Own and grow Cursor's relationships with prime contractors and integrators focused on COCOM and SOF programs: Booz Allen Hamilton, Leidos, CACI, SAIC, L3Harris, PAE, Peraton, and specialized SOF technology companies
Negotiate and close partnership agreements, reseller arrangements, teaming agreements, and approved vendor designations that embed Cursor into software delivery workflows on COCOM and SOF-supported programs
Work with prime BD and program management teams to co-sell Cursor into new COCOM and SOF contract awards at the proposal stage
Identify and develop relationships with SOF-focused commercial technology companies and accelerators (SOFWERX, NavalX, AFWERX portfolio companies) that can serve as channel partners or integration points
COCOM & SOF End-User Pull-Through
Build relationships inside USSOCOM (MacDill AFB), JSOC (Fort Liberty), AFSOC, MARSOC, NSWC, and the geographic COCOMs (INDOPACOM, EUCOM, CENTCOM) at the J6, J2, and software/innovation lead level
Engage SOF AT&L, USSOCOM's acquisition community, and command innovation offices to build awareness and preference for Cursor within SOF software development standards and acquisition pipelines
Represent Cursor at SOF Week, SOFIC, AUSA Global Force Symposium, and AFCEA events; establish Cursor's presence in the SOF technology and acquisition community
Leverage SOCOM's unique acquisition authority — MFP-11 budget, rapid acquisition vehicles, and OTA mechanisms to move faster than conventional DoD procurement
Revenue & Pipeline
Own a revenue target for COCOM and SOF channel business
Build and manage a pipeline of prime contractor partnerships and program-level co-sell opportunities across COCOM and SOF-aligned programs
Forecast and report on channel pipeline with the same rigor as direct enterprise deals
Cross-Functional
Partner with Field Engineering on technical evaluations and POCs inside prime contractor and SOF developer environments, including air-gapped and classified network considerations
Work with Cursor's legal and compliance teams on teaming agreements, vendor qualification, and IL4/IL5/classified environment requirements relevant to COCOM and SOF program needs
Channel SOF developer feedback and mission-critical product requirements back to Cursor's roadmap team — these communities will push the product further than any other segment
What We're Looking For
Required
Active TS/SCI — candidates without an active TS/SCI will not be considered
5+ years of channel sales, BD, or partnership management experience inside the defense industrial base with direct exposure to COCOM or SOF-aligned programs
Existing relationships at one or more prime contractors or technology companies active in the COCOM and SOF market at the BD, program management, or technical leadership level
Understanding of SOCOM's unique acquisition environment: MFP-11 budget authority, SOF AT&L, SOFWERX rapid prototyping, and OTA mechanisms specific to USSOCOM and the geographic COCOMs
Track record of standing up or expanding channel and partner relationships that drove material software or technology revenue ($500K+) in the COCOM or SOF ecosystem
Comfortable navigating both the prime-facing channel layer (BD, program managers, contracting) and the end-user pull-through layer (SOF developers, J6 tech leads, command innovation offices)
Strong Plus
Polygraph on file
Prior active duty or civilian service in a SOF unit, JSOC, SOCOM, or geographic COCOM in a software, data, or technology capacity
Experience selling developer tools, AI/ML platforms, or SDLC tooling through or alongside SOF-focused primes or technology companies
Existing relationships at USSOCOM (MacDill), JSOC (Fort Liberty), AFSOC (Hurlburt), or a geographic COCOM J6 or innovation office
Familiarity with SOCOM's technical community: SOFWERX, NavalX portfolio, SOF innovation challenges, and rapid prototyping mechanisms
Network within the SOF prime ecosystem: Booz Allen BSIM, Leidos National Security Sector, CACI Intelligence & Technology Solutions, L3Harris Communication Systems
Why This Role
SOF and COCOM developer communities are among the most technically sophisticated software teams in the world — and among the most underserved by commercial developer tools. Cursor is already being used by individuals inside these communities. This role builds the formal channel motion to make it the standard, with a procurement environment that moves faster than conventional DoD acquisition when the right relationships are in place.