Founding GTM Manager – AI GovTech Startup (Remote, Chicago Preferred)

Are you ready to take ownership of go-to-market at a mission-driven startup using AI to help local governments and schools unlock critical funding? Do you want to be the first hire working directly with the founder to build a repeatable growth engine from the ground up? Let’s talk.

About Us

We’re a early-stage tech startup with strong traction. Our AI platform helps local governments, school districts, and nonprofits find and win government grants by automating research, simplifying notice of funding opportunties, and generating compliant proposals. Think: AI-powered grant writing assistant for the public sector to help communities get the resources they desperately need.

We’ve validated the product with paying government clients and a repeatable sales motion. Now we’re hiring our first go-to-market teammate — someone who can help us deliver on what’s working and figure out what’s next.

What You’ll Do

As our Founding GTM Manager, you’ll lead both sides of the growth funnel — generating leads and converting them into happy customers.

You will:

• Identify new sales opportunities by attending conferences and public sector events (~1x/month travel)
• Conduct demos and manage the sales process from first touch to close
• Collaborate directly with the founder to refine messaging, pricing, and sales strategy
• Help refine our early GTM infrastructure (e.g., CRM, playbooks, lead scoring)
• Influence product development by sharing insights from prospects and customers
• Experiment and run outbound outreach campaigns (email, calls, LinkedIn) to build pipeline

Who You Are

We need someone driven, resourceful, and ready to build.

You are:

• Based in Chicago or open to occasional in-person meetups/travel
• Experienced in tech sales / business development
• A confident communicator — clear, warm, and persuasive
• Organized, adaptable, and self-directed
• Excited about technology and government
• Eager to grow quickly and take on more responsibility

Bonus points if you have:

• Experience selling to public sector
• Worked a conference booth or prospected at live events
• Familiarity with HubSpot or similar CRM tools

Compensation

• Base Salary: $50,000–$70,000
• OTE (Base + Commission): ~$100,000–$130,000
• Equity: 0.5–1.0%
• Travel expenses and tools fully covered

This is a rare opportunity to take a leadership role in a mission-driven AI startup and help shape how we grow. If you're looking for a role with real impact, autonomy, and upside — we'd love to hear from you.