Enterprise Account Executive

The Reality

We're a 30-person company with 3.4 billion downloads of our open-source cloud-native API gateway. Our technology powers critical infrastructure across financial services, healthcare, retail, transportation, and public sector organizations globally. We're building strategic partnerships with NVIDIA, Oracle, Nutanix, HPE, SUSE, Microsoft, and others. We're at an inflection point where AI security and cloud-native adoption are creating unprecedented demand for what we've built.

But here's what we don't have: a mature sales organization, established processes, or an army of support staff. What we do have: world-class technology, massive market opportunity, strategic partnerships that open doors, and a CEO who wants to build the right sales team from the ground up.

What We're Building

Traefik Labs provides the connectivity layer for modern infrastructure. We started with the most popular cloud-native API gateway (Application Proxy), then added enterprise API Gateway capabilities with security and governance, and now offer full API Management with developer portals, versioning, and lifecycle controls.

Recently we've added AI Gateway for securing LLM deployments and MCP Gateway for AI agent governance. Enterprises are deploying AI in production and need infrastructure they can trust. That's where we come in.

The Role

You'll be one of our first enterprise account executives in North America, reporting directly to me (the CEO). This means you'll have visibility into everything we're building, direct input into product and go-to-market strategy, and the autonomy to shape how we sell.

You'll own the full sales cycle. Build your pipeline through outbound, inbound, and partner channels. Navigate complex deals involving platform engineers who care about technical depth and executives who care about business outcomes. Close six-figure deals while helping us figure out what works at scale.

What You'll Actually Do

• Hunt and close enterprise deals. No SDR feeding you leads. You prospect, qualify, demo, negotiate, and close. The advantage: our 3.4 billion open-source downloads mean thousands of companies are already running Traefik in production. Your job is to identify these OSS users and convert them to enterprise customers.
• Sell to technical buyers and executives simultaneously. Platform engineers need to trust the architecture. CFOs need to understand the ROI. You handle both conversations.
• Work directly with product and engineering. You'll see customer requirements that should influence our roadmap. Bring them back. Debate priorities. Help us build what matters.
• Figure out pricing and packaging. We have a model, but every deal teaches us something. You'll contribute to how we think about value and structure agreements.
• Activate our strategic partnerships. We're building relationships with NVIDIA, Oracle, Nutanix, HPE, Microsoft, and others. Some are further along than others. Your job is to find the co-sell opportunities and make these partnerships productive.
• Drive technical validation. Work with our pre-sales team to run POCs that actually convert. Manage timelines, clear blockers, keep deals moving.
• Report to the CEO weekly. I want to know what you're seeing in the market, where we're winning, where we're losing, and what needs to change. Real insights, not sanitized updates.

Who Won't Succeed Here

Let's be direct. We've made hiring mistakes before. These types of people didn't work out:

• Smooth talkers who can't execute. If you're better at presentations than closing deals, this isn't for you.
• People who don't sweat the details. In infrastructure sales, one missed technical requirement kills the deal. You need to be meticulous.
• Sales reps who need structure. There's no playbook yet. You'll help write it. If you need clear processes handed to you, look elsewhere.
• Anyone who wants to stay in their lane. One minute you're discussing Kubernetes architecture, the next you're building an ROI model, then you're on a call with me about competitive positioning. That's the job.
• People who expect support infrastructure. No SDR team. No deal desk. No sales ops building your reports. You own it.
• Reps who can't think on their feet. When a CTO asks about air-gapped deployments or NVIDIA NIM integration, you need to engage in real-time, not defer to others.

Who Will Thrive

Required Experience

• 5+ years selling enterprise infrastructure or security software with proven quota attainment. We care more about how you won than what you sold.
• Track record selling to technical buyers. Platform engineers, DevOps teams, security architects. People who ask hard questions and don't buy based on slides.
• Deep enough technical understanding to hold your own. You don't need to write code, but you should understand Kubernetes, API gateways, authentication models, and distributed systems concepts.
• Obsessive attention to detail. You track commitments. Follow up on every technical question. Never let things slip. In complex technical sales, details matter.
• Comfort wearing multiple hats. You'll contribute to product discussions, pricing strategy, competitive analysis, and partnership plays. If you only want to sell, this isn't it.
• Strong organizational skills. You're managing complex deals, partner relationships, and internal coordination solo. Nothing can fall through the cracks.
• Self-starter mindset. You build your own pipeline, create your own tools, solve your own problems. High autonomy, high accountability.

Bonus Points

• Previous startup experience (Series A to C). You know what it's like to build in an environment without perfect infrastructure
• Experience with AI/ML infrastructure or API management platforms
• Familiarity with the CNCF and Kubernetes ecosystem and technologies
• Track record activating technology partnerships. Not just passing leads, but building joint value propositions and co-selling
• Experience with open-source commercial models where community credibility matters

Why This Is Special

• Direct CEO access: You'll report to me. Weekly 1:1s. Direct input into strategy. Your voice matters here.
• Build from the ground up: You're not joining a 500-person sales org with rigid processes. You're helping define how we scale.
• Massive OSS install base: 3.4 billion open-source downloads, 58K GitHub stars, default ingress in major Kubernetes distributions. Thousands of enterprises across financial services, healthcare, retail, transportation, and government already run Traefik in production. You're not cold calling. You're converting open-source users who already depend on the technology into paying customers.
• Strategic partnerships: We're building relationships with NVIDIA, Oracle, Nutanix, HPE, SUSE, Microsoft, and others. Early days, but the foundations are there. You'll help turn these into productive selling relationships.
• Cutting-edge technology: AI Gateway, MCP Gateway, API Management. You're selling solutions enterprises are actively looking for right now.
• Proven across industries: Financial services, healthcare, retail, transportation, public sector, and government organizations trust us with production infrastructure. You walk into deals with credibility across every major vertical.
• Market timing: Every enterprise is deploying AI. Every enterprise needs API governance. Every enterprise is modernizing infrastructure. The market is coming to us.
• Real impact: Your first year will shape how we sell for the next decade. You'll build the playbook, define the motion, prove what works.

Compensation

• Competitive base salary and meaningful equity in a company with strong fundamentals and real growth
• Uncapped commission structure. We want you making a lot of money because that means we're winning
• Full benefits: health, dental, vision, 401(k), unlimited PTO
• Remote-first across North America with travel to customer sites and team gatherings