Founding US Sales Associate - Agentic AI

Founding BDR / Sales Associate

After proving our product and operating model internationally, we're now expanding into the US from San Francisco. This role is about bringing Athena AI Agents there first.

As a Founding BDR / Sales Associate, you'll be responsible for opening doors, generating conviction, and creating high-quality opportunities for Athena in the US market. You'll work at the sharp edge of category creation - testing messages, earning attention, and learning what resonates before the playbook exists.

You'll be expected to think, experiment, and build, not just execute sequences and work closely with AEs, founders, and marketing to shape how Athena is introduced to HR, Finance, and Transformation leaders across the US.

The pipeline you create here will define what follows.

What You'll Do

• Build high-quality outbound pipeline for Athena in the US market
• Research accounts deeply and design creative, thoughtful outreach strategies
• Open conversations with HR, Finance, Ops, and AI / Transformation leaders
• Test messaging, positioning, and ICP hypotheses through live outreach
• Qualify opportunities rigorously before handing them to AEs
• Partner closely with AEs and founders to refine targeting and approach
• Feed real-world signal back into messaging, product, and GTM strategy

The Mindset We're Looking For

• A true hunter mindset - creative, persistent, and comfortable hearing "no"
• High rejection tolerance and emotional resilience
• Curiosity about why things work, not just whether they do
• Comfort operating in ambiguity: evolving priorities, partial context, changing messages
• A bias toward action and iteration over waiting for instruction
• A strong instinct for leverage

How You Operate

• You actively use AI and data as force multipliers - for research, personalisation, pattern detection, and productivity
• You experiment with angles, hooks, and formats instead of relying on scripts
• You're thoughtful about quality, not just activity
• You learn quickly from rejection and adjust fast
• You care about creating pipeline that actually converts

What We're Looking For

• 1-4 years of experience in a BDR, SDR, or commercial role (or equivalent)
• Demonstrated ability to generate outbound pipeline in B2B SaaS
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Intellectual curiosity and interest in AI, systems, and automation
• Ambition - you see this as a step toward a bigger role over time
• Comfort working in fast-moving, early-stage environments

Why This Role Is Special

• You're a founding US pipeline hire for Athena
• You'll influence how the product is positioned and sold from day one
• You'll work directly with AEs, founders, and product leaders
• Clear path to AE or GTM closing roles as the team scales
• Your work will be visible, measurable, and impactful

You May Not Be A Great Fit If

• You need strong brand recognition to sell. We're still establishing our US presence and need someone who thrives on evangelism.
• You need a fully built playbook before you can perform. We're building the US motion and need someone who thrives without structure.
• You struggle with a GMT role covering international hours. Async communication, time zone discipline, and high self-management are non-negotiables.

This is an in-person role. Our GTM team comes together in the office Monday through Thursday, while most of the team collaborates in person on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays.

Package & Benefits

Early stage startups can be messy we know that. We're putting effort in providing you with the best employee experience and a quality driven environment in exchange for trusting us.

• Market-leading compensation that reflects your value
• 25 days paid time off each year plus public holidays
• Share Options with 5-year exercise window so you don't feel pressure to exercise if you leave
• Free Thursday lunches at HQ, quarterly team events, and company offsites.
• Top tier private coverage for health, vision and dental care
• A new MacBook and tools you need to do your best work
• Enhanced parental leave with up to 16 weeks for primary and 4 weeks for secondary
• Learning & development budget

Why Join Humaans Today?

HR tech is having its AI moment and we're positioned to own it. Humaans started as a next-gen HRIS taking on large incumbents in a massive market. We've since evolved into something even bigger: an AI platform that sits across workforce data and automates the operational layer of HR entirely; the natural progression of what we've been building toward.

The product is highly differentiated. It's built around a structured workforce data model that makes AI reliable in an HR context, something no one else has gotten right. Customers notice the difference immediately.

We're backed by Y Combinator, Lachy Groom, Moonfire, Frontline Ventures, and operators who've built some of the most consequential software companies of the last decade: the founders of Slack, Figma, and Shopify, and Asana's former CRO and Head of OpenAI International.

We're a small team with an unapologetically high bar. It shows up in the product, in how we communicate, and in the standards we hold each other to.

Our Commitment To Diversity

At Humaans we're looking for genuinely good people that are transparent and emphatic. We're committed to providing equal opportunities, a diverse and inclusive work environment, and ensuring a fair interview process for everyone. You're welcome to apply no matter your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, civil or family status, age, disability, or race.

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