Strategic Account Executive

Description

Department: Strategic Commercial
Location: Remote with travel as needed, ideal candidate will be located in the Chicago area and will cover the following areas: Chicago and Midwest (IL, MI, OH, KS, TX), plus Hagerstown, MD and upstate NY

Clearwave is one of the nation’s largest independent fiber providers, delivering fast, reliable connectivity solutions to businesses, communities, and residents across multiple states. Following the combination of Clearwave Fiber and Point Broadband, our expanded organization is accelerating growth, investing in next-generation fiber infrastructure, and creating exciting opportunities for driven professionals who want to make an impact.

We’re looking for a Strategic Account Executive who is a technical telecom sales hunter, someone who targets, penetrates, and wins large, complex enterprise organizations by selling sophisticated connectivity solutions. You’ll also pursue State and Local Government and Education (SLED) opportunities, including E-Rate. If you’re energized by opening doors in new accounts, navigating multiple layers of decision makers and influencers, and closing multi-site, multi-service deals, we’d love to talk with you.

What You’ll Do:
As a Strategic Account Executive , you’ll build and execute the plan to break into large enterprise accounts. You’ll map each organization, find the right entry points, and build relationships from technical influencers to the executive suite. You’ll apply your technical selling expertise to design solutions that solve real business challenges, and you’ll pursue SLED and E-Rate opportunities as an additional source of growth.

Key Responsibilities

• Identify and target large enterprise accounts in your territory, and develop a blueprint for each: organizational mapping, decision makers, influencers, and champions across IT, network, operations, finance, procurement, and the executive team, along with a plan to get in and expand.
• Prospect and win new business through outbound outreach, cold calling, in-person visits, networking, and referrals, with a focus on new-logo acquisition.
• Lead long, multi-stakeholder sales cycles from first contact through discovery, solution design, proposal, negotiation, and close.
• Sell complex, multi-site solutions including dark fiber, dedicated internet access, Ethernet, wavelengths, SD-WAN, VoIP, and managed network services.
• Engage CIO, CTO, and other executive buyers, translating technical capabilities into business outcomes and financial benefits.
• Prepare customized solution designs, pricing, business cases, and proposals in partnership with Sales Engineering and Product teams.
• Lead contract and Master Service Agreement negotiations with Legal, Finance, and Deal Desk.
• Pursue SLED opportunities, including municipalities, K-12 districts, libraries, and higher education. This includes researching E-Rate Form 470 postings and other public RFPs, and coordinating Sales Engineering, Pricing, Legal, and Compliance to deliver compliant, competitive responses on time.
• Partner with Operations, Billing, and Customer Support for a smooth handoff and customer experience, and identify expansion opportunities within accounts you win.
• Maintain accurate pipeline, forecasts, and customer records in Salesforce, and consistently achieve or exceed new-revenue quotas.

Requirements

What We’re Looking For:

• 3+ years of B2B outside sales experience in telecommunications, fiber, or managed technology services, with a proven record of winning new enterprise business and exceeding quota in a hunter role.
• Demonstrated success selling complex, multi-site solutions to large organizations and navigating multiple layers of decision makers and influencers.
• Ability to build account plans and develop strategy for penetrating large, complex accounts.
• Strong technical knowledge of telecom services and infrastructure, including fiber, Ethernet, TCP/IP networking, and voice (SIP, PRI).
• Experience negotiating Master Service Agreements and multi-year contracts, and building financial justification for recommended solutions.
• Working knowledge of E-Rate, including the Form 470 and 471 process, and experience responding to public RFPs through government or education procurement.
• Ability to coordinate cross-functional teams, including Sales Engineering, to produce accurate, on-time proposals and RFP responses.
• Excellent communication and executive presentation skills.
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM, and proficiency with Microsoft Office, including Excel and PowerPoint.
• Valid driver’s license and ability to travel within assigned markets as needed.

Preferred Qualifications

• Established relationships with enterprise IT and network decision makers.
• Experience selling dark fiber, wavelengths, SD-WAN, cloud connectivity, or managed network solutions to multi-site enterprise customers.
• Direct experience winning E-Rate funded K-12 or library business, or other SLED contracts.
• Knowledge of fiber technologies including GPON and XGS-PON.
• Bachelor’s degree in Business, Telecommunications, Marketing, or a related field, or equivalent work experience.

Benefits Include:

• Competitive pay - base, plus commission
• Medical, Dental, Vision
• 401(k) with Immediate Match – plan your future with company contributions vested upon hire.
• Up to 20 Days PTO in Year One – because balance fuels performance.
• Company-Paid Life & Disability Insurance – plus voluntary supplemental coverage options.
• HSA/HRA Contributions & FSA Plan – extra support for your health expenses.
• Mileage Reimbursement, Company Laptop, and Cell Phone – tools to help you win in the field.
• Complimentary Clearwave Service – if you live in our service area.
  

Pre-hire Assurance:

Rest assured, Clearwave prioritizes the safety and security of our associates and customers. Job offers are contingent upon successful background checks, drug screenings, and reference checks. Once cleared, embark on a fulfilling and rewarding career journey with us.

Equal Opportunity Employer:

Clearwave is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer, fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace.