Account Executive, SMB

Account Executive SMB, Austin, TXAiven - The Trusted Data & AI PlatformWe're a global team of over 400 people, working together to push the boundaries of open-source technology and multi-cloud solutions. Our vision is to become the trusted Data & AI Platform for everyone, leveraging the most popular open-source technologies like Apache Kafka®, PostgreSQL®, ClickHouse®, and OpenSearch® to help companies accelerate time-to-market, drive efficiency, and build innovative solutions across any cloud.About This TeamOur Customer Growth team plays a crucial role in our growth and profitability. We want to be the trusted data platform for everyone – which, let's face it, is an ambitious target. But thanks to our dedicated sales, pre-sales, and post-sales teams we are growing fast.Our customer-first philosophy: The software we create is merely a means of delivering value. Our thinking is customer-first. That's why our customers are at the front and center of all we do. We're by their side, actively helping them solve their challenges through collaboration, sharing, and innovation.Our Crabby PrinciplesAiveners use the V2MOM framework to set and align on business goals. In order to achieve those business goals we live by our 'Crabby Principles' which unite us in our ways of working, globally. These principles are embedded in our business processes and support us in collaborating and role modelling positive and productive behaviours in our daily work, something you will have the opportunity to demonstrate throughout your interview journey with us.The RoleAs an AE in North America, you will drive new customer acquisition and revenue growth within high-velocity segments of the North American market. This is a closing role—you own the full sales cycle from initial engagement through signed contract for companies under $250M in revenue, as well as PLG conversions from Aiven's self-service and trial user base.This role operates at the intersection of product-led growth and inside sales execution. You will convert high-intent signals—trial activations, self-service usage, consumption spikes—into qualified opportunities and closed revenue. You will also generate pipeline through outbound prospecting, field events, and digital marketing campaigns. The ability to read product usage data, prioritize based on buying signals, and execute fast sales cycles is essential.There are clear success metrics: 10 closed new logos annually at $25K average ARR, delivering $300K in total ARR per fiscal year. You will qualify 6 opportunities per month using rigorous MEDDPICC standards and generate $1.4M in qualified pipeline annually through a combination of PLG conversion, outbound prospecting, and marketing-sourced leads. This is a high-activity, high-velocity role with 30-60 day sales cycles.You will engage technical decision-makers—Engineering Managers, Platform Leads, Senior Engineers, DevOps Managers—at companies professionalizing their data infrastructure. These buyers can often evaluate and approve purchases without extensive procurement cycles, which means your ability to build urgency, demonstrate value quickly, and close efficiently determines your success.If you are a disciplined inside seller who thrives on velocity, understands how to convert product usage into commercial commitment, and can execute a high-quality sales process without cutting corners—we want to hear from you.What You'll DoClose New Business:Close 10 new logos annually at $25K average ARR, delivering $300K in total ARR against your annual quota.Own the full sales cycle from initial engagement through contract signature—discovery, qualification, demo, proposal, negotiation, close.Execute 30-60 day sales cycles with discipline and urgency—these are not long enterprise evaluations; speed and efficiency are competitive advantages.Maintain 85%+ forecast accuracy at commit through evidence-based qualification and disciplined pipeline management.Convert PLG Signals into Revenue:Monitor and prioritize trial activations, self-service usage, and consumption patterns to identify high-intent prospects ready for sales engagement.Engage self-service users demonstrating expansion signals—increased cluster usage, new service adoption, team account additions—and convert them to committed contracts.Develop expertise in reading product usage data to qualify buying intent: which behaviors indicate serious evaluation vs. casual exploration.Execute speed-to-lead on PLG conversions—these opportunities have short windows; the first seller to engage with value often wins.Generate Pipeline Through Multi-Channel Prospecting:Qualify 6 opportunities per month (72 annually) using rigorous MEDDPICC framework—each opportunity must have identified pain, decision-maker access, and defined timeline.Generate $1.4M in qualified pipeline annually through outbound prospecting, PLG conversion, field events, and digital marketing campaign follow-up.Execute 80-100+ weekly prospecting touches across calls, emails, LinkedIn, and video messaging to secure meetings with target personas.Work marketing-sourced leads from digital campaigns, content programs, and field events with rapid follow-up and qualification discipline.Build and maintain target account lists of 75-100 ideal customer profile companies within your territory.Engage Technical Decision-Makers:Build relationships with Engineering Managers, Platform Leads, Senior Engineers, DevOps Managers, and Data Engineering Leads who can evaluate and approve purchases.Position Aiven's value in terms that matter to technical buyers: reduced operational overhead, faster time-to-production, developer productivity, and infrastructure reliability.Challenge the status quo of customers' current data infrastructure—DIY open-source management, cloud vendor lock-in, operational burden—and demonstrate how Aiven delivers better outcomes.Conduct compelling product demonstrations that connect platform capabilities to specific customer pain points and use cases.Execute MEDDPICC Sales Process:Rigorously qualify all opportunities using the MEDDPICC framework to ensure pipeline quality and forecast accuracy.Maintain complete MEDDPICC documentation in Salesforce for every qualified opportunity—Metrics, Economic Buyer, Decision Criteria, Decision Process, Paper Process, Identified Pain, Champion, Competition.Manage opportunities with stage-appropriate evidence: no advancing deals without documented proof points for each MEDDPICC element.Forecast based on evidence, not optimism—if you cannot articulate the decision process, timeline, and buying authority with specificity, the deal does not belong in commit.Solution Selling & Value Articulation:Become expert in Aiven's platform and open-source technologies: Kafka, PostgreSQL, OpenSearch, ClickHouse, Valkey, and Grafana.Articulate business value in concrete terms: reduced operational overhead (40-60%), faster time-to-production (3-5x), infrastructure cost optimization (30-50%).Maintain Command of the Message when conveying Aiven's value proposition—you can clearly articulate why Aiven vs. self-managed, why Aiven vs. hyperscaler native services, why Aiven vs. other managed platforms.Tailor messaging to buyer context: a startup scaling from prototype to production has different priorities than a mid-market company consolidating fragmented infrastructure.Collaborate Cross-Functionally:Partner with Solution Architects on technical validation for qualified opportunities requiring deeper architectural engagement.Coordinate with Marketing on campaign follow-up, event participation, and lead quality feedback.Provide product feedback based on customer conversations—objections, feature requests, competitive intelligence—to inform roadmap priorities.Collaborate with Customer Success on smooth handoffs for closed accounts to ensure strong onboarding and adoption.Exceed Targets:Consistently meet and exceed monthly, quarterly, and annual quotas.Maintain minimum 3x pipeline coverage against quarterly targets with balanced distribution across the quarter.Take complete ownership of your territory and results—no excuses, no deflection, no waiting for leads to arrive.What We're Looking ForInside Sales Excellence:1-3 years of success in inside sales or SDR/BDR roles