Private Equity Market Leader

DEPARTMENT Growth

LOCATION Minneapolis, MN / Hybrid

TYPE Full-time

REPORTS TO Chief Growth Officer

Own the PE Market. Build the Vertical. Ship Real AI.

We're building a production-level AI company and we need a Private Equity Market Leader who owns the PE vertical end-to-end. Not someone who manages a territory - someone who builds one. Pipeline, positioning, relationships, revenue. The whole thing.

You'll be Blank Metal's face in private equity. That means knowing how PE firms work, what portfolio companies actually need from AI, and how to get from a first conversation to a signed engagement. You'll close deals, shape how we show up in market, and bring back the buyer intelligence that keeps our go-to-market sharp.

WHAT YOU GET TO DO

Pipeline & Revenue

• Own $5M+ ARR for the PE vertical - source it, build it, close it
• Run your own pipeline with support from the partner channel and marketing, but no hand-holding
• Qualify opportunities fast: assess fit, scope realistically, move or kill
• Partner with delivery to set clients up for success from day one - no over-promising

Market Positioning & Demand

• Own how Blank Metal is positioned in PE: what we sell, where we play, what we say no to
• Understand the PE buyer journey - fund dynamics, portco priorities, how AI budgets get approved
• Feed market insight back to inform services, pricing, and go-to-market focus
• Identify where demand is building before it becomes a crowded room

Public Representation & Relationship Building

• Show up where PE operators, deal teams, and operating partners spend time - events, intros, online presence
• Build the right relationships in the market to drive Blank Metal's credibility and deal flow
• Represent Blank Metal externally in a way that earns credibility with technical and financial buyers alike
• Serve as the senior point of contact for PE clients throughout the engagement lifecycle

Market Intelligence & Buyer Insights

• Bring back what you hear: how PE buyers evaluate AI vendors, where objections are real vs. noise
• Track competitive dynamics in the PE-focused AI services market
• Deliver buyer intelligence that directly improves our messaging, proposals, and delivery scoping
• Maintain rigorous pipeline discipline using HubSpot and Notion - you drive outcomes, not log activity

Scope Protection & Escalation

• Protect deal integrity: set honest expectations and hold the line on scope creep
• Serve as the escalation point when client relationships need a senior voice
• Understand what our teams can build and what they can't - and never sell past that line
• Collaborate with the CGO and delivery leads to ensure what we commit to actually ships

WHAT WILL HELP YOU SUCCEED

Required

• 7+ years in enterprise services, business development, or market development - with direct PE market exposure. Working inside a PE firm, portco, or a firm that sold to PE is required to be considered
• Existing relationships in PE: deal teams, operating partners, C-suite at portfolio companies - not a cold list
• Track record selling complex professional services or custom build engagements, not SaaS subscriptions
• Comfortable in technical conversations: you don't need to code, but you need to understand what an AI engineering team actually builds and why it matters to a PE portfolio
• Entrepreneurial and self-directed - you build the structure, you don't wait for it
• Strong communicator across financial and technical audiences: you can hold a strategy conversation with a CFO and a scoping conversation with an engineer
• Data-driven: you track what you own, know what's working, and don't confuse activity with progress
• Fluent in modern sales tools and whatever you actually use to close deals

Nice to Have

• Experience working inside or alongside an AI company or technical product environment
• Familiarity with AI deployment timelines, build vs. buy dynamics, and enterprise AI procurement
• Background in management consulting, PE operations, or portco transformation programs
• Familiarity with Blank Metal, production AI, or the enterprise AI services market

This Role is NOT for You If...

• You've never worked in or around PE and are expecting to learn the market on the job
• You prefer account management and renewals over new logo hunting
• You need a full SDR team, defined territory, and established playbook to operate
• You treat AI as a buzzword rather than a toolset you understand and can credibly sell
• You treat CRM as a reporting obligation rather than a pipeline management tool

WHY YOU'LL LOVE IT HERE

• Build AI that ships: our engagements end in a live production deployment, not a slide deck or a pilot that fades out
• Outcome-aligned model: our work is scoped for client success, not billable hours
• Real ownership: the PE vertical is yours to build - the strategy, the relationships, the playbook
• AI-native culture: you'll work with peers who deeply understand what modern AI can and can't do
• Lean team, fast decisions: no layers, no committee approvals, no internal theater
• Real collaboration: open conversations, shared ownership, and space to bring your voice

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Competitive base salary with a revenue-based variable comp structure tied to the PE vertical. When the vertical wins, you win. We offer comprehensive health coverage, 401(k) with match, flexible time off, flexible work arrangements, and support for professional development.

ABOUT BLANK METAL

Blank Metal is an AI-native engineering company that partners with enterprises to deliver production AI fast. We blend strategic insight with hands-on execution, shipping high-impact systems that turn AI initiatives into measurable business results.

We're builders, not theorists. Our team of seasoned engineers, designers, and strategists work across industries to create AI applications that actually get used and make a difference.

Blank Metal is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We welcome all backgrounds and perspectives. Diversity makes our work better and our team stronger.

blankmetal.ai