Account Executive, AI SaaS | Onsite in SF Local Candidates Only

Location: San Francisco, CA (onsite, local candidates only) | Schedule: Full-time, onsite five days per week

Overview

A fast-growing, early-stage AI SaaS startup is hiring a hands-on Account Executive to own the full sales cycle for its AI-powered platform. This is a foundational sales role, working directly with founders, product, and engineering teams to build a repeatable go-to-market motion in a fast-moving, early-stage environment.

What you'll do

• Own the full sales cycle from prospecting through contract execution
• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline of target accounts
• Conduct discovery calls to understand customer needs, use cases, buying processes, and technical requirements
• Deliver tailored product demonstrations to technical buyers, executives, and cross-functional stakeholders
• Translate complex AI capabilities into clear business value and measurable outcomes
• Develop account strategies and build relationships across technical and business stakeholders
• Create proposals, negotiate commercial terms, and close new business
• Own an annual new business ARR quota
• Manage opportunities based on ACV, probability, sales stage, and expected close date
• Maintain accurate forecasts, pipeline coverage, and CRM data
• Partner with founders and technical teams during product evaluations, pilots, and proof-of-concept engagements
• Help define and refine the company's ICP, buyer personas, messaging, and sales process
• Provide customer and market feedback to product and engineering teams
• Identify expansion opportunities that increase ARR and customer value
• Sell to technical buyers, CMOs, Chief Product Officers, Vice Presidents of Product, engineering and technology leaders, revenue and sales leaders, operations executives, innovation and digital transformation leaders, and founders and executive teams

Required qualifications

• 3 or more years of B2B SaaS, AI, data, or technology sales experience
• Proven success owning and closing full-cycle sales opportunities
• Experience carrying and achieving an ARR or new business quota
• Experience selling deals measured by ACV
• Strong product demonstration and presentation skills
• Ability to conduct technical discovery and communicate credibly with technical buyers
• Experience selling to executives and cross-functional buying committees
• Strong prospecting, negotiation, pipeline management, and forecasting skills
• Prior experience working at an early-stage startup
• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment with limited structure
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Must currently live within commuting distance of San Francisco and be able to work onsite five days per week; remote, hybrid, relocation-dependent, and out-of-area candidates will not be considered

Preferred qualifications

• Experience selling AI, machine learning, automation, developer tools, data, or infrastructure products
• Experience selling to product, marketing, engineering, revenue, or operations leaders
• Experience managing pilots, product evaluations, and proof-of-concept sales
• Experience closing mid-market or enterprise SaaS agreements
• Experience helping define an ICP and build a sales process from zero to one
  • Familiarity with founder-led sales
  • Experience at a seed-stage or Series A startup
  • Existing relationships within the San Francisco Bay Area technology ecosystem

Why this role

This is an opportunity to be a foundational sales hire at an early-stage AI startup, owning the full sales cycle and working directly with founders and technical teams to shape the company's go-to-market strategy.