Founding Account Executive
Clera · San Francisco
- Location
- San Francisco
- Posted
- Today
- Type
- Fulltime / On site
- Salary
- Not listed — worth asking early.
What the job really is
About the Role
This is a full-cycle, founding Account Executive role — the second GTM hire at a fast-growing AI customer support startup. You'll report directly to the Head of Sales, own the entire sales motion from cold outreach to close, and help shape both the sales process and product direction from the ground up.
What You'll Do
Own the complete sales cycle — prospect, qualify, demo, negotiate, and close deals independently with no handoffs.
Build and manage your own outbound pipeline, identifying target companies and initiating conversations from scratch.
Sell to technical buyers including founders, heads of support, and engineering leaders who ask hard questions.
Run and attend events where target buyers gather, building relationships and creating valuable rooms.
Feed customer insights directly to the product team, influencing the roadmap based on what you hear in the field.
Help write the sales playbook — there is no existing process to follow, so you'll build it as you go.
What We're Looking For
1–5 years in a closing or quota-carrying role, or demonstrated experience building and selling something of your own.
Proven ability to build pipeline from a cold start through outbound prospecting — inbound-only experience is not sufficient.
Experience selling to technical buyers such as founders, engineering leaders, or other technical decision-makers.
Ability to understand and articulate technical product capabilities in depth without needing to write code.
Track record of rapid self-directed learning and skill acquisition in new domains.
Experience organizing or running customer-facing events or community engagement.
Background in developer tools, AI products, or technical SaaS is a strong plus.
Early-stage startup experience — as a founder or among the first few hires — is a plus.
Based in San Francisco or willing to relocate; this is a fully on-site role.
Compensation & Benefits
On-target earnings of $80,000–$160,000 USD annually. Visa sponsorship is not available for this role.
Location
On-site in San Francisco, CA. Relocation is welcome; remote work is not available for this position.
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