Account Executive - Defence

Appian Corporation; Canberra, Melbourne, Sydney; Hybrid; AUD 130,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

401(k) with company match

Paid parental leave

Medical, dental, vision

Life & disability insurance

Wellness programs

FSAs/HSA contributions

Employee referral bonus

Tuition learning & development

Job summary

Appian Corporation in Canberra is seeking an Enterprise Account Executive to drive sales of enterprise-grade orchestration software to Defence customers. You will own the full sales cycle, from discovery to close, in a high-growth territory.

In this role you will partner with Customer Success, Solutions Consultants and partner networks, delivering ROI-focused value propositions to senior IT and business leaders, while accelerating deal velocity and revenue growth.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Computer Science, or related field.
• 5+ years of software sales experience with at least 2 years as an Enterprise Account Executive focused on Defence.
• Proven quota attainment and history of winning net-new logos.
• Experience managing complex enterprise sales cycles; long, stable tenure.
• Strong discovery and financial business-case building skills.

Responsibilities

• Lead complex, end-to-end enterprise sales cycles across Defence and related sectors.
• Build and maintain a robust sales pipeline through strategic prospecting and territory mapping.
• Deliver high-impact, ROI-focused presentations to senior IT and business leaders.
• Coordinate cross-functional teams (Customer Success, Solutions Consultants, partners) to accelerate deals.
• Position yourself as a trusted advisor to senior executives through industry insight.

Skills

Discovery skills

Deal mastery

Quota achievement

Software selling

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, CS

Tools

Salesforce

ServiceNow

MEDDPICC

Job description

Canberra, Australia; Melbourne, Australia; Sydney, Australia

Here at Appian, our values of Intensity and Excellence define who we are. We set high standards and live up to them, ensuring that everything we do is done with care and quality. We approach every challenge with ambition and commitment, holding ourselves and each other accountable to achieve the best results. When you join Appian, you’ll be part of a passionate team dedicated to accomplishing hard things, together.

Account Executive - Defence

The best salespeople achieve the most when they are selling outstanding products, solutions, and services backed by an extraordinary company. That’s what you get when you sell for Appian.

Location: Canberra (preferred); Sydney or Melbourne | Work Model: Hybrid

About the Team

The Appian Public Sector Sales team is a high-performing group dedicated to helping Fortune 500 companies and leading financial institutions revolutionize their business operations. Our mission is to expand Appian’s footprint across the United States by demonstrating how our platform deliversAI-Powered Process Automation to solve the industry's most complex operational challenges. We operate as a collaborative ecosystem, working side-by-side with internal engineering, customer success, and partner networks to dominate the automation market.

The Opportunity

Are you inspired by the chance to solve your customers’ biggest challenges? At Appian, you can make that kind of difference. As an Enterprise Account Executive, you will take full ownership of a strategic, high-growth geographic territory. This is an elite opportunity to sell market-leading Enterprise-Grade Orchestration software to decision-makers who are actively looking to modernize legacy infrastructure. You won’t just manage relationships; you will act as a visionary advisor, leveraging use cases from industry pioneers to land net-new logos and accelerate your career trajectory.

What You’ll Do

• Command Complex Sales Cycles: Lead complex, end-to-end enterprise sales cycles across the Commercial and Insurance sectors, navigating from initial client discovery to a successful close.
• Build Top-of-Funnel Pipeline: Build a robust, sustainable pipeline through strategic prospecting, territory mapping, and proactive market engagement.
• Deliver Value-Based Presentations: Deliver high-impact, value-based virtual and in-person presentations to Line of Business (LOB) and IT leadership, clearly communicating ROI and business value.
• Orchestrate Cross-Functional Teams: Align internal cross-functional resources—including Customer Success, Solutions Consultants, and partner ecosystems to maximize deal velocity and size.
• Establish Trusted Advisor Status: Analyze industry and competitive trends to position Appian effectively against market alternatives, establishing yourself as a strategic advisor to senior executives.

Required Qualifications

• Degree: Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing, Business, Communications, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Experience: 5+ years of direct software selling experience, featuring a minimum of 2 years as an Enterprise Account Executive ideally specialising in Defence
• Quota Achievement: Proven track record of consistent quota achievement and a history of winning net-new customer logos.
• Deal Mastery: Demonstrated mastery managing complex enterprise sales cycles with a history of long, stable job tenure and a positive career trajectory.
• Discovery Skills: Superb communication and presentation skills, with a demonstrated ability to execute deep client discovery and build comprehensive financial business cases.

Preferred Qualifications

• Security Clearance preferred
• Prior experience selling complex, multi-stakeholder software solutions directly to Public Sector (Defence) customers.
• Mastery of strategic sales methodologies, such as MEDDPICC or Value-Based Selling.
• We value experience with enterprise platforms such as Salesforce or ServiceNow, as these skills translate well into our Enterprise-Grade Orchestration environment.

Compensation and Benefits

Compensation will be dependent on a number of factors including, but not limited to, the candidate’s relevant work experience, qualifications, internal peer equity, and market and business conditions that exist when extending an offer. Sales roles may be eligible to participate in a commission plan subject to the terms of the applicable plans and policies.

In addition, Appian provides generous benefits offerings that include a 401(k) plan with company match, flexible time off, paid parental leave, medical, dental, and vision plans, life insurance, disability insurance, wellness programs, flexible spending accounts, health savings account contributions, an employee referral bonus program, and learning and development resources. Certain positions may be eligible for equity awards.

Appian offers a comprehensive benefits package designed to support your health, wellbeing, and financial future. Benefits may include health coverage, Employee Assistance Program (EAP) with free mental health support, life and disability insurance, an Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP), a retirement/pension plan, wellness dollars, tuition reimbursement, family-forming benefits and more. Benefits vary by country—please ask your Talent Acquisition contact for details specific to the location you are applying to.

Tools and Resources

• Training and Development: During onboarding, we focus on equipping new hires with the skills and knowledge for success through department-specific training. Continuous learning is a central focus at Appian, with dedicated mentorship and the First-Friend program being widely utilized resources for new hires.
• Growth Opportunities: Appian provides a diverse array of growth and development opportunities, including our leadership program tailored for new and aspiring managers, a comprehensive library of specialized department training through Appian University, skills based training, and tuition reimbursement for those aiming to advance their education. This commitment ensures that employees have access to a holistic range of development opportunities.
• Community: We’ll immerse you into our community rooted in respect starting on day one. Appian fosters inclusivity through our 8 employee-led affinity groups . These groups help employees build stronger internal and external networks by planning social, educational, and outreach activities to connect with Appianites and larger initiatives throughout the company.

About Appian

Appian provides AI automation for the most important business processes at the world’s largest organizations. Our platform is known for its unique power, reliability, and scale. We’ve been automating processes for more than 25 years and have proven expertise in enterprise operations. For more information, visit appian.com .

Appian is an equal opportunity employer that strives to attract and retain the best talent. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Appian provides reasonable accommodations to applicants in accordance with all applicable laws. If you need a reasonable accommodation for any part of the employment process, please contact us by email at [e-mail] . Please note that only inquiries concerning a request for reasonable accommodation will be responded to from this email address.