Strategic Account Executive (Zurich)

Benchling, Inc.; Switzerland; On-site; CHF 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Benchling, Inc. is seeking a Strategic Account Executive in Switzerland to drive new business within assigned territory. You will build and maintain strong relationships across multiple personas, expand the customer base, and ensure successful sales outcomes through robust pipeline generation and accurate forecasting.

You will communicate Benchling’s platform value, tailor proposals, and navigate complex negotiations to close new business with IT, R&D, and executive stakeholders.

Qualifications

• Demonstrated ability to drive pipeline generation and manage complex sales cycles.
• A track record of meeting or exceeding sales targets.
• Experience selling to multiple personas including IT, business units and CxO.
• Strong forecasting skills with evidence of predictable revenue delivery.
• Able to build compelling business cases for non-budgeted purchases.
• Comfort engaging with diverse personas across an account.

Responsibilities

• Pipeline Generation: generate 80% of pipeline by engaging multiple personas.
• Sales Forecasting: maintain accurate forecasts within +/-10% of goal.
• Solution Selling: articulate Benchling value with tailored proposals.
• Negotiation and Closing: lead negotiations with key stakeholders and close deals.
• Account Management: manage cross-persona needs and align Benchling solutions.
• Collaboration: work with marketing, product, customer success and Channel.
• Continuous Learning: stay informed on trends and competitors.
• Process: follow MEDDICC, Champion Building, and Salesforce data hygiene.

Skills

Pipeline generation

Sales forecasting

Solution selling

Negotiation and closing

Account management

Cross-functional collaboration

MEDDICC

CRM familiarity

Education

Bachelor's degree - life sciences

Tools

Salesforce

MEDDICC methodologies

Job description

We are rebuilding biotech for the AI era.

When a breakthrough is delayed, the world waits. Getting a molecule from discovery to patients, or a crop from lab to field, involves thousands of slow, manual, disconnected steps. AI has the potential to change this, compressing decades of R&D work into years. But that only happens when clean, structured scientific data and AI are built into how science gets done.

Benchling is the AI platform for biotech R&D. Scientists use Benchling to design experiments, capture structured data, and run AI agents and models directly in their workflows. Over 200,000 scientists around the world trust Benchling to power their most important work, from academic labs to Sanofi, Moderna, and more than half of the world's top 50 biopharma.

We're building an AI scientist for our customers. We can't do that if we haven't built the muscle ourselves. AI fluency is the foundation we build on; it's core to how we work, and we're committed to helping every new hire integrate it into their day-to-day. As part of our interview process, you'll complete a brief AI-focused exercise or discussion so we can understand how you think about and use AI to drive impact in your role. Feel free to reference any tools, platforms, or workflows you use today.

ROLE OVERVIEW

We are seeking a motivated and results-driven Strategic Account Executive to join our team. In this role, you will be responsible for driving new business within your territory, focusing on building and maintaining strong relationships with key stakeholders across various personas within an account. You will play a crucial role in expanding our customer base and ensuring successful sales outcomes through effective pipeline generation and accurate sales forecasting.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Pipeline Generation: Creating 80% of your pipeline by identifying new business opportunities and engaging with multiple personas within the prospect/customer base. Utilize various strategies and tools to generate leads and move them through the sales cycle.
• Sales Forecasting: Develop and maintain accurate sales forecasts (+/- 10 of goal), leveraging data to inform decision-making and ensure predictable revenue outcomes with the goal of consistent attainment of revenue targets.
• Solution Selling: Effectively communicate the value of our platform, tailoring presentations and proposals to meet the specific needs of each prospect.
• Negotiation and Closing: Lead negotiations with potential clients, by thoughtfully addressing key stakeholders including multiple personas and CxO in the buyer journey, while navigating organizational complexities, addressing objections and securing new business agreements.
• Account Management: Work across multiple personas within an account to understand their unique needs and align Benchling's solutions with their business objectives.
• Collaboration: Partner with internal teams (marketing, product, customer success, etc) and Channel to ensure a seamless experience for clients and drive long-term customer satisfaction.
• Continuous Learning: Stay informed about industry trends, competitors, and emerging technologies to maintain a competitive edge in the market.
• Process: Drive the sales process through Pipeline Generation (PG), 3 Why's, Champion Building, MEDDICC, Command of the Message, etc. Maintain account integrity and opportunity data within company systems; Salesforce.

QUALIFICATIONS

• You are drawn to our mission and you want to help Benchling win new business. You are committed to working in a collaborative environment, working together as a team. You have a love for working in a fast-paced environment and taking the initiative to get stuff done and try new things. You are passionate about powering new possibilities in biotech faster.
• Proven experience as an Account Executive, preferably within a data management, workflow SaaS or technology-driven environment that sells to multiple personas across IT & Line of business.
• Demonstrated ability to drive pipeline generation and manage complex sales cycles.
• Strong sales forecasting skills with a track record of meeting or exceeding targets.
• Demonstrated success in selling products or solutions that typically fall outside of pre-established budgets, with a proven ability to build a compelling business case and influence purchasing decisions.
• Experience working with diverse personas within an account (from technical decision makers, business decision makers & CxO execs), with the ability to influence decision-making at all the levels.
• Dynamic communication, negotiation, and interpersonal skills.
• Self-motivated, with a strong drive to achieve and exceed goals.
• Ability to work independently as well as collaboratively in a team environment.
• Familiarity with MEDDICC sales methodology is a plus but not required.
• Knowledge of the life sciences industry, including: R&D, and/or IT functions is preferred but not required.
• Bachelor's degree - life sciences major is preferred but not re