Strategic Account Executive, UKI

Kong; Greater London; On-site; GBP 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Experience with fast-growing startups

Job summary

Kong Inc. is seeking an experienced Strategic Account Executive to drive new public sector business in Central Government and broader government networks.

You will own the territory, navigate procurement frameworks, and lead pre- and post-sale engagements aligned to public sector missions and outcomes. The role demands a proven track record in enterprise software sales, exceptional negotiation and closing skills, and the ability to travel 30–50% to client sites and partners.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in selling enterprise software
• Proven track record of hitting targets
• Experience with open source, APIs, and/or infrastructure software is a plus

Responsibilities

• Sell the Kong Enterprise Platform to Central Government and broader public sector customers
• Meet individual quota and objectives
• Navigate government procurement processes, framework agreements, and buying criteria
• Provide account leadership in pre- and post-sales processes with public sector stakeholders
• Travel to customer and partner sites as required (30% - 50%)
• Support manager with additional tasks as needed

Skills

Enterprise software sales

Public sector sales

Negotiation

Account leadership

Relationship building

Tools

Open source experience

APIs

Job description

Are you ready to unlock intelligence?

About the Role:

We are looking for an experienced sales professional, ideally with open source experience, who will be selling into Central Government departments and public sector agencies. The ideal candidate has been a part of the sales efforts for other early-stage enterprise products in an entrepreneurial setting and understands the unique complexities of public sector procurement. The Strategic Account Executive will be integral to our growth plan and in acquiring new public sector accounts. Kong’s Account Executive will be the primary point of contact and the face of Kong for our prospects.

What You’ll Do:

• Sell the Kong Enterprise Platform to Central Government and broader public sector customers.

• Meet individual quota and objectives.

• Take ownership of your territory, which includes understanding and navigating government procurement processes, framework agreements, and buying criteria , ensuring pipeline accuracy based on evidence, and working opportunities to closure.

• Provide account leadership and direction in the pre- and post-sales process, maintaining a deep understanding of public sector mission objectives , and contribute to analysis on wins/losses.

• Ability to travel to customer and partner sites as required (30% - 50%).

• And any additional tasks required by manager.

What You’ll Bring:

• A true desire to see citizens and public sector organizations benefit from the investment they make with Kong.

• 10+ years of experience in selling enterprise software, with a proven track record of hitting targets ; experience with open source, APIs, and/or infrastructure software a big plus.

• Ability to leverage established relationships in enterprise accounts and utilize proven sales techniques for success.

• Effective communicator and strong interpersonal skills, capable of building trust with government stakeholders and digital transformation leaders.

• Excellent negotiation, presentation, and closing skills within complex buying environments.

• Motivated, driven, and results-oriented.

Bonus Points

• Experience with fast-growing startups is a plus.

About Kong:

Kong Inc., a leading developer of API and AI connectivity technologies, is building the infrastructure that powers the agentic era. Trusted by the Fortune 500 and startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform, Kong Konnect, enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI models. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.