Vice President of Sales - KSA

Cognition; Riyadh; On-site; SAR 300,000 - 500,000; Full time

Job summary

Cognition is seeking a Vice President of Sales to establish and scale operations in KSA. This is a senior executive role requiring a mix of leadership and enterprise sales experience, focusing on building a high-performing team and driving revenue.

The ideal candidate will have 10+ years of experience in KSA's software or AI sectors, with a proven track record in launching operations and closing complex deals. Fluency in Arabic and English is required.

Qualifications

• 10+ years of leadership experience in KSA, ideally at fast-growing software or AI companies.
• Proven experience launching and scaling operations in new markets selling disruptive software.
• Deep relationships and understanding of KSA's enterprise and government sectors.

Responsibilities

• Launch and scale Cognition’s KSA operations as our first senior hire in market.
• Own the country-level P and L, hiring, sales execution, and operational performance.
• Build and lead a high-performing local team across sales, customer success, engineering, support, and operations.

Skills

Leadership experience

Enterprise sales experience

Strategic thinking

Operational leadership

Job description

About the Role

Vice President of Sales - KSA

As we expand into the Middle East, Cognition is looking for a Vice President of Sales to launch and scale our operations in KSA. This role is for an experienced executive who can build the full KSA business from scratch. You will lead go-to-market, establish commercial and government partnerships, hire cross-functional teams, build and scale a direct and partnerships team, with the necessary supporting functions and drive Cognition's footprint across the region.

You will be responsible for setting the strategy, driving revenue, managing the local P and L, and ensuring exceptional customer experience. The ideal candidate combines enterprise sales experience with operational leadership, and has built or scaled high-growth technology organisations in KSA.

What you’ll do

• Launch and scale Cognition’s KSA operations as our first senior hire in market

• Own country-level P and L, hiring, sales execution, and operational performance

• Build and lead a high-performing local team across sales, customer success, engineering, support, and operations

• Lead strategic partnerships with KSA and GCC enterprises and government agencies

• Drive sales cycles end-to-end and close deals directly and via partneras with key enterprise customers

• Partner with our global leadership team to align product-market fit for the GCC

• Represent Cognition externally in KSA's business and technology ecosystem

• Build scalable internal processes for customer onboarding, implementation, and success

• Provide feedback to Product and Engineering on localisation and feature needs

What you’ll bring

• 10+ years of leadership experience in KSA, ideally at fast-growing software or AI companies

• Proven experience launching and scaling operations in new markets selling disruptive software

• Deep relationships and understanding of KSA's enterprise and government sectors

• Strong enterprise sales, partnerships and GTM experience with a track record of closing complex deals

• A blend of strategic thinking and hands‑on execution

• Fluency in Arabic and English

• Experience building cross‑functional teams from the ground up with world‑class talent

• Passion for technology, innovation, and shaping the future of work

Nice to have

• Experience in AI, developer tools, or enterprise SaaS

• Background in engineering or product‑led companies

• Exposure to high‑growth US or global companies expanding into MENA

Equal Opportunity

Cognition is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other protected characteristic under applicable law. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for candidates with disabilities throughout the hiring process - please let us know if you need any.