Account Executive, API

Perplexity; San Francisco (CA); On-site; USD 200,000 - 400,000; Full time

Job summary

Perplexity is seeking a self-starting Account Executive to join our Enterprise team and drive new business for the Perplexity API platform, including Search, Sonar, and Agent APIs. You will evangelize frontier AI dev tools to large enterprises, manage the full sales cycle, and build relationships with senior decision-makers while collaborating with Product and Engineering to ensure customer success.

This role rewards proactive, technically fluent sellers who thrive in ambiguity and want to shape

Qualifications

• 3+ years of full-cycle SaaS sales experience, ideally with enterprise-level clients.
• Proven record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets in a high-growth environment.
• Skilled at complex sales cycles, tailoring messaging to different buyer personas and decision makers.
• Proven success outbound prospecting to large enterprise.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication; comfortable presenting to C-suite executives.
• Adept at identifying client pain points and mapping solutions that drive business value.
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and technical stakeholders.

Responsibilities

• Drive new business by prospecting, pitching, and closing Perplexity API platform solutions with large organizations
• Research prospects, develop account strategies, and execute outreach campaigns tailored to company and industry needs
• Conduct high-impact product demonstrations and respond to RFPs and technical inquiries
• Lead client engagement through the entire sales cycle — from initial presentation, technical evaluation, negotiation, to closing and onboarding
• Build and nurture senior-level relationships across enterprise clients, championing Perplexity's value proposition and customer outcomes
• Partner closely with Product, DevRel, and Engineering to ensure customer success, solution fit, and a feedback loop into the roadmap
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of Perplexity's platform, industry trends, and competitor landscape
• Meet or exceed individual and team revenue targets on a monthly and quarterly basis
• Maintain accurate records of pipeline and account activity using CRM tools

Skills

Self-starter

Technically fluent

SaaS sales

CRM familiarity

Communication

Prospecting

Cross-functional collaboration

Education

Bachelor's degree or equivalent

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Perplexity is seeking a self-starting, technically fluent Account Executive to join our small but mighty Enterprise team and own new business for the Perplexity API platform — the frontier AI developer tools (Search, Sonar, and Agent APIs) that power real-time, grounded answer engines. This is a rare seat. You'll get to sell — and help shape — frontier AI dev tools, with a front-row seat into how the most ambitious AI-native product companies think about frontier AI infrastructure. Your job is to evangelize that platform with large enterprises and turn it into durable revenue. This role is ideal for proactive sales professionals who thrive at the intersection of technology and business, can operate in ambiguity, and want to shape the future of enterprise AI.

Responsibilities

• Drive new business by prospecting, pitching, and closing Perplexity API platform solutions with large organizations
• Research prospects, develop account strategies, and execute outreach campaigns tailored to company and industry needs
• Conduct high-impact product demonstrations and respond to RFPs and technical inquiries
• Lead client engagement through the entire sales cycle — from initial presentation, technical evaluation, negotiation, to closing and onboarding
• Build and nurture senior-level relationships across enterprise clients, championing Perplexity's value proposition and customer outcomes
• Partner closely with Product, DevRel, and Engineering to ensure customer success, solution fit, and a feedback loop into the roadmap
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of Perplexity's platform, industry trends, and competitor landscape
• Meet or exceed individual and team revenue targets on a monthly and quarterly basis
• Maintain accurate records of pipeline and account activity using CRM tools

What we're looking for

• A self-starter who can operate in ambiguity and knock down walls to get deals done
• Technically fluent — comfortable speaking credibly with developers and technical buyers
• 3+ years of full-cycle SaaS sales experience, ideally with enterprise-level clients
• Proven record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets in a high-growth environment
• Skilled at complex sales cycles, tailoring messaging to different buyer personas and decision makers
• Proven success outbound prospecting to large enterprise
• Exceptional written and verbal communication; comfortable presenting to C-suite executives
• Adept at identifying client pain points and mapping solutions that drive business value
• Ability to collaborate effectively with cross-functional teams and technical stakeholders
• Experience with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce)
• Bachelor's degree or equivalent experience

Nice to have

• Experience working with APIs or developer platforms
• A computer science or technical background
• Familiarity with the AI / LLM / agent ecosystem

Compensation Range: $200K - $400K