Account Manager

EXFO; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

EXFO in the United States seeks an Account Manager to drive sales of fiber-optic, Ethernet, and network validation solutions across utilities, data centers, and transport networks. This entrepreneurial role requires researching markets, identifying opportunities, building relationships, and managing complex sales cycles from initial engagement through closure.

You will lead prospecting, qualify new customers, maintain pipeline, handle RFP responses with PLMs, and support trade shows and customer

Qualifications

• 5 years of sales experience required.
• Technical understanding of telecom/optics is helpful.
• English language proficiency required.

Responsibilities

• Sell T&M solutions and services into defined accounts.
• Qualify new potential customers, including cold calling and referrals, to generate appointments and relationships.
• Manage the pipeline to meet sales goals and prioritize activities for opportunity progression.
• Complete all sales paperwork promptly and accurately to ensure profitability and smooth delivery.
• Maintain sales resources and databases to keep them up to date and accurate.
• Develop a broad background in core technology offerings to provide customer solutions and close opportunities.
• Support presence at trade shows, conferences, and customer demonstrations focusing on technical applications.
• Respond to RFPs in coordination with PLMs to address technical requirements.
• All other duties as assigned.

Skills

Sales experience

Account management

Relationship building

Prospecting

Presentation skills

Education

Degree in Telecommunications or Optics

Job description

Job Description

As Account Manager, you will drive sales growth for EXFO's fiber-optic, Ethernet, network validation, monitoring, and test-data management solutions across infrastructure markets that own, build, operate, or support fiber and transport networks. You will engage electric utilities and affiliated organizations supporting Data Center Interconnect (DCI) and the continued growth of AI-related network capacity. You will also target middle mile networks and rural Fiber-to-the-Home (FTTH) deployments, with the opportunity to expand into adjacent infrastructure markets as business priorities evolve. This is an entrepreneurial, growth-oriented account-development role requiring a self-directed sales professional who can research markets, identify projects, build relationships, create opportunities, and manage complex sales cycles from initial engagement through closure.

• Sales of T&M solutions and services into the defined accounts.
• Prospect to identify and qualify new potential customers, including cold calling and development of leads through referral channels, to generate appointments and establish relationships.
• Manage the pipeline of opportunities from current and prospective customers to ensure that sales goal can be met. This includes qualification of opportunities within the pipeline, proper prioritization of activities, and management of time and commitments to ensure priority opportunities move through the sales cycle.
• Complete all sales paperwork and reports promptly, thoroughly and accurately, to ensure company profitability and maximize our ability to deliver a high-quality solution and minimize potential problems or issues in service delivery or invoicing.
• Maintain all sales resources and databases such that they are kept up to date and accurate.
• Develop and maintain a broad background in core technology offerings, to ensure the ability to provide customer solutions and close sales opportunities as independently as possible. Adapt to and quickly learn new technologies and products.
• Provide support presence at trade shows, conferences, and customer demonstrations focusing on technical product applications.
• Respond to RFPs in close coordination with PLM’s to provide best positive response to all technical requirements.
• All other duties as assigned

Sales Focus

• Sales of T&M solutions and services into the defined accounts.
• Prospect to identify and qualify new potential customers, including cold calling and development of leads through referral channels, to generate appointments and establish relationships.
• Manage the pipeline of opportunities from current and prospective customers to ensure that sales goal can be met. This includes qualification of opportunities within the pipeline, proper prioritization of activities, and management of time and commitments to ensure priority opportunities move through the sales cycle.
• Complete all sales paperwork and reports promptly, thoroughly and accurately, to ensure company profitability and maximize our ability to deliver a high-quality solution and minimize potential problems or issues in service delivery or invoicing.
• Maintain all sales resources and databases such that they are kept up to date and accurate.
• Develop and maintain a broad background in core technology offerings, to ensure the ability to provide customer solutions and close sales opportunities as independently as possible. Adapt to and quickly learn new technologies and products.
• Provide support presence at trade shows, conferences, and customer demonstrations focusing on technical product applications.
• Respond to RFPs in close coordination with PLM’s to provide best positive response to all technical requirements.
• All other duties as assigned

Customer Focus

• Build relationships across executive, engineering, IT/OT, network operations, broadband, construction, procurement, and project management teams within target accounts.
• Understand each customer’s role in the DCI ecosystem, including fiber ownership, transport services, rights-of-way, network construction, telecommunications assets, partnerships, and regional infrastructure expansion.
• Engage EPCs, engineering firms, OSP contractors, system integrators, consultants, test-and-turn-up providers, and technology partners that influence specifications and purchasing decisions.
• Lead discovery sessions, technical presentations, demonstrations, workshops, and proof-of-value activities that align EXFO solutions with customer operational and business requirements.
• Strengthen existing account relationships while identifying new stakeholders, applications, projects, standards opportunities, buying centers, and adjacent growth opportunities.

Technical Skills

• Working knowledge of fiber-optic testing, including OTDR, optical loss, power measurement, connector inspection, and fiber characterization.
• Understanding of fiber construction, acceptance testing, troubleshooting, and documentation for DCI, middle-mile, FTTH, and utility networks.
• Familiarity with Ethernet and optical transport testing, including service activation and performance validation from 1G through 400G/800G.
• Ability to translate customer network requirements into appropriate EXFO test, monitoring, and workflow solutions.
• Experience supporting technical demonstrations, proof-of-value evaluations, test-plan development, customer training, and test-results analysis.

Required Aptitudes

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and meet goals is required.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written, are required.
• Personally motivated, aggressively goal-oriented focus required.

Academic And Professional Requirements

Education: Degree holder/and or equivalent in Telecommunications or Optics.
Pertinent experience: 5 years’ sales experience is required, preferably in a technical capacity.
Language: English written and spoken
Travelling : Willing and able to travel, 60-70% of the time.

EXFO is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.