Account Manager - Digital Native Markets - Confluent

IBM; Irvine (CA); On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM Global Sales is seeking an Account Executive to sell Confluent solutions to our Digital Native & Enterprise Markets, leveraging prospecting, negotiation, and leadership to meet quarterly targets.

You will become a trusted advisor, align with partner ecosystems, and collaborate with Solutions Engineering and Professional Services to deliver a world-class customer experience and drive growth across strategic accounts.

Qualifications

• Foundational experience in quota-carrying sales roles.
• Experience in Big Data, Consumption, Cloud, SaaS, Open Source, or Enterprise IT.
• Sales methodology training (e.g. MEDDPICC, Challenger).
• Experience leading and executing a highly complex sales strategy to increase and drive revenue growth.
• Consistent track record of success and quota attainment.
• Ability to articulate, educate, and sell business value to businesses of all sizes.
• Experience developing and improving processes and managing change within an organization.
• Exceptional skills in relationship-building, customer relations, and negotiation.

Responsibilities

• Drive revenue growth in large, complex, and visible accounts.
• Prospect, qualify, develop, and close a sales pipeline while growing consumption in current accounts.
• Lead strategic complex sales cycles and demonstrate the value of Confluent at C‑Level.
• Become an in‑depth SME of Confluent offerings, product suites, and competitive landscape.
• Develop a deep understanding of customers, their strategies, and business goals to become a trusted advisor.
• Work closely with partner ecosystem teams to sell to or through the ecosystem.
• Align with Solutions Engineering, Professional Services, and Customer Success to deliver excellent customer experience and close expansions.

Skills

Quota-carrying sales

Big Data

Cloud

SaaS

Open Source

Enterprise IT

MEDDPICC

Challenger

Complex sales

Quota attainment

Value selling

Relationship building

Job description

Introduction

At IBM Global Sales, we bring together innovation, collaboration, and expertise to help clients solve their most complex business challenges. Working across industries and geographies, you’ll partner with colleagues, clients, and partners to co-create solutions that drive digital transformation and lasting impact.Success in Global Sales is built on curiosity, empathy, and collaboration. You’ll connect technical understanding with strong people skills, building trusted relationships and shaping solutions that improve business and society. With world-class onboarding, continuous learning, and a supportive culture, IBM offers the tools and opportunities to grow your career. Join us and be part of a global team that’s passionate about driving innovation and making a difference.

Your role and responsibilities

As a member of the Confluent Sales Team, an IBM Cmpany, the Account Executive is responsible for selling Confluent solutions to our Digital Native & Enterprise Markets segment. We expect you to use your prospecting, sales, negotiation, and leadership skills to effectively sell Confluent offerings to leading companies to meet and exceed your quarterly sales target. You must possess a "consumption/growth" mentality with a proven track record of success within a value-driven sales model.

What You Will Do:

Responsible for driving revenue growth in our large, complex, and highly visible accounts.

Proactively prospect, identify, qualify, develop, and close a sales pipeline while continuing to grow consumption in current customer accounts.

Leading, driving, and executing a strategic complex sales cycle with responsibility for demonstrating the value of Confluent at C-Level.

Become an in-depth expert/SME of Confluent offerings, product suites, and competitive landscape.

Develop a deep understanding of your customers, their strategies, and business goals to become a trusted advisor.

Work closely with our partner ecosystem teams to sell to or through the ecosystem.

Align closely with our Solutions Engineering team on technical wins, Professional Services to deliver world-class customer experience, and Customer Success Management to identify and close expansion opportunities and renewals.

Required technical and professional expertise

• Foundational Experience in quota-carrying sales roles in a competitive market with a focus on growing consumption within accounts/territory.

• Prior experience in Big Data, Consumption, Cloud, SaaS, Open Source, or Enterprise IT Solutions.

• Previous sales methodology training (i.e. MEDDPICC, Challenger, etc.).

• Prior experience in leading and executing a highly complex sales strategy to increase and drive revenue growth.

• Consistent track record of success and history of overachieving and hitting quota attainment.

• Ability to articulate, educate, and sell the business value to businesses of all sizes.

• Experience developing and improving processes and managing change within an organization.

• Exceptional skills in relationship-building, customer relations, and negotiation skills.

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Incentive Plan Development: Exposure to designing and implementing unique incentive plans, including setting guidelines and requirements, can be beneficial in this role.

• Integration Agreement Analysis: Experience with reviewing and interpreting acquisition or integration agreements can aid in understanding the implications on incentive plans.

• Performance Optimization: Familiarity with analyzing progress, identifying areas for improvement, and implementing adjustments to meet incentive plan goals can be advantageous.

IBM is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, caste, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, veteran status, or other characteristics. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.