Commerical Account Executive

Kong; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 120,000 - 180,000; Full time

Job summary

Kong Inc. seeks a Commercial Sales Executive to drive growth of enterprise SaaS products in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment in Austin. You will own the end-to-end sales cycle and build a robust pipeline with strategic accounts.

You will partner with product, marketing and customer success to tailor demos, align on customer needs, and close multi-year contracts. The role emphasizes C-level engagement and data-driven forecasting while representing Kong at events and with key partners.

Qualifications

• 5+ years in sales and account management in SaaS or enterprise software.
• 2+ years closing deals independently, preferably in Commercial & Mid-Market.
• Proven success selling to SMBs and enterprises across departments including senior management.
• Strong consultative selling with ability to map solutions to business outcomes.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills with executives.
• Results-driven with a track record of meeting revenue targets.
• Experience with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce) and data-driven forecasting.
• Knowledge of open-source software, APIs, or infrastructure software is advantageous.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment managing own territory.
• Analytical and strategic thinker with growth opportunity identification.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sales strategies to target commercial customers, focusing on building and maintaining a robust pipeline that drives long-term growth.
• Own the entire sales cycle, from prospecting and initial outreach to contract negotiations and closing deals, while consistently meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including product, marketing, and customer success, to ensure a seamless sales experience and alignment on customer needs.
• Identify customer pain points and align our solutions to address these, delivering customized product demos and presentations tailored to their specific business needs.
• Build and nurture relationships with C-level executives and key decision-makers within target accounts, establishing yourself as a trusted advisor and ensuring customer satisfaction and retention.
• Lead account planning efforts by researching potential customers, understanding industry trends, and developing strategies to win new business and grow existing accounts.
• Monitor and manage sales activities and results, accurately forecasting opportunities and keeping detailed records of interactions and progress in CRM systems.
• Stay updated on industry trends, competitor offerings, and market changes to position our product effectively and maintain a competitive edge.
• Contribute to business growth initiatives, providing feedback to product and marketing teams to influence product development and go-to-market strategies.
• Represent Kong with professionalism, acting as a brand ambassador at industry events, conferences, and customer meetings.

Skills

Sales

Account management

SaaS sales

CRM (Salesforce)

Open source knowledge

Consultative selling

Negotiation

Pipeline management

Executive relationship building

Tools

CRM systems (Salesforce)

Job description

About The Role

We are seeking a committed Commercial Sales Executive with a successful background in sales and account management, ideally within open source or similar enterprise software environments. In this role, you will be a key driver of our growth strategy, directly impacting the stability and expansion of our recurring revenue. This position is ideal for a sales professional who has experience in landing new clients, retaining existing customers, and driving account expansion for early-stage enterprise products in a dynamic, entrepreneurial setting.

What You’ll Do

• Develop and execute sales strategies to target commercial customers, focusing on building and maintaining a robust pipeline that drives long-term growth.
• Own the entire sales cycle, from prospecting and initial outreach to contract negotiations and closing deals, while consistently meeting or exceeding revenue targets.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including product, marketing, and customer success, to ensure a seamless sales experience and alignment on customer needs.
• Identify customer pain points and align our solutions to address these, delivering customized product demos and presentations tailored to their specific business needs.
• Build and nurture relationships with C-level executives and key decision-makers within target accounts, establishing yourself as a trusted advisor and ensuring customer satisfaction and retention.
• Lead account planning efforts by researching potential customers, understanding industry trends, and developing strategies to win new business and grow existing accounts.
• Monitor and manage sales activities and results, accurately forecasting opportunities and keeping detailed records of interactions and progress in CRM systems.
• Stay updated on industry trends, competitor offerings, and market changes to position our product effectively and maintain a competitive edge.
• Contribute to business growth initiatives, providing feedback to product and marketing teams to influence product development and go-to-market strategies.
• Represent Kong with professionalism, acting as a brand ambassador at industry events, conferences, and customer meetings.

What You’ll Bring

• 5+ years of experience in sales (<1k employees) a SaaS, cloud, or enterprise software environment.
• 2+ years closing deals independently, preferably in Commercial & Mid-Market.
• Demonstrated success in selling to small to medium enterprises, particularly to senior-level executives and across multiple departments.
• Strong consultative selling skills, with the ability to understand customer needs and present compelling solutions that drive business outcomes.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills, capable of managing high-stakes conversations and building lasting relationships with stakeholders.
• A results-driven mindset, with a passion for meeting and exceeding sales goals and revenue targets.
• Experience working with CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce) and leveraging data to forecast accurately and track sales metrics.
• Knowledge of open-source software, APIs, or infrastructure software is highly advantageous.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, taking ownership of your sales territory and adapting to changing market dynamics.
• Analytical and strategic thinking, with a knack for identifying business growth opportunities and devising plans to capitalize on them.

About Kong

Kong Inc., the AI Connectivity Company, is building the connectivity layer of AI. Trusted by the Fortune 500 and AI-native startups alike, Kong’s unified API and AI platform enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI traffic - on any model, any cloud. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.