Enterprise Account Executive, Southeast

KONG; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 180,000 - 260,000; Full time

Job summary

Kong Inc. is seeking an Enterprise Sales Executive to accelerate growth of its open API and AI connectivity platform.

You will own the full sales lifecycle, target large enterprises, and craft strategic deals that expand recurring revenue. The role emphasizes building trusted relationships with senior executives, coordinating with product, marketing, and customer success, and delivering tailored demonstrations to address complex business needs.

Qualifications

• 7+ years in enterprise sales (>5k employees) closing complex SaaS deals.
• Experience selling to senior-level executives across departments.
• Strong consultative selling and solution presentation.
• Excellent communication and negotiation skills.
• Results-driven with a track record of meeting/revenue targets.
• Experience with CRM platforms and data-driven forecasting.
• Knowledge of open-source software or APIs is advantageous.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute enterprise sales strategies to target enterprise customers and build a robust pipeline.
• Own the entire sales cycle from prospecting to contract negotiations and closing deals.
• Collaborate with product, marketing, and customer success teams for a seamless sales experience.
• Identify customer pain points and tailor product demos to specific business needs.
• Build relationships with C-level executives and other key decision-makers.
• Lead account planning and strategies to win new business and grow existing accounts.
• Forecast opportunities and maintain detailed CRM records.
• Stay informed on industry trends, competitors, and market changes.
• Provide feedback to product and marketing teams to influence GTM strategies.
• Represent Kong at industry events, conferences, and customer meetings.

Skills

Enterprise sales

SaaS/Cloud sales

Stakeholder management

Sales negotiation

CRM forecasting

Open-source awareness

Strategic thinking

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Are you ready to unlock intelligence?

If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box - we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.

About the Role:

We are seeking a committed Enterprise 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.

At Kong, we offer UNCAPPED COMMISSIONS with MASSIVE UPSIDE, competitive benefits, and equity in a company with huge growth potential.

What You’ll Be Doing:

• Develop and execute sales strategies to target enterprise 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:

• 7+ years of experience in enterprise sales (>5k employees), with a proven track record of closing complex deals in a SaaS, cloud, or enterprise software environment.

• Demonstrated success in selling to large 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., a leading developer of API and AI connectivity technologies, is building the infrastructure that powers the agentic era. Trusted by the Fortune 500 and startups alike, Kong's unified API and AI platform, Kong Konnect, enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI models. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.