Enterprise Territory Account Executive, Southeast

Kong; Raleigh (NC); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Uncapped commissions

Equity in Kong

Job summary

Kong is hiring an Enterprise Sales Executive to own the full sales cycle, targeting large enterprise customers and driving expansion for open-source or enterprise software offerings. The role emphasizes uncapped commissions, equity, and high-growth potential in a dynamic, entrepreneurial setting.

The ideal candidate has 7+ years of enterprise SaaS sales experience, excels at engaging C-level executives, and can forecast accurately while collaborating with cross-functional teams to deliver

Qualifications

• 7+ years of experience in enterprise sales (≥5k employees) with a proven track record closing complex SaaS deals.
• Experience selling to large enterprises and senior-level executives across multiple departments.
• Strong consultative selling skills with ability to understand customer needs and present compelling solutions.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute sales strategies to target enterprise customers and build a robust pipeline for long-term growth.
• Own the entire sales cycle from prospecting to closing deals and consistently meet or exceed revenue targets.
• Collaborate with product, marketing, and customer success to ensure a seamless sales experience and align with customer needs.
• Deliver customized product demos and presentations tailored to specific business needs.
• Build and nurture relationships with C-level executives and key decision-makers to drive expansion and retention.
• Lead account planning and research potential customers, market trends, and growth strategies.
• Forecast opportunities and maintain detailed CRM records of interactions and progress.
• Stay informed on industry trends and competitor offerings to maintain a competitive edge.
• Provide feedback to product and marketing to influence go-to-market strategies.
• Represent Kong professionally at industry events and customer meetings.

Skills

Enterprise sales

Sales strategy

Consultative selling

Executive engagement

Forecasting

CRM and analytics

Open-source/enterprise software

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

Are you ready to unlock intelligence?

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 Do

• 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., 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.