Founding Account Executive | Manufacturing Vertical

Docket; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Docket is seeking a founding Account Executive to own the full sales cycle, from cold prospecting through to close. You will work closely with an SDR and marketing team, but you must also self-source a significant portion of your pipeline. The ideal candidate has 7 to 9 years of experience in enterprise SaaS sales directly in the manufacturing or distribution sectors.

This role requires strong prospecting skills, the ability to navigate multi-stakeholder environments, and a deep understanding of the buying dynamics in these industries. Docket offers a supportive environment and a direct line to founders for shaping product and market strategies.

Qualifications

• 7 to 9 years of enterprise SaaS sales experience with a record of closing.
• Experience directly selling into manufacturing or distribution sectors.
• Ability to handle long sales cycles with patience and discipline.

Responsibilities

• Own the full sales cycle from prospecting to closing.
• Self-source sales pipeline through cold outreach and industry relationships.
• Represent Docket at industry events and maintain CRM hygiene.

Skills

Full-cycle enterprise SaaS sales experience

Direct selling experience into manufacturing

Prospecting

Multi-threaded deal navigation

Discovery sharpness

Job description

This is Docket's founding AE role. You are not joining a machine. You are helping build one.

You will run the full sales cycle from cold prospecting through close. You will have support: an SDR running outbound and a marketing function building pipeline. But you will not depend on them. The best AEs at Docket will treat SDR and marketing coverage as a multiplier on top of their own prospecting, not a substitute for it.

You know how to find your own deals, work a multi-stakeholder buying process across VP Sales, CRO, CMO, and sometimes IT, navigate procurement, and close six-figure contracts at companies where decisions move slowly and consensus is hard to build.

You have done this before, specifically in manufacturing or distribution. You understand what a plant manager cares about versus what a VP Sales cares about. You know the difference between a distributor relationship and a direct sales motion. You have sat across the table from someone who has been running their sales operation the same way for fifteen years and convinced them to change.

If your experience is primarily in industries where buyers move fast, budgets are pre-approved, and deals close in two calls, this is not the right role. If you have spent years grinding complex deals with long sales cycles in the manufacturing world and still love the hunt, keep reading.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• Own the full sales cycle: prospecting, discovery, multi-stakeholder navigation, demo, proposal, negotiation, and close.
• Self-source a significant portion of your pipeline through cold outreach, industry relationships, trade show engagement, and vertical network activation. You will have an SDR and marketing feeding the funnel, but the expectation is that you are also opening doors on your own.
• Sell to CRO, VP Sales, and CMO buyers at manufacturers and distributors with 50 to 5,000 employees across Docket's five core verticals, processes, IT security reviews, and budget cycles that do not move in straight lines.
• Build a deep understanding of each prospect's sales motion, channel structure, product complexity, and competitive dynamics before walking into a conversation.
• Work closely with the SDR and GTM Engineer to coordinate outbound efforts and ensure.
• Translate what you hear in the field back into product feedback, positioning improvements, and playbook refinements.
• Represent Docket at industry events, trade shows, and customer sites when deals demand it.
• Maintain rigorous CRM hygiene in HubSpot. Deal stage, next step, and close date should always reflect reality, not optimism.

WHO YOU ARE

• 7 to 9 years of full-cycle enterprise SaaS sales experience with a consistent record of closing.
• Hard requirement: direct selling experience into manufacturing, distribution, or industrial.
• You understand the sector's buying dynamics, stakeholder structures, and operational language without needing a primer.
• A prospector first. You have built pipeline from scratch before and you know how to do it without a warm handoff.
• Experienced navigating multi-threaded deals where procurement, IT, finance, and multiple business leaders all have a seat at the table.
• Comfortable with long sales cycles that require patience, discipline, and consistent follow-through across months, not weeks.
• Sharp on discovery. You ask questions that expose real pain, not just questions that get you.
• Credible and peer‑level in conversation with senior operators and executives who have deep domain expertise in their industry.
• Fluent in the terminology of manufacturing sales: distributor tiers, channel conflict, RFQ processes, rep networks, ERP integration, SKU complexity, and trade show pipeline.
• Coachable and transparent. You call your deals accurately, flag risks early, and do not hide bad news.

WHAT WE ARE NOT LOOKING FOR

• AEs whose entire track record is in high‑velocity, short‑cycle SaaS with pre‑built inbound.
• Sellers who describe themselves as 'relationship managers' but cannot point to deals they sourced cold and closed independently.
• Anyone who needs a fully staffed SDR team, a mature marketing engine, and a defined playbook before they can perform.
• Candidates without real exposure to the manufacturing or distribution sector. Domain knowledge here is not a nice‑to‑have.
• People who update their CRM when they feel like it.

WHY DOCKET

• You will be the first AE at a company that has already proven it can close. You are inheriting a foundation, not starting from zero.
• Direct line to the founders. Your feedback shapes the product, the positioning, and the go‑to‑market motion.
• A sector that has been massively underserved by modern SaaS and is actively looking for.
• Deals that are worth winning. Complex, strategic, high‑value engagements with companies that are making real operational bets.
• Backed by top‑tier investors with the conviction and runway to build something significant.

Docket is an equal opportunity employer. We evaluate candidates based on their skills, track record, and drive.