Senior Account Executive - SLED focus

Progress Software Corporation; Northern (KY); Hybrid; USD 138,000 - 163,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Medical, dental, vision benefits

ESPP program

Flexible vacation & holidays

Parental Leave

Employee Assistance Program

Job summary

Progress Software Corporation is seeking a Senior Account Executive with a SLED focus for its INFRA organization. This remote role spans a West territory and requires you to manage large, complex procurement processes and multiple stakeholder groups.

You will own a portfolio of SLED accounts, drive end-to-end sales cycles, and ensure accurate pipeline and forecast. The position includes a competitive base salary plus commission and a robust benefits package.

Qualifications

• Proven experience selling enterprise B2B software to SLED customers.
• Six- and seven-figure deal experience within SLED environments.
• Strong understanding of SLED procurement processes, vehicles, and funding cycles.
• Excellent executive communication and negotiation skills.

Responsibilities

• Own a portfolio of SLED accounts with pipeline, expansion, and bookings.
• Lead end-to-end sales cycles from discovery to close, including RFPs and contract renewals.
• Provide accurate forecasting and deal inspection in CRM.
• Collaborate with systems integrators, resellers, and cross-functional teams to cover deals.

Skills

SLED sales

Executive communication

Consultative selling

Job description

We are Progress (Nasdaq: PRGS) - the trusted provider of software that enables our customers to develop, deploy and manage responsible, AI-powered applications and experiences with agility and ease.

We’re proud to have a diverse, global team where we value the individual and enrich our culture by considering varied perspectives because we believe people power progress. Join us as a Senior Account Executive with a SLED focus for our INFRA organization and help us do what we do best: propelling business forward.This will be a remote role working out of your home office in the United States. This role will cover a territory in the West, so the candidate needs to reside in territory.

The Senior Account Executive –SLED is responsible for driving net new and expansion revenue across SLED accounts. This role leads complex, consultative sales cycles that require navigating public-sector procurement, compliance, and multi stakeholder buying processes, while building trusted relationships with technical, functional, and executive customer stakeholders.

Success in this role requires strong knowledge of SLED / Public contracting vehicles, experience selling enterprise software or data platforms, and the ability to operate effectively in long, highly structured sales cycles.

In this role, you will:

Revenue & Account Ownership

• Own a portfolio of SLED accounts, accountable for pipeline creation, expansion, and bookings.
• Lead end to end sales cycles from discovery through close, including coordination of RFPs, RFIs, task orders, and contract renewals.
• Develop and execute strategic account plans aligned to funding cycles, and procurement timelines.

SLED Stakeholder Engagement

• Build and maintain multi-threaded relationships across customer stakeholders, including:
• Program owners
• Technical and architecture leaders
• Procurement and contracting officers
• Executive leadership (CIO/CTO organizations)
• Act as a trusted advisor by linking customer mission outcomes to platform capabilities and value realization.

Pipeline, Forecasting & Compliance

• Build and maintain a qualified pipeline aligned to quarterly and annual bookings targets.
• Provide accurate forecasting and deal inspection within CRM, reflecting Customer timing and risk factors.
• Ensure compliance with SLED procurement rules, internal approval frameworks, and pricing guidelines.

Partner & Ecosystem Collaboration

• Collaborate closely with systems integrators, resellers, and channel partners to support deal strategy and customer coverage.
• Coordinate cross functionally with Sales Engineering, Professional Services, Customer Success, Legal, Finance, and Sales Operations.

Your background:

• Proven experience selling enterprise B2B software or technology solutions into SLED customers.
• Demonstrated success driving six and seven figure deals within SLED environments.
• Strong understanding of SLED procurement processes, including contract vehicles and funding cycles.
• Excellent executive communication, negotiation, and consultative selling skills.

Preferred

• Experience selling data platforms, infrastructure software, or mission critical systems.
• Ability to influence from outside the organization and lead complex internal deal teams.

Success Measures

• Achievement of quarterly and annual SLED bookings targets
• Pipeline health and forecast accuracy
• Expansion within existing agencies and penetration of new mission areas
• Strength and durability of executive level customer relationships

Base Salary Range: $138,000 - $163,000
This position is also eligible to participate in our commission plan. Final base compensation is determined by a number of factors, including but not limited to job-related skills, education, demonstrable experience, and allowance for future and continued salary growth. We also offer a robust benefits package, with details below.

Please note for this role we do compensation as a 50/50 split so the commission range will be the same as the base salary range listed above.

If this sounds like you and fits your experience and career goals, we’d be happy to chat.

What we offer in return is the opportunity to experience a great company culture with wonderful colleagues to learn from and collaborate with and also to enjoy:

• Medical, dental, vision, life & disability, and financial benefits (including 401(k) retirement savings plan. Tuition Reimbursement program. Additional voluntary benefits including crucial illness/hospital indemnity, identity theft protection, auto & home insurance, legal, and pet insurance.
• Competitive salary, uncapped commission, and best-in-class Employee Stock Purchase Program (ESPP) with a 27-month lookback
• Flexible paid vacation time, paid day off for your birthday, and company holidays. A variety of leave plans, including Parental Leave.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP) and an employee well-being program focusing on physical, mental, and financial health.

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