Strategic Account Executive - Chicago

GitLab; Oregon; Hybrid; USD 115,000 - 172,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits for health and well-being

Flexible paid time off

Equity compensation

Growth and development fund

Parental leave

Job summary

GitLab is seeking a Strategic Account Executive for the Chicago area to drive enterprise growth by helping organizations adopt and expand our AI-powered DevSecOps platform. You’ll guide customers through complex transformations and build an enterprise portfolio with repeatable sales motions and accurate deal forecasting.

Collaborating with Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Channel partners, you’ll deliver transformative DevSecOps solutions while building trusted relationships with

Qualifications

• Experience driving complex B2B software sales cycles with enterprise customers, ideally in DevSecOps or related SaaS.
• Proven ability to build trusted C-level and senior stakeholder relationships.
• Knowledge of the Chicago enterprise market and buying centers.

Responsibilities

• Lead strategic growth for Chicago enterprise accounts.
• Coordinate with Solutions Architects, Customer Success, and Channel/Alliances to deliver AI-powered DevSecOps solutions.
• Design and execute strategic account plans with multi-threaded engagement.
• Forecast and report deal progress and account health.
• Travel as needed while representing GitLab values.

Skills

Enterprise sales

B2B software sales

DevSecOps

SaaS

C-level relationships

Chicago market

Channel partnerships

Salesforce

Communication

Tools

Salesforce

GitLab platform

Job description

GitLab is the intelligent orchestration platform for DevSecOps. GitLab enables organizations to increase developer productivity, improve operational efficiency, reduce security and compliance risk, and accelerate digital transformation. More than 50 million registered users and more than 50% of the Fortune 100* trust GitLab to ship better, more secure software faster.The same principles built into our products are reflected in how our team works: we embrace AI as a core productivity multiplier, with all team members expected to incorporate AI into their daily workflows to drive efficiency, innovation, and impact. GitLab is where careers accelerate, innovation flourishes, and every voice is valued. Our high-performance culture is driven by our values and continuous knowledge exchange, enabling our team members to reach their full potential while collaborating with industry leaders to solve complex problems. Co-create the future with us as we build technology that transforms how the world develops software.* Fortune 500® is a registered trademark of Fortune Media IP Limited, used under license. Claim based on GitLab data. Fortune 100 refers to the top 20% ranked companies in the 2025 Fortune 500 list, published in June 2025. Fortune and Fortune Media IP Limited are not affiliated with, and do not endorse products or services of GitLab.

Location - Chicago, Illinois

An overview of this role

As a Strategic Account Executive for the Chicago area, you'll drive GitLab's enterprise growth by helping some of the area's most influential organizations adopt, implement, and expand their use of our AI-powered DevSecOps platform. You'll focus on enterprise accounts, guiding customers through complex digital and DevSecOps transformations and driving pipeline generation that translates into measurable Net ARR and long-term expansion. In this role, you'll act as a key connector between customer stakeholders and GitLab's field organization so GitLab is seen as a trusted, long-term partner across the full sales cycle. In your first year, you'll be expected to build a strong enterprise portfolio across your territory, create repeatable sales motions, and consistently forecast and report on deal progress and account health.

What you'll do

• Drive strategic growth by leading GitLab's enterprise accounts across Chicago, serving as a trusted technology advisor to industry leaders in your territory.
• Orchestrate winning sales strategies by bringing together Solutions Architects, Customer Success experts, Sales Development, Channel & Alliances, and other technical specialists to deliver transformative, AI-powered DevSecOps solutions.
• Shape the future of software development by crafting innovative solutions that align GitLab's platform with customers' long-term vision, compliance needs, and business objectives.
• Build deep, strategic partnerships by mastering your customers' industry landscape, success metrics, and growth trajectories so you can position GitLab as their indispensable technology ally.
• Design and execute strategic account plans, including opportunity mapping, stakeholder alignment, and multi-threaded engagement, to expand GitLab usage within new and existing strategic accounts.
• Lead end-to-end customer journeys from initial discovery through evaluation, negotiation, and successful implementation, ensuring a consistent, high-quality experience at every stage of the sales cycle.
• Champion continuous improvement by contributing to forecasting and pipeline reviews, conducting sophisticated win/loss analyses, and sharing strategic insights that refine our go-to-market approach.
• Prepare and deliver compelling customer-facing and internal presentations, proposals, and recommendations that clearly communicate value, business outcomes, and the path to long-term partnership with GitLab.

What you'll bring

• Experience driving complex B2B software sales cycles with enterprise customers, ideally in DevSecOps, software development tools, or adjacent SaaS solutions.
• Background selling into large, enterprise accounts in Chicago, United States, with the ability to build trusted C-level and senior stakeholder relationships across business and technical teams.
• Knowledge of Chicago enterprise market, including key industries, buying centers, and decision-making dynamics, with the ability to build and nurture a relevant professional network.
• Ability to drive new business acquisition and expansion within enterprise accounts through consultative, multi-stakeholder sales motions that lead to sustainable, long-term customer partnerships.
• Experience collaborating with channel and strategic partners to generate pipeline, co-sell, and support successful customer adoption.
• Effective communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to lead account strategy, influence internal and external stakeholders, and remain calm under pressure.
• Ability to work in line with GitLab's values, use GitLab and Salesforce in your daily work, and travel as needed while following company travel policies.

About the team

The Enterprise Sales team is responsible for driving growth, adoption, and long-term value for GitLab's AI-powered DevSecOps platform with our largest and most strategic customers. As a Strategic Account Executive focused on Chicago, you'll be part of a distributed, all-remote team that works asynchronously across regions and partners closely with GitLab's sales engineering, marketing, and customer success teams. We value transparency, collaboration, and a consultative approach, and we support one another through shared account planning, regular deal reviews, and knowledge sharing focused on enterprise customers across the Chicago region. Remote-Global

United States Salary Range

$114,800—$172,200 USD. Sales roles are also eligible for incentive pay targeted at up to 100% of the offered base salary.

How GitLab Supports Full-Time Employees

• Benefits to support your health, finances, and well-being
• Flexible Paid Time Off
• Team Member Resource Groups
• Equity Compensation & Employee Stock Purchase Plan
• Growth and Development Fund
• Parental Leave

Please note that we welcome interest from candidates with varying levels of experience; many successful candidates do not meet every single requirement. Additionally, studies have shown that people from underrepresented groups are less likely to apply to a job unless they meet every single qualification.

Country Hiring Guidelines: GitLab hires new team members in countries around the world. All of our roles are remote, however some roles may carry specific location-based eligibility requirements. Our Talent Acquisition team can help answer any questions about location after starting the recruiting process.

Privacy Policy: Please review our Recruitment Privacy Policy. Your privacy is important to us.

GitLab is proud to be an equal opportunity workplace and is an affirmative action employer. GitLab's policies and practices relating to recruitment, employment, career development and advancement, promotion, and retirement are based solely on merit, regardless of race, color, religion, ancestry, sex (including pregnancy, lactation, sexual orientation, gender identity, or gender expression), national origin, age, citizenship, marital status, mental or physical disability, genetic information (including family medical history), discharge status from the military, protected veteran status (which includes disabled veterans, recently separated veterans, active duty wartime or campaign badge veterans, and Armed Forces service medal veterans), or any other basis protected by law. GitLab will not tolerate discrimination or harassment based on any of these characteristics. See also GitLab's EEO Policy and EEO is the Law. If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let us know during the recruiting process.