Aiven · 22 hours ago
Commercial Account Executive
Austin, TX
Full-time
Hybrid
Mid, Senior Level
3+ years expAiven is a global team focused on open-source technology and multi-cloud solutions, aiming to empower developers and creators. They are seeking a Commercial Account Executive to drive revenue growth by acquiring new customers and expanding usage within technology companies on the East Coast. The role involves managing a territory, engaging high-level stakeholders, and executing strategic prospecting to achieve sales targets.
Artificial Intelligence (AI)Cloud Data ServicesCloud InfrastructureDatabaseOpen Source
Responsibilities
Generate 100% of your pipeline through strategic outbound prospecting, account-based approaches, and relationship development
Qualify 4 opportunities per month (3 medium-sized $100K-$200K ARR, 1 large-sized $200K-$400K ARR) using rigorous MEDDPICC framework
Generate $6.6M in qualified pipeline annually through disciplined territory management and multi-channel prospecting
Close 6 new enterprise customers annually at $150K average ARR in your East Coast territory, focusing on high-growth technology companies across Fintech, B2B SaaS, Digital Commerce, AdTech, and Industrial Tech sectors
Lead the full sales cycle from initial prospecting and discovery through technical validation, negotiation, and closing
Develop and maintain target account lists of 100-150 ideal customer profile companies
Conduct deep account research using LinkedIn Sales Navigator, ZoomInfo, Crunchbase, and 6sense to identify trigger events and buying signals
Execute 80-100+ weekly prospecting touches across calls, emails, LinkedIn, and video messaging to secure first meetings with target personas
Build trusted relationships with Directors and VPs in Engineering, Platform, DevOps, and Data organizations
Challenge the status quo of customers' current data infrastructure (DIY Kafka, cloud vendor lock-in, operational overhead) and inspire a vision for how Aiven's platform drives better business outcomes
Become an expert in Aiven's platform and the open-source technologies we offer (Kafka, PostgreSQL, OpenSearch, ClickHouse and more)
Articulate business value in terms of reduced operational overhead (40-60%), faster time-to-production (3-5x), and infrastructure cost optimization (30-50%)
Maintain strong Command of the Message when conveying Aiven's value proposition and differentiation
Rigorously qualify all opportunities using the MEDDPICC framework to ensure high-quality pipeline
Maintain complete MEDDPICC documentation in Salesforce for every qualified opportunity
Accurately forecast with 85%+ commit accuracy and execute on quarterly sales plans
Manage 30-90 day sales cycles with disciplined, metrics-driven approach to qualification and closing deals
Partner closely with Solution Architects on technical validation and proof-of-concept management for qualified opportunities
Work with Customer Success to ensure seamless onboarding and adoption
Collaborate with Product and Engineering to incorporate customer feedback and align on roadmap priorities for strategic opportunities
Develop and maintain 90-day rolling territory plans with clear account prioritization and pipeline generation goals
Monitor technographic signals, funding events, and technology adoption patterns to identify high-intent accounts
Represent Aiven at regional industry events and conferences to build network and generate pipeline
Consistently meet and exceed your sales quotas and KPIs
Take full ownership of your territory and accounts, maintaining minimum 4:1 pipeline coverage ratio and balanced quarterly performance to deliver results
Qualification
Required
3-5 years of success in commercial or mid-market B2B SaaS sales, selling complex technical solutions to scaling technology companies
Proven track record of 100% self-sourced pipeline generation with consistent quota attainment of 90-100%+ against multimillion-dollar targets (e.g., President's Club or top 20% performer)
Demonstrated ability to generate $5M-$8M in annual qualified pipeline through outbound prospecting across multiple channels without SDR support
Experience closing 6-12 new logos annually with $100K-$300K ACV deal sizes and 60-160 day sales cycles
Strong prospecting skills with ability to maintain 50+ weekly touches and convert outreach to meetings at 10-15% rates
Skilled in outcome-based selling—you focus on customers' business objectives and pains, and tailor solutions to deliver measurable value
Comfortable challenging customers' thinking (in a professional, insightful manner) to guide them toward better solutions, in line with the Challenger Sales methodology
Hands-on experience with MEDDIC/MEDDPICC or similar sales frameworks, adept at using structured qualification in your sales process
Able to maintain Command of the Message, communicating value and differentiation clearly at every stage of the sales cycle
Track record of 85%+ forecast accuracy based on evidence-based qualification
Familiarity with open-source technologies, data infrastructure, cloud services, and developer platforms (e.g., Apache Kafka, databases, analytics, streaming platforms)
You can credibly discuss technical concepts and align them with business outcomes, bridging conversations between engineering teams and business leaders
Experience selling into scaling technology companies ($50M-$500M revenue) across East Coast ecosystems, particularly Fintech (NY, MA, GA), B2B SaaS (NY, MA, VA), Digital Commerce (FL, NJ, NC), AdTech/MarTech (NY, NJ, CT), and Industrial Tech (NJ, PA, MD)
Understanding of venture capital funding dynamics and how funding events create buying windows
Excellent communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
Able to engage in consultative discussions with Director and VP-level executives and simplify complex ideas into compelling narratives
Strong written communication for crafting compelling, personalized outreach that generates meetings
A self-driven, entrepreneurial approach with discipline to thrive in a high-performance, high-growth culture
You take complete ownership of your results and collaborate well within a global team
Comfortable with ambiguity and autonomy inherent in self-sourced pipeline roles
Willingness to travel 25-35% for customer meetings and events
Comfortable with hybrid work model and self-disciplined in remote environment
Benefits
Participate in Aiven’s equity plan.
Balance work and life with our hybrid work policy.
Choose the equipment you need to set yourself up for success.
Use your Professional Development Plan budget for learning opportunities.
Receive holistic wellbeing support through our global Employee Assistance Program.
Inquire about our Global Time Off Commitment (Parental and Sick Leave, as well as Personal Time)
Enjoy country-specific benefits for our global cast.
Company
Aiven
Aiven is a technology-driven company that enables businesses to manage an open-source data infrastructure in the cloud.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Aiven has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2024 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Late StageTotal Funding
$420MKey Investors
EurazeoAtomicoIVP
2022-05-11Series D· $210M
2021-10-19Series C· $60M
2021-03-23Series C· $100M
Leadership Team
Oskari Saarenmaa
CEO and Co-founder
Paul Wouters
Sr Security Architect
Recent News
2025-11-05
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2025-10-31
Silicon Republic
2025-10-30
Company data provided by crunchbase