Founding Account Executive (English-speaking)

ABOUT THE ROLE This is a founding Account Executive opportunity at a fast-growing, Seed-stage European AI communications SaaS startup. Backed by a prominent European venture fund and a cohort of angel investors, the company builds AI-powered phone assistant software that helps SMBs automate customer interactions, qualify leads, book appointments, and handle calls around the clock — all without coding skills. As the first sales hire in the US, you will own the entire US go-to-market motion: from building early demand to closing the first customers and establishing a repeatable sales playbook. You'll work hand-in-hand with the founding team based in Vienna, Austria. This is a high-impact, high-ownership role suited to a former founder or operator who thrives in ambiguity and moves fast. Please note: This role requires working on-site in Vienna, Austria for an initial 3–6 month onboarding and kickoff period. Relocation support or a remote setup may be arranged afterward. Visa sponsorship is not available. WHAT YOU'LL DO - Drive the initial US launch by building localized landing pages, messaging, and basic tracking in collaboration with the marketing team. - Win the first US customers — run discovery calls, deliver demos, and close early deals. - Convert early learnings into a repeatable sales motion and written playbook for the US market. - Identify, pitch, and activate local partner channels; build and enable co-selling programs. - Own customer success for initial accounts: onboard, support, and capture structured feedback to improve the product and positioning. - Collaborate closely with the founders and the Vienna-based marketing and engineering teams to iterate and execute quickly. - Scale the role over 6–12 months to become the primary US owner; potentially hire and lead a local team. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Must-haves (dealbreakers): - Native English speaker. - Ex-founder/operator OR strong experience in sales, business development, partnerships, or growth at a high-growth SaaS startup. - Willingness to work from Vienna for 3–6 months for onboarding and role kickoff. - Demonstrated experience building and running early-stage GTM for the US market, including discovery, demos, deal closing, and establishing a repeatable sales motion. - Experience building and activating partner channels and co-selling programs. - Experience onboarding and supporting customers, and capturing feedback to improve product and positioning. - Experience creating localized landing pages, messaging, and basic tracking/analytics for demand generation. - Proven ability to develop and execute strategic GTM plans with a strong delivery track record. Nice-to-haves: - Experience selling AI or SaaS solutions to US SMBs; domain knowledge in AI-powered communications. - Prior experience in a small, fast-paced startup environment with cross-functional collaboration (marketing/product). - Familiarity with CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot) and sales analytics to track funnel performance. Mindset & soft skills: - Strong ownership mentality and self-starter attitude. - Comfortable operating cross-functionally with marketing and engineering. - Clear, concise communicator — written and verbal. - Strategic thinker who can also roll up their sleeves and execute tactically. COMPENSATION & BENEFITS - Salary: $100,000 – $150,000 USD annually (depending on experience). - Opportunity to grow into a US market leadership role and build out your own team. - Direct impact on company direction as a founding team member. LOCATION - Initial period (3–6 months): On-site in Vienna, Austria (required for onboarding and kickoff). - Thereafter: Relocation or remote setup can be discussed. - Visa sponsorship is not available.