Founding AE (Remote USA East/North Central)
Acerta Analytics
About Acerta Analytics
Acerta develops cutting-edge software solutions that empower quality and manufacturing engineers on the shop floor with the power of machine learning. Our flagship product, LinePulse, ingests data from the shop floor to provide actionable insights that help manufacturers accelerate root cause analysis, predict upcoming defects, and improve quality while reducing scrap and rework rates.
As we continue to expand, Acerta is seeking a Founding Account Executive to win new logos and help shape a scalable global strategy. You will play a critical role in developing a new logo strategy for key accounts and helping us scale our Account-Based Marketing (ABM) and sales approach.
Role Overview
The Founding Account Executive will be responsible for driving new logo acquisitions across a cultivated list of top Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) prospects, primarily within the automotive manufacturing sector. You’ll collaborate closely with internal teams, including product managers and customer success representatives, to understand and translate customer needs into effective business solutions. You will own the entire sales cycle, from prospecting to closing, and are expected to be a hands-on contributor in driving outbound efforts and expanding Acerta's reach in the US or EMEA regions.
Key Responsibilities
- New Business Development: Own the sales cycle from prospecting to closing, targeting global manufacturing organizations with numerous factory locations.
- Quota Achievement: Exceed a $400K 1st year quota and generate a pipeline to achieve a $1.2M quota in year two.
- Sales Expertise: Articulate Acerta’s value proposition effectively to both technical and business buyers, with a particular focus on manufacturing operations teams (Operations Technology - OT).
- Pipeline Generation: Use modern sales tools (e.g., LinkedIn Navigator, ZoomInfo, Outreach) to create and manage a strong pipeline, executing multi-threaded outreach to generate qualified opportunities.
- Customer Relationship Building: Develop strong relationships with key stakeholders, including OT groups, to identify business challenges and provide value-driven solutions.
- Forecasting and Reporting: Provide accurate sales forecasts and weekly activity reports, continuously refining account penetration strategies.
Qualifications
- Experience: 5+ years of enterprise SaaS sales experience with a proven track record of exceeding quotas and selling to global manufacturing organizations. Experience with SaaS application sales and understanding of manufacturing process control is critical.
- Manufacturing Domain Knowledge: Experience in discrete manufacturing, preferably within automotive. Understanding the dynamics between OT and IT groups in plants is highly preferred.
- Sales Acumen: Demonstrated success in handling complex sales cycles and growing account Annual Recurring Revenue (ARR) through land and expansion strategies.
- Pipeline Generation Skills: Proven ability to self-source opportunities using modern sales tools (e.g., Koala, LinkedIn Navigator, ZoomInfo, Apollo, Outreach, Salesloft).
- Travel: Willingness to travel for in-person meetings to build champions, negotiate business terms, and facilitate factory-to-factory expansions.
- Soft Skills: Strong communication skills with the ability to articulate complex value propositions to all organizational levels, including C-level executives. Tenacious, resourceful, and capable of building structure from ambiguity.
Preferred Qualifications
- Industry Experience: Experience selling SaaS solutions to automotive discrete manufacturing, particularly with expertise in process improvements and data-driven applications.
- MEDDPIC: Familiarity with MEDDPIC sales methodology is a plus.
- Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Engineering, Computer Science, Marketing, or a related field.
Why Join Acerta?
Acerta is committed to providing market-competitive compensation. Our uncapped commission structure offers significant earning potential as the company grows, along with the opportunity to take on greater ownership of your role and impact within the organization.
As a founding Account Executive, you will play a pivotal role in shaping our new logo strategy, working closely with cross-functional teams to drive growth and build lasting relationships. If you thrive in a fast-paced environment and are passionate about using innovative technology to solve complex manufacturing challenges, this is the opportunity for you.
Acerta Analytics Solutions Inc. is an equal-opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.