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.