Job Description
Join us at Zendesk, where we’re on a mission to power exceptional service for every person on the planet. We’re accelerating that ambition by building AI-driven, intelligent CX solutions rooted in the belief that behind every interaction is an opportunity to make a meaningful human connection.
As a Enterprise AE Sales Leader, you’ll drive net-new revenue growth by setting sales strategy, developing high-performing teams, and building a disciplined, scalable sales organization. You’ll lead Account Executives, shape market priorities, and partner cross-functionally to accelerate customer acquisition. Success in this role requires strong commercial judgment, executive influence, and a proven ability to build teams that consistently deliver results.
What you’ll be doing
- Develop and execute the net-new business growth strategy, including territory planning, market priorities, resource allocation, and revenue targets.
- Lead, coach, and develop sales leaders and Account Executives, fostering a high-performance culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
- Drive consistent pipeline generation, deal execution, and forecasting through disciplined operating rhythms and data-driven decision-making.
- Identify opportunities to improve pipeline coverage, conversion rates, win rates, deal velocity, and overall sales productivity.
- Partner with Marketing, Sales Engineering, Product, and executive leadership to align resources, remove barriers, and accelerate strategic opportunities.
- Build a strong leadership bench through effective hiring, talent development, succession planning, and performance management.
- Leverage customer insights, competitive intelligence, and market trends to influence go-to-market strategy, pricing, product direction, and sales enablement.
- Ensure clear ownership and seamless collaboration between New Business sales teams and post-sale teams to support successful customer transitions.
What you bring to the role
- Proven success leading complex B2B SaaS new-business sales organizations, with a strong focus on acquiring new customers and delivering sustainable revenue growth.
- Strategic mindset with the ability to translate business objectives into actionable sales plans, territory strategies, and organizational priorities.
- Strong leadership capabilities, including experience managing managers, developing future leaders, and building high-performing teams.
- Deep understanding of enterprise sales motions, including outbound prospecting, consultative discovery, executive engagement, and complex deal negotiation.
- Strong commercial acumen with the ability to evaluate deal economics, build compelling business cases, and guide teams through sophisticated buying processes.
- Data-driven approach to pipeline management, forecasting, performance measurement, and identifying opportunities for improvement.
- Ability to influence senior executives and collaborate effectively across Sales, Marketing, Product, Finance, and other business functions.
- Strong communication, coaching, and decision-making skills, with a commitment to building an inclusive, high-accountability team culture.
- Resilience, adaptability, and sound judgment in navigating competitive markets, evolving customer needs, and organizational change.
Experience and qualifications
- Typically 12+ years of relevant sales experience, including 6+ years of people leadership and demonstrated experience leading sales managers.
- Proven track record of driving net-new revenue growth within complex B2B SaaS or enterprise software environments.
- Demonstrated success building and scaling sales organizations, developing leadership talent, and consistently delivering against revenue goals.
- Experience leading enterprise sales teams through complex, multi-stakeholder buying cycles and high-value commercial negotiations.
- Strong understanding of sales performance metrics, territory planning, pipeline development, and forecasting methodologies.
- Ability to communicate the business value of AI, automation, customer experience, and enterprise technology solutions.
- No specific educational credential is required where equivalent experience, capabilities, and a demonstrated track record are present.
AI-era expectations
- Demonstrate a strong understanding of how AI, automation, and evolving customer experience technologies are transforming enterprise buying decisions and business priorities.
- Lead teams in positioning AI-driven solutions around measurable business outcomes, operational efficiency, and customer value.
- Encourage the responsible use of approved AI tools to improve prospecting effectiveness, account research, pipeline insights, forecasting, and sales productivity.
- Equip sales leaders and Account Executives to navigate AI-related customer conversations, including adoption considerations, governance, security, and implementation readiness.
- Balance AI-enabled efficiencies with the human skills essential to enterprise selling, including relationship building, executive influence, commercial judgment, and negotiation.
- Use customer feedback, competitive intelligence, and emerging AI trends to refine sales strategies, strengthen team capabilities, and identify new growth opportunities.
The US annualized OTE (On Target Earnings) range for this position is $442,000.00-$662,000.00 with a pay mix of 50/50 (base/commission). This position may also be eligible for bonus, benefits, or related incentives. While this range reflects the minimum and maximum value for new hire salaries for the position across all US locations, the offer for the successful candidate for this position will be based on job related capabilities, applicable experience, and other factors such as work location. Please note that the compensation details listed in US role postings reflect the base salary only (or OTE for commissions based roles), and do not include bonus, benefits, or related incentives.
The intelligent heart of customer experience
Zendesk software was built to bring a sense of calm to the chaotic world of customer service. Today we power billions of conversations with brands you know and love.
Zendesk believes in offering our people a fulfilling and inclusive experience. Our hybrid way of working, enables us to purposefully come together in person, at one of our many Zendesk offices around the world, to connect, collaborate and learn whilst also giving our people the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week.
As part of our commitment to fairness and transparency, we inform all applicants that artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision systems may be used to screen or evaluate applications for this position, in accordance with Company guidelines and applicable law.
Zendesk is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster global diversity, equity, & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment and employees at Zendesk are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabled employer. If you are based in the United States and would like more information about your EEO rights under the law, please click here.
Zendesk endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to submit this application, complete any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please send an e-mail to peopleandplaces@zendesk.com with your specific accommodation request.
