Founding Account Executive (New York)

Founding Account Executive — AI SaaS Startup (NYC, On-Site)
Confidential Search — Twill Talent
We're running a confidential search for a Founding Account Executive at a fast-growing, AI-native B2B SaaS startup headquartered in NYC. The company has strong product-market fit, accelerating revenue, and is hiring its next AE to help scale a founder-led GTM motion.
This is a rare seat: an early sales hire at a company that has already crossed the does this work threshold and is now scaling. You'll work directly with the CEO, own full-cycle deals, and have a real voice in shaping the playbook.
About the Company
AI-powered SaaS platform automating high-value workflows for a specific professional services vertical
~10 employees, recently funded by top-tier investors
90%+ pilot-to-paid conversion rate; zero customer churn to date
Multiple existing customers have angel-invested their own money in the company
Headquartered in NYC, in-office Monday through Friday
The Role
You'll build relationships with senior decision-makers, run demos, and close. You'll also help iterate the sales process and break into larger accounts as the company expands its ICP.
Most deals follow a 3–4 week cycle: a 30-minute demo with a champion, occasional follow-up call with decision-makers, then proposal, negotiation, and close. The activation team takes it from there — they run the pilot, train users, and build the ROI case.
A typical week might include:
Running 5–10 demos with senior buyers
Working a conference booth, setting meetings on the floor, and running same-night follow-up
Flying out to present to a larger account and winning over multiple stakeholders
Sitting with the CEO after a tough call and dissecting what to do differently
Fielding warm referrals from happy customers
Deal Size & ICP
ACV range: ~$12K–$75K, with room to grow as the company moves upmarket
Buyer mix includes managing partners, COOs, CFOs, and IT, depending on account size
Highly referenceable customer base — word-of-mouth does some of the work for you
Who You Are
1+ years of full-cycle closing experience at an early-stage B2B SaaS startup (seed or Series A)
Comfortable holding a room with senior, skeptical professional services buyers (e.g., partners, principals, GPs, executives at established firms)
Track record of hitting or exceeding quota
Can learn a complex, fast-moving technical product deeply enough to explain it cleanly to a non-technical buyer
Genuinely AI-fluent — uses AI in your own workflow, not just talks about it
Wants to build, not just execute — you'll shape the sales process and influence how the company talks about the product
Available to work in NYC, Monday through Friday, on-site
Bonus Points
Founding or first AE experience at a prior startup
Sold into professional services buyers (legal, accounting, consulting, finance, PE)
Promoted from SDR to AE earlier in your career
Built Claude/GPT/automation workflows that materially shape how you sell
Compensation
Competitive OTE in the top range for NYC AE seats (mid-six-figures, 50/50 split)
Meaningful equity grant — this is a founding sales hire
Health, dental, vision, unlimited PTO
Structured ramp plan so you can earn while learning the product and market