Commercial Account Executive

Job Description

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.

The Hunter AE creates and closes durable net-new business. The role turns priority prospects into customers through disciplined prospecting, consultative discovery, evidence-based value cases, executive selling, commercial judgment and a clean transition to the post-sale account team. It does not own installed-base expansion or post-sale commercial outcomes.

What you’ll be doing

Create and maintain enough qualified net-new pipeline to meet or exceed quota through targeted outbound, inbound conversion, partner routes and disciplined territory planning.

Lead a repeatable prospecting-to-close process: discovery, qualification, value mapping, mutual action planning, business-case development, negotiation, contracting and close.

Translate customer business priorities, service-operation challenges and transformation goals into a credible Zendesk platform and AI value proposition.

Build executive and multi-threaded alignment across business, technology, security, finance, procurement and the economic buying committee.

Own commercial strategy, deal progression and negotiation within approved guardrails; protect customer value and delivery credibility.

Orchestrate Solution Engineers, Product Specialists, Marketing, SDR/BDR partners, ecosystem partners and leadership to improve win probability.

Maintain accurate CRM data, pipeline health, forecast discipline and early risk visibility; make decisions based on evidence rather than optimism.

Document customer goals, stakeholders, use cases, commitments and success conditions for a clean handoff; return market, competitor and buyer insight to improve the go-to-market motion.

What you bring to the role

Day one: a genuine new-business orientation, targeted prospecting discipline and ability to create qualified demand—not simply work inbound leads.

Day one: consultative discovery that uncovers business problems, urgency, stakeholders, decision criteria and measurable outcomes before positioning product.

Day one: executive and multi-threaded selling that earns trust with business, technical, financial, security and procurement stakeholders.

Day one: commercial acumen to build ROI narratives, manage deal economics, negotiate thoughtfully and qualify out when the fit is not credible.

Day one: CRM, forecast and operating discipline; the ability to inspect facts, surface risk early and maintain mutual accountability.

Developable: deeper Zendesk platform, AI and service-operations fluency; more advanced industry narratives, partner-led selling and complex deal strategy.

Differentiating: the ability to shape the customer's problem, create demand where none exists and mobilize a buying committee without overselling.

Scarce: repeated success closing large, complex net-new deals with executive access, competitive strategy and strong business-case construction.

Experience and qualifications

Experience range:
Typically 8–12 years of related experience (Job Architecture baseline).Relevant background: demonstrated capability in complex B2B SaaS new-business selling, value-based discovery and commercial deal ownership.

Customer impact: demonstrated ownership of outcomes, not only activity; evidence should show decision quality, follow-through and measurable customer or commercial impact.

Commercial proof: evidence of prospecting discipline, quota attainment or equivalent growth results, executive engagement and complex deal judgment.

AI and platform fluency:…