Founding Account Executive

Pensieve, Inc

$90K — $130K *
Education, Government & Non-Profit
Less than 5 years of experience
Job Overview by Ladders

Qualifications

  • 1+ years of sales, BDR, or closing experience at a software company, preferably in higher ed
  • Proven track record of consistently hitting or exceeding sales quotas
  • Strong ownership mentality with a proactive approach to exceeding expectations
  • Familiarity with AI tools to enhance efficiency in sales processes
  • Ability to thrive in ambiguous situations and create processes from scratch
  • Passion for education and belief in technology's role in enhancing human judgment

Responsibilities

  • Convert high-intent inbound users into paying customers
  • Proactively research and engage new opportunities within higher education
  • Deliver compelling product demonstrations to diverse stakeholders
  • Navigate higher education sales cycles by identifying key roles and influences
  • Close deals that vary from single-course trials to comprehensive institutional agreements
  • Onboard new clients while providing initial support and answering FAQs
  • Act as the customer advocate, relaying insights to product and strategy teams

Benefits

  • Opportunity to work directly with founders and shape company direction
  • High-ownership role with significant influence on market strategy
  • Access to cutting-edge AI technology in the education sector
  • Collaboration with a passionate team dedicated to educational transformation
  • Potential for professional growth in a rapidly evolving field
Full Job Description
About the Role

We're looking for a Founding Account Executive to bring our market-leading AI grading and tutoring platform to higher-education institutions around the world.

Higher ed is undergoing a once-in-a-generation shift. AI is changing how students learn, how instructors teach, and how institutions operate. We're building the system that sits at the center of that transformation. We're looking for an AE who wants to help define this category from day one.

This is an early, high-ownership role. You'll work directly with founders, product, and customers to shape how we sell, who we sell to, and how we win.

Who You Are
  • You have 1+ years of sales, BDR, or closing experience at a software company
    (experience selling to higher ed is a plus).
  • You have consistently hit or exceeded quota and can point to concrete wins.
  • You're deeply ownership-oriented: you do more than what's "enough" and surprise your team with your output.
  • You're AI-native in how you work. You actively automate research, outreach, follow-ups, and deal management using AI tools. Other reps ask you how you move so fast.
  • You're comfortable operating with ambiguity and enjoy building process from scratch.
  • You care about education and believe technology should amplify human judgment, not replace it.


What You'll Do
  • Convert high-intent inbound users (professors, TAs, departments) into paying customers.
  • Proactively research and outbound into new opportunities across universities and institutions.
  • Run compelling product demos, clearly articulating value to different stakeholders.
  • Navigate complex higher-ed sales cycles by distinguishing between end users, buyers, and decision-makers.
  • Close deals ranging from single-course pilots to larger institutional rollouts.
  • Onboard new customers and handle early-stage support and FAQs.
  • Act as the voice of the customer, feeding insights directly into product and roadmap discussions.

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