Account Executive at Openlayer (S21)

$70K - $120K •

The fastest way to ship airtight AI

San Francisco, CA, US / Remote (US)

Full-time

3+ years

Apply now

About Openlayer

Openlayer is a testing and debugging platform for machine learning models. Openlayer makes it easy for ML teams to find failures and biases, figure out their root causes, and create unit tests to ensure they stay fixed — all baked in with experiment tracking and versioning (think GitHub for ML). The company was founded by three previous Siri engineers who contributed to over 15 different AI/ML projects at Apple.

Openlayer is currently working with several well-known enterprise companies worth over $1B, helping them rapidly improve the quality of their models and datasets and save tons of time and money.

We're looking for a founding engineer to help us build the future of sustainable, performant, and ethical machine learning.

We're backed by Y Combinator and several of the top investors and funds in the world, including the founders of companies like Instagram, Voyage, Instacart, Sendbird, Mercury.

About the role

About the Role

As an Account Executive (AE) at Openlayer, you’ll be at the heart of our sales efforts, driving revenue growth by converting qualified leads into long-term partnerships. You will work closely with potential customers to understand their unique needs, demonstrate the value of Openlayer’s solutions, and help expand our footprint in the AI/ML industry. This role offers an exciting opportunity to join a fast-growing company and make a meaningful impact on our customer base and sales strategy.

What You’ll Do

Close Deals: Engage with qualified leads, conduct product demos, and guide prospects through the sales process to successfully close deals.

Build Relationships: Develop and maintain strong relationships with prospective customers, ensuring they feel supported and aligned with our solutions. Focus on understanding their needs and positioning Openlayer as a trusted partner.

Collaborate Across Teams: Work closely with BDRs, marketing, and product teams to align on lead nurturing, optimize messaging, and ensure a seamless customer journey.

Track and Report: Maintain accurate records of all activities in our CRM. Provide regular updates on deal status, pipeline health, and forecasted revenue.

Grow with Us: Deepen your understanding of the AI/ML industry, our product, and the challenges our customers face. Use this knowledge to improve win rates and maximize customer satisfaction.

What We’re Looking For

Experience: 3+ years in a closing role within SaaS or tech sales, ideally as an AE or similar. Familiarity with AI/ML solutions is a plus.
Proven Track Record: Demonstrated success in meeting or exceeding sales quotas and closing complex, high-value deals.
Strong Communicator: Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate product value and tailor messaging to diverse audiences.
Customer-Centric: A proactive, empathetic approach to understanding customer needs and building lasting relationships.
Organized and Data-Driven: Skilled in using CRM tools to track performance, manage pipeline, and ensure data accuracy.
Team Player: Comfortable working in a cross-functional environment and eager to contribute to team goals.

Why Openlayer?

High Impact: Help expand our reach in the AI industry, enabling companies to improve model reliability and performance.
Growth Opportunities: Join a fast-growing company where you can shape your role and grow your career.
Hybrid Culture: Work remotely or in person — the choice is yours.
Innovative Team: Join a collaborative, passionate team focused on delivering meaningful solutions in the AI space.

Benefits

Competitive salary & equity
Health, vision, and dental insurance
Flexible PTO
Hybrid culture
Regular team off-sites and social events (virtual and in-person)

If you’re passionate about sales, technology, and helping companies succeed, we’d love to hear from you!

Technology

Frontend

Next.js + Typescript

Backend

Flask + SQL (Postgres) + RQ workers for long-running tasks. We are deployed on AWS but offer an on-prem, cloud-agnostic version of the product. Several SoTA ML models used to generate insights and data-centric tests.

Interview Process

Our interview process is designed to be efficient, transparent, and focused on finding the right fit for both Openlayer and the candidate. At each phase, we will be quick to make decisions and provide feedback.

Phone Screen

This is an informal conversation to get to know each other. We’ll discuss the AE role, your background in sales, and your experience in SaaS or tech sales, ideally in AI or ML. This is also an opportunity for you to learn more about Openlayer and determine if this role aligns with your career goals.

Sales Strategy & Pipeline Management

In this stage, you’ll have a remote conversation with a senior member of our sales team to discuss your approach to managing and advancing a pipeline, your preferred sales tactics, and your experience in closing complex deals. We’ll explore how you handle the entire sales cycle and approach lead qualification, customer engagement, and deal progression.

Role-Play Exercise

For this part of the interview, you’ll participate in a role-play exercise where you will simulate a call with a prospective customer. We’ll provide background information on a mock prospect, and you’ll structure a conversation that demonstrates your ability to capture interest, articulate Openlayer’s value proposition, and handle objections. This exercise helps us understand your communication style and how you navigate potential challenges during a call.

Founders Chat

As an AE, you will work closely with Openlayer’s leadership team. This stage includes an in-depth discussion with one of our founders, where we’ll delve into your background, motivations, and experience in fast-paced or ambiguous environments. This conversation offers an opportunity to learn more about Openlayer's vision, values, and culture, and for us to assess alignment with our long-term goals.

On-site Interviews

The on-site portion of the interview process is designed to explore your skills, communication style, and fit with our team more deeply. This round includes:

Sales Process & Deal Closing: We’ll discuss your end-to-end sales process, focusing on how you handle closing, overcome challenges, and manage client relationships post-sale. This interview will look at your approach to deal structuring and closing high-value contracts.
Collaborative & Cross-functional Discussion: Given the close collaboration between sales, marketing, and customer success teams, you’ll meet with leaders from these departments. This interview will focus on how you leverage cross-functional insights to support your deals and ensure customer satisfaction.
Objection Handling & Negotiation: Strong objection handling and negotiation skills are essential for an AE. You’ll walk us through your approach to managing common objections, negotiating contract terms, and navigating difficult conversations while maintaining customer trust.
Final Founder Interview: In this final interview, you’ll again meet with one of our founders to discuss your motivations, long-term goals, and vision for your role at Openlayer. This is a great time to ask any remaining questions and gain a deeper understanding of our company’s culture and mission.

We’ll host the on-site interviews at our SF office, with lunch provided to meet additional team members. (If necessary, we cover travel and accommodations.) We may shorten or adjust the interview process based on our assessment at each stage.

Timing

The typical interview process takes 2-3 weeks from start to finish, though we can accelerate timelines if needed. If you have competing offers or a tight timeline, please let us know, and we’ll do our best to accommodate.

We look forward to the opportunity to meet you and explore whether Openlayer is the right fit for your next chapter!