Senior Account Executive - Airline or Airline Catering

<h3>Accountabilities:</h3><li>
<strong>Strategic Enterprise Sales:</strong>Own the complete enterprise sales cycle, from initial prospecting and opportunity qualification through stakeholder engagement, commercial negotiations, procurement, and contract signature.</li><li>Develop and execute account-based sales strategies targeting airlines and relevant aviation organizations, aligning commercial activities with business growth objectives.</li><li>Build and maintain relationships with senior executives, decision-makers, and key stakeholders across complex airline organizations.</li><li>Create strategic account plans, map stakeholder networks, and develop tailored engagement strategies to advance opportunities through lengthy enterprise sales cycles.</li><li>
<strong>Pipeline Generation and Market Development:</strong>Proactively identify, qualify, and develop new business opportunities across global airline markets, maintaining a healthy pipeline of high-value prospects.</li><li>Generate qualified opportunities through industry networking, referrals, strategic partnerships, conferences, trade shows, and direct outreach.</li><li>Expand market presence by identifying emerging customer needs, developing new relationships, and positioning technology solutions around airline operational and commercial priorities.</li><li>
<strong>Commercial Leadership:</strong>Lead by example through consistent pipeline generation, disciplined opportunity management, and successful execution of complex enterprise sales opportunities.</li><li>Mentor and coach junior sales colleagues, sharing best practices in enterprise selling, stakeholder engagement, account planning, and negotiation.</li><li>Contribute to deal reviews, sales strategy discussions, and the continuous improvement of commercial methodologies and processes.</li><li>
<strong>Cross-functional Collaboration:</strong>Partner with Marketing, Product Management, Customer Success, Implementation, and company founders to coordinate resources and maximize sales effectiveness.</li><li>Translate customer requirements into actionable insights for internal teams, ensuring proposed solutions address operational challenges and business priorities.</li><li>Facilitate smooth transitions from sales to implementation and customer success, supporting long-term customer satisfaction and relationship development.</li><li>Represent customer and market perspectives internally, helping shape product direction, commercial positioning, and future growth opportunities.</li><h2>Requirements:</h2><li>At least 10 years of enterprise B2B sales experience, including substantial experience selling to airlines or within the aviation industry.</li><li>Demonstrated success selling enterprise software, SaaS platforms, or technology solutions to large, complex organizations, ideally with direct experience in airline or airline catering markets.</li><li>Proven ability to independently generate qualified pipeline through strategic prospecting, account-based selling, and relationship development.</li><li>A strong record of personally leading and closing major enterprise opportunities with a combined contract value exceeding CHF 3 million, including experience managing individual six- and seven-figure deals.</li><li>In-depth understanding of airline purchasing processes, organizational structures, stakeholder dynamics, and enterprise procurement requirements.</li><li>Ability to navigate complex sales environments, build consensus among multiple decision-makers, and advance opportunities through extended sales cycles.</li><li>Excellent communication, presentation, persuasion, and negotiation skills, with confidence engaging senior executives and other high-level stakeholders.</li><li>Strong commercial and business acumen, including the ability to develop account strategies, assess opportunity potential, manage pipelines, and negotiate commercially sound agreements.</li><li>A proactive, independent, and results-oriented mindset, with a high degree of ownership, accountability, resilience, and commitment to closing business.</li><li>A collaborative approach and willingness to work closely with founders and cross-functional teams in a dynamic, international environment.</li><li>Interest in mentoring and developing junior commercial colleagues while remaining primarily focused on hands-on selling and individual sales performance.</li><li>Fluent English, both written and spoken; additional languages are an advantage.</li><li>Willingness to travel up to approximately 30% of the year for customer meetings, industry conferences, trade shows, and relationship-building activities.</li><li>
<strong>Preferred qualifications:</strong>An established network within the airline industry, deep knowledge of airline operations, experience selling SaaS or enterprise software directly to airlines, and a track record of selling across international markets with different business cultures and purchasing practices.</li><li>Previous experience coaching or mentoring junior sales professionals is also an advantage.</li><h2>Benefits:</h2><li>Fully remote working arrangement within Europe, offering flexibility in where you work.</li><li>Opportunity to contribute directly to a more sustainable aviation industry by helping reduce food waste, fuel consumption, operational costs, and CO₂ emissions.</li><li>High-impact role with direct exposure to company founders and involvement in strategic commercial decisions.</li><li>Opportunity to build and execute enterprise sales strategies with significant ownership over pipeline development and business growth.</li><li>Collaborative, international working environment with colleagues across multiple countries and functions.</li><li>Exposure to complex, high-value enterprise sales opportunities and long-term relationships with global airline customers.</li><li>Professional development through continuous learning, collaboration, and hands-on experience with innovative aviation technology.</li><li>Opportunity to mentor junior sales colleagues and contribute to the development of commercial best practices.</li><li>A culture that values initiative, accountability, creativity, collaboration, and continuous improvement.</li><li>Regular engagement with industry leaders through customer meetings, conferences, trade shows, and other networking opportunities.</li><li>Inclusive, equal-opportunity workplace committed to ensuring that people from diverse backgrounds can contribute and thrive.</li>