Location: Remote (Europe preferred)
Type: Full-time
Team: Business & Sales
About KrakenD
KrakenD is a high-performance, open-source API Gateway trusted by 40,000+ companies worldwide—from startups to Fortune 500s and government agencies. Our platform gives teams full control, on-premise deployment, and strict compliance with data privacy regulations.
We’re a small, fully remote team of 9, recently acquired by Shop Circle (August 2025) as part of its B2B infrastructure portfolio.
The product-market fit is proven: we grow year-over-year with minimal structured outbound sales, mostly through organic traction and word of mouth. Now we’re ready to build a proper sales engine—and that’s where you come in.
The Role
We’re looking for an Account Executive to drive our next phase of growth. This is a prospecting-heavy role: your mission is building a pipeline, running discovery, and qualifying opportunities. We’re not looking for someone to wait for leads—we need someone who loves the hunt.
This isn’t a siloed SDR position. You’ll have the context and seniority to participate in demos, shape proposals, and close deals when it makes sense. But if opening doors excites you more than closing deals, this is the role for you.
What you’ll do
- Build and own outbound pipeline: Identify, research, and engage potential customers via cold outreach (phone-first encouraged), email, LinkedIn, and creative tactics
- Activate warm leads: Convert intent from thousands of open-source users browsing our docs into meaningful conversations
- Run discovery & qualification calls: Understand prospects’ pain points, technical environment, and buying process
- Help shape our sales playbook: Document what works, refine messaging, and build repeatable processes
- Collaborate on the full sales cycle: Work with founders on demos, proposals, and closing when needed
What you won’t do
- Sit in endless internal meetings
- Wait for marketing to hand you leads
- Follow a rigid script with no room for creativity
What We’re Looking For
Must-haves
- Native-level English (you’ll be talking to CTOs, architects, and technical decision-makers)
- Proven B2B sales experience with demonstrable results
- Genuine passion for prospecting—you thrive on the hunt
- Confidence on the phone and in real conversations
- Technical curiosity—you can discuss APIs, infrastructure, and developer workflows
- Self-starter mentality with ownership and accountability
Nice-to-haves
- Experience selling to regulated industries (healthcare, financial services, government)
- German or French language skills
- Familiarity with API management, developer tools, or infrastructure software
- Experience building sales processes from scratch in early-stage environments
- Track record of outbound-sourced pipeline (not just closing marketing-generated leads)
Why Join KrakenD
- Massive untapped opportunity: Tens of thousands of open-source users, only a few hundred paying customers. The product sells itself—you open the doors.
- Proven product-market fit: Customers consistently tell us, “Where have you been all this time?”
- Real impact: Build the sales function from the ground up and shape how we sell
- Founder-led, remote-first culture: Fast decision-making, no politics, no hierarchy
- Financial stability + startup agility: Backed by Shop Circle, operating independently with full control
- Profit-sharing: All non-founder employees participate in 5% of company profits
Compensation
Competitive base salary + performance-based commission.
