Sales Enablement Lead

About the role

Perplexity is seeking its first Sales Enablement hire to build the function for our Enterprise, Commercial, and BDR teams. Our sales org is growing quickly and selling a product that evolves almost every week to buyers who range from IT and security to legal, research, and the C-suite. This role owns how sellers ramp, how they tell the Perplexity story, and how they get better every quarter. The hire will set the strategy and execute it hands-on, owning the full enablement lifecycle from onboarding to ongoing coaching. They will act as the central voice of enablement, aligning training and content with revenue goals. This position reports into Sales leadership and is expected to be a doer who builds systems as much as they run sessions.

Key facts

What you'll do

Design and run a repeatable onboarding program for new BDRs, Commercial AEs, and Enterprise AEs, with a defined bar for what "ramped" means at each role and clear ramp-time targets.

Own the first 30/60/90 for every new seller, including product certification, pitch and demo certification, tooling proficiency, and territory readiness.

Build in feedback loops so every cohort improves the next one through structured reviews and data-informed adjustments.

Codify the Perplexity Enterprise, Commercial, and API pitch into a single, current, opinionated narrative that every seller can deliver the same way with consistent framing.

Build and maintain the standard demo flow for each product surface (Enterprise Pro, Computer, API) and keep it current as the product ships new capabilities.

Partner with Product Marketing on positioning, use cases, buyer personas, and vertical narratives such as Financial Services, Legal, Healthcare, Consulting, and others as they emerge.

Run a regular enablement cadence with weekly rep-facing sessions, monthly deep dives, and quarterly kickoffs driven by what the field actually needs in the moment.

Build a live call-review and coaching program with Sales leadership, using recorded calls to reinforce what good looks like and surface where reps are getting stuck in real conversations.

Own the enablement content library - playbooks, talk tracks, discovery questions, objection handles, competitive battlecards, ROI framing - and keep it usable, current, and findable for every seller.

Translate each product release into field-ready guidance with Perplexity on what to say, who to say it to, when to bring it up, and what proof to lean on for specific buyer concerns.

Build a launch process that turns product updates into field readiness quickly and consistently so new features are selling on day one.

Partner with Sales leadership to select and operationalize the qualification and deal-management framework that fits Perplexity's motion, including training, reinforcement, coaching, and inspection.

Build role-specific skill programs in discovery, multi-threading, negotiation, executive presence, and technical selling to IT and security buyers based on real deal patterns.

Define what enablement is accountable for by setting metrics around ramp time to first deal, pitch and demo certification pass rates, win rate on contested deals, content adoption, and manager coaching consistency.

Report against those metrics and iterate on programs by retiring or reshaping what does not move the core indicators of sales readiness and performance.

Requirements

6+ years in sales enablement, sales training, sales operations, or a quota-carrying / sales-adjacent role at a B2B software company, with clear ownership of a program you built end to end.

A track record of building or scaling enablement from zero or near-zero, having been the first or second enablement hire before or having owned a function that ran like one in prior roles.

Strong instincts for sales messaging and translating a complex, fast-moving technical product into a story that sellers can tell and buyers can act on without confusion.

Fluency running coaching and call reviews with sellers and Sales leadership, demonstrating the ability to spot what a rep needs from listening to even short segments of recorded conversation.

Ability to work cross-functionally with Sales leadership, Product, Product Marketing, Revenue Operations, and Strategic Finance to align enablement priorities with business outcomes.

Bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience that demonstrates the ability to handle complex B2B sales environments.

Willingness to be in the San Francisco or New York office four days per week to maintain close collaboration with the founding sales and product teams.

Nice to have

Experience at a Series B-D company selling a fast-changing product to a mix of technical and business buyers who expect evidence and clarity.

Background enabling both direct sales and a self-serve to enterprise motion, showing comfort across high-touch and high-scale behaviors.

Experience selling or enabling into AI, developer tools, search, or enterprise infrastructure, with an understanding of how these categories shape buyer expectations.

Familiarity with modern enablement and revenue tooling such as CRM, LMS, conversation intelligence platforms, and content management systems to operate efficiently at scale.

Previous time as an AE, SDR, or Solutions Consultant before moving into enablement, providing firsthand insight into the seller experience and credibility with the field.