Account Executive, Early Stage

About the role

You will own the end-to-end sales cycle for early-stage prospects in the EMEA region, driving deals from initial discovery to closed contract. You will operate as the primary point of contact, shaping how prospects understand Vanta's value in securing and proving trust. Your daily focus will involve running a tight, repeatable process designed for high-volume, fast-paced environments. You will partner with internal teams to surface product feedback and market trends that influence our go-to-market strategy. This role demands consistent execution and a commitment to speed, efficiency, and high daily output. You will play a critical role in establishing Vanta as the go-to solution for security and compliance automation. Ultimately, your success will be measured by your ability to turn inbound demand and outbound efforts into closed-won business quickly and reliably.

Key facts

What you'll do

• Identify high-potential business verticals to develop and execute outbound strategies to engage them with Vanta.
• Manage the entire sales cycle, from initial contact to contract negotiation and closing, with a focus on speed and efficiency, aiming to close deals within a 30-day timeframe.
• Turn our inbound demand into closed-won business quickly and consistently, working across a large number of prospects.
• Operate in a fast-paced, transactional sales environment, running a high number of discovery calls and managing a broad pipeline of opportunities simultaneously.
• Continuously optimize your sales workflow to maintain high activity levels, improve conversion, and deliver repeatable results.
• Define and communicate the value of Vanta to prospects, including tailoring sales materials and demos to resonate with early-stage startup buyers.
• Surface product feedback and trends from prospects to inform go-to-market and product development strategies.
• Exceed monthly and quarterly sales targets through disciplined execution and proactive pipeline management.
• Build strong relationships with technical stakeholders by demonstrating a strong grasp of Vanta's platform and security outcomes.
• Leverage AI tools responsibly to amplify your efficiency, strengthen customer interactions, and improve deal outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with customer success to ensure smooth onboarding and long-term retention signals.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records in our CRM to ensure full pipeline visibility and forecasting accuracy.
• Partner with marketing to align messaging, refine target accounts, and maximize campaign impact.
• Act as an internal champion for process improvements that enhance speed, clarity, and buyer experience.

Requirements

• Have 12+ months in a closing and quota-carrying role, while consistently exceeding monthly and quarterly sales targets.
• Experience in B2B SaaS, ideally focused on SMB or early-stage startups, where short deal cycles and high activity are the norm.
• Thrive in high-velocity sales environments and are energized by repetition, fast decision-making, and a transactional approach to deal flow.
• Be highly empathetic to customers, with a proven track record of long-term customer retention.
• Possess the technical competency to understand Vanta's software and build great relationships with highly technical prospects.
• Have stellar problem-solving chops, and an enthusiasm for making a large impact early on at a start-up.
• You're intrinsically motivated, proactive, and resourceful - comfortable taking initiative without needing direction.
• Open to using AI to amplify their skills and strengthen their work - demonstrating curiosity, a willingness to learn, and sound judgment in applying AI responsibly to improve efficiency and impact.
• Authorized to work in Ireland and eligible to work without sponsorship.
• Available to work from our Dublin office with a hybrid schedule that includes standard in-office days on Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday.

Nice to have

• Prior experience selling to early-stage startups or venture-backed companies.
• Familiarity with compliance and security tooling for SaaS companies.
• Experience leveraging AI in a sales or outreach capacity.
• Demonstrated success in fast-paced, quota-driven environments.

Practical notes

This role is based in our Dublin office with an office-centric hybrid schedule. The standard in-office days are Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday. You must be authorized to work in Ireland and eligible to work without sponsorship.