Senior SMB Account Executive - DACH

Job Description

Join us at Zendesk, where we’re on a mission to power exceptional service for every person on the planet. Our AI-informed solutions transform every interaction into an opportunity for authentic human connection, empowering organizations to create outstanding customer experiences at scale.

To advance this vision, we are seeking a dedicated, AI-savvy Senior SMB Account Executive with a proven track record in B2B sales and a passion for driving SaaS growth. In this role, you will grow our SMB account base by hunting new opportunities, closing deals of all sizes, and building broad, trusted relationships. As a key member of our team, you’ll harness the latest in AI-driven insights and solutions to accelerate revenue growth, align with customer goals, and deepen Zendesk’s impact across the SMB landscape.

What You'll Be Doing:

• Drive top-line revenue growth by acquiring new SMB customers, leveraging innovative and AI-powered strategies for pipeline development and account expansion.
• Manage and nurture customer relationships to ensure high satisfaction and retention by personalizing outreach and automating workflows through AI tools.
• Proactively lead complex sales cycles by integrating AI insights and customer data to craft tailored, outcome-driven solutions for each customer.
• Co-create with customers clear AI transformation roadmaps grounded in measurable KPIs, uncovering and addressing unique business challenges through deep AI-driven insights.
• Develop and articulate compelling, data-backed ROI and value cases that impact procurement decisions and demonstrate clear business impact. Tracking and communicating realized outcomes to foster loyalty and drive upsell opportunities.
• Hold consultative technical conversations regarding AI product architecture and integrations, collaborating closely with Solutions Engineers, AI Specialists, and cross-functional teams to co-design innovative solutions.
• Identify and pursue opportunities to cross-sell and up-sell new products and services, maximizing account revenue and profitability by understanding adoption history and customer needs.
• Consistently anticipate AI market trends and competitor moves, leveraging this intelligence to sharpen deal strategies and influence Zendesk’s go-to-market approach.
• Build and maintain a robust, accurately tracked pipeline of qualified opportunities in Salesforce, providing weekly, monthly, and quarterly forecasts while meeting or exceeding revenue targets and activity KPIs.
• Collaborate with Marketing, Business Development, and other internal teams to optimize sales campaigns and execution, ensuring seamless and tech-enabled customer engagement.
• Champion the customer voice and act as a Zendesk AI thought leader. Staying relentlessly curious about new trends and raising organizational standards for AI-powered sales excellence.
• Demonstrate an understanding of local market dynamics and customer behaviors relevant to your assigned territory or region.
• Manage sales pipeline rigorously, employing qualification frameworks and consistent forecasting to maximize deal velocity and accuracy.
• Handle renewal processes and collaborate cross-functionally to ensure seamless customer onboarding and account expansion.
• Collaborate effectively with internal teams including marketing, customer success, and product specialists to amplify sales impact.

What You Bring to the Role:

• At least 2 years B2B sales or solution engineering experience in SaaS, with a proven record of exceeding targets.
• Experience engaging and expanding relationships across various customer levels, ideally within a technology-driven environment.
• Strong technical aptitude and proven ability to have detailed conversations about AI product architecture and integrations.
• Demonstrated success in account research, prospecting, customer outreach, and closing deals using AI-assisted and traditional methods.
• Excellent organizational skills with the ability to manage a high volume of opportunities, multiple priorities, and detailed forecasting through Salesforce or similar CRM tools.
• Entrepreneurial spirit, collaborative mindset, and relentless drive for learning and growth. Especially, regarding AI and automation trends.
• Outstanding communication, presentation, and negotiation abilities.
• Experience creating and executing territory/account plans and leveraging key sales tools such as Salesforce, Outreach, and Clari.
• BA/BS degree or equivalent experience.
• Willingness to travel as needed.
• German Speaker (Native level)

Who you are: 

• Customer-Centric Innovator: Anticipates customer needs and drives innovation by blending human experience with AI capabilities to deliver meaningful business impact and value.
• Data-Driven Decision Maker: Utilizes AI-generated insights and analytics to inform, optimize, and personalize every stage of the sales process from discovery through closing.
• Collaborative Influencer: Fosters strong, trust based partnerships, both internally and externally, to elevate team performance and customer outcomes.
• Continuous Learner & Mentor: Proactively stays ahead of AI trends, shares knowledge, and develops peers to build collective AI fluency across the organization.
• Strategic Thinker with Execution Focus: Balances visionary thinking about the future of AI-enabled sales with disciplined, results-oriented execution for high impact outcomes.

The intelligent heart of customer experience

Zendesk software was built to bring a sense of calm to the chaotic world of customer service. Today we power billions of conversations with brands you know and love.

Zendesk believes in offering our people a fulfilling and inclusive experience. Our hybrid way of working, enables us to purposefully come together in person, at one of our many Zendesk offices around the world, to connect, collaborate and learn whilst also giving our people the flexibility to work remotely for part of the week.

As part of our commitment to fairness and transparency, we inform all applicants that artificial intelligence (AI) or automated decision systems may be used to screen or evaluate applications for this position, in accordance with Company guidelines and applicable law.

Zendesk is an equal opportunity employer, and we’re proud of our ongoing efforts to foster global diversity, equity, & inclusion in the workplace. Individuals seeking employment and employees at Zendesk are considered without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, age, sex, gender, gender identity, gender expression, sexual orientation, marital status, medical condition, ancestry, disability, military or veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law. We are an AA/EEO/Veterans/Disabled employer. If you are based in the United States and would like more information about your EEO rights under the law, please click here.

Zendesk endeavors to make reasonable accommodations for applicants with disabilities and disabled veterans pursuant to applicable federal and state law. If you are an individual with a disability and require a reasonable accommodation to submit this application, complete any pre-employment testing, or otherwise participate in the employee selection process, please send an e-mail to peopleandplaces@zendesk.com with your specific accommodation request.