Austin, TX (3 days/week in office required)
Full-time · US work authorization required
About Warden AI
Warden AI helps HR Tech vendors prove and improve the fairness, accuracy, and compliance of their AI hiring products. In a fast-changing regulatory environment, vendors need a trusted partner to validate their AI - and Warden is quickly becoming the default solution.
In 2025 Warden has grown from 4 to 40 customers (as of mid-November), and we’re aiming to grow to >120 by the end of 2026.
This growth is being driven not just by market demand, but by something rarer - a really powerful network effect: Customers genuinely want to promote working with Warden because it helps them win their own deals.
We’re now ready to hire our first dedicated salesperson - someone who can turn this momentum into a predictable, scalable motion while the CEO focuses on opening new segments.
Read why Playfair Capital invested in Warden AI.
Why This Role Is Different
Most “founding AE” roles are early, ambiguous, and dependent on heavy outbound.
This isn’t that.
Here, you’ll step into:
- A market with clear PMF, strong references, and warm intros
- A 50% inbound pipeline and high-intent prospects who often land in Warden’s funnel through referrals
- A category where regulation increases demand, not friction
- A segment ready for systematic scaling (40 → 100+ vendors in 2026)
- A proven founder-led motion you’ll inherit and help operationalize
- A product that is simple to demo, fast to onboard, and has minimal procurement barriers
You’ll own a critical vertical and help define Warden’s GTM engine at the moment where the company begins to scale for real.
What You’ll Own (Role Overview + Responsibilities)
As Warden’s Founding Account Executive, you’ll take point on expanding the HR Tech vendor segment while working closely with the CEO on high-impact, Tier 1 opportunities. This is a full-cycle AE role with strong inbound support, meaningful autonomy, and a mandate to help shape the future of our sales motion.
You will:
- Run the full sales cycle: discovery, demo, value articulation, follow-up, and closing
- Take over Tier 2 and Tier 3 vendor deals quickly, with the CEO partnering with you on major Tier 1 opportunities
- Convert inbound leads (~50%), event-driven leads (~20%), and build additional pipeline through outbound and re-engagement of closed-lost accounts
- Manage a pipeline of 25–35 deals at varying stages with accuracy and discipline
- Conduct product demos showcasing Warden’s audit reports and onboarding workflow (with SE/CTO support for deeper technical questions)
- Maintain rigorous pipeline hygiene and forecasting accuracy in Attio
- Suggest improvements to messaging, processes, and sales tools as you learn what works
- Partner with product, engineering, and marketing to bring customer insights into how Warden evolves
- Travel to US-based conferences quarterly and to London occasionally for team collaboration
- Over time, support renewals/expansions or grow into Enterprise AE or Head of Sales pathways
This is a role for someone who wants ownership, visibility, and the chance to build foundational GTM muscles at a fast-growing AI company.
You’ll Be a Great Fit for the Role If…
- You have 3–8 years of full-cycle SaaS sales experience
- You’ve consistently hit quota and can comfortably manage 20–30+ deals at once
- You’re highly organized, detail-oriented, and run a clean pipeline
- You thrive in fast-paced, early-stage environments and love building or improving processes
- You enjoy working cross-functionally and contributing ideas to product, onboarding, and marketing
- You are proactive, curious, and hungry to grow into bigger roles as the company scales
- You’re comfortable speaking with both business leaders and technical stakeholders
- You’re based in (or willing to relocate to) Austin and can work in the US
- HR Tech experience is great to have, but not required
This Role Isn’t for You If…
- You want a fully defined playbook and rigid structure
- You prefer selling only large enterprise deals with long cycles
- You don’t enjoy juggling many mid-market opportunities at once
- You’re uncomfortable contributing beyond “your lane”
- You don’t enjoy fast-moving environments or constructive ambiguity
- You prefer fully remote roles or aren’t open to being in-person in Austin
- You want inbound-only or outbound-only - this role involves both
What Success Looks Like in Your First 90 Days
- Running Tier 2 and Tier 3 vendor deals independently
- Closing your first deals with CEO support
- Building your self-sourced and reactivated pipeline
- Delivering confident, effective product demos
- Maintaining clean forecasting and deal hygiene
- Sharing meaningful insights with product, engineering, and marketing
Compensation & Benefits
Compensation will be competitive with Austin early-stage SaaS benchmarks for founding AEs:
- $80-110k Base with a 50:50 split
- Uncapped commission
- Accelerators above 100% attainment
- Meaningful equity in a rapidly growing business (4 year vest, 1 year cliff)
There will also be the following perks:
- Healthcare coverage
- 33 days paid time off (incl. US public holidays, plus sick leave)
- Flexible / hybrid working environment
- Clear career progression, with paths to:
- Enterprise Account Executive, or
- Sales Manager, including opportunities in new market expansion
Hiring Process
We move quickly and aim to make this a thoughtful, structured experience - it’s as much about you assessing us as it is the other way around. Here’s what to expect:
Founder Screen (20 min) - Intro chat with our CEO to align on your background and the role.Sales Deep Dive (45 min) - Discussion focused on your full-cycle experience, deal management, and operating style.Practical Demo (45 min) - A short demo in using materials we provide. Our CTO will join so you can meet a key partner.Culture & Values Fit (45 min, ideally in person) - Conversation with our CEO about how you operate in early-stage environments.Reference Checks & Offer - We move quickly from references to a clear offer and 90-day success plan.
If you have any specific questions or want to talk through reasonable adjustments ahead of or during the application, please contact us at any point at hiring@warden-ai.com.
