Enterprise Account Executive role in EdTech- Role Overview
- Senior commercial role focused on complex, high‑value sales
- Converts strategic opportunities into signed contracts
- Owns long sales cycles and multi‑stakeholder negotiations
- Acts as trusted advisor to buyers and internal leadership
- Responsible for high revenue impact and growth acceleration
Key Responsibilities
Opportunity & Pipeline Management
- Qualify and progress pipeline from SDR/BDM/inbound
- Forecast and prioritise key opportunities
- Maintain pipeline integrity in CRM with robust hygiene and insights
- Drive pipeline creation for future quarters
Stakeholder Engagement
- Lead discovery with senior stakeholders: SLT, IT, procurement, ministry leaders
- Translate customer priorities into tailored value propositions
- Align internal teams to support external needs
Demo Strategy & Product Fit
- Lead strategic product demonstrations for executive audiences
- Position solutions to meet institutional and pedagogical goals
- Anticipate and handle complex objections
Deal Structuring & Negotiation
- Lead contract negotiations for enterprise and multi‑year deals
- Build creative commercial structures (staggered payments, volume commitments, service tiers)
- Manage risk, compliance terms and service level agreements (SLAs)
- Secure renewals and expansions within current accounts
Cross‑Functional Collaboration
- Partner with Product and Marketing for messaging refinement
- Work with Customer Success to align implementation and renewal plans
- Influence revenue operations and pricing strategy
- Lead internal deal strategy meetings and escalation calls
Internal Stakeholders
- SDRs and Business Development teams
- Sales Managers and VP Sales
- Product, Marketing, and Customer Success
- Legal, Finance, Compliance and Data Protection teams
- CEO/Founders (especially in early stage)
External Stakeholders
- Heads of Department
- School/University Leadership Teams
- Procurement and IT leads
- Multi‑academy trust executives
- Ministries of Education or Government buyers
- Consultants, resellers, strategic partnerships
Enterprise Sales Cycle Realities
Enterprise EdTech sales can be long, with typical cycles of:
- 6–12 months for mid‑tier contracts
- 12–24 months for large, multi‑institution deals
- Contract values often range from £150k to several millions
- Most enterprise contracts are multi‑year deals
- Strategic negotiation and deal structuring are essential
Enterprise Deal Characteristics
- Large institutional budgets and cross‑department priorities
- Multi‑stage evaluations including pilots, security reviews, compliance checks
- Procurement, legal and finance approvals
- Multi‑year commitments often required for adoption and implementation
- Cumulative stakeholder buy‑in — not a one‑person sign‑off
Salary Benchmarks
United States
- Base: $110k–$140k
- OTE: $180k–$250k+
United Kingdom
- Base: £70k–£100k
- OTE: £110k–£180k
Europe
- Base: €80k–€110k
- OTE: €120k–€180k
Additional Notes
- Enterprise roles often include equity or performance incentives
- Pay may be higher for global coverage or international responsibilities
- Public sector or education background often accelerates ramp time
Typical Day Activities
Morning
- Pipeline review and strategic planning
- Forecast updates and leadership sync
- Prep for executive stakeholder calls
Midday
- Conduct high‑level discovery and pilot reviews
- Lead negotiation conversations
- Internal alignment meetings
Afternoon
- Proposal crafting and custom pricing models
- CRM updates and cross‑team progress reporting
- Renewal and expansion strategy planning
Inbound vs Outbound Enterprise Work
Inbound Focus
- Drives conversion of high‑intent leads
- Faster early engagement but still complex cycles
- Focuses on qualification precision and tailored demos
Outbound Focus
- Targets strategic accounts and new markets
- Longer cycles but larger deal sizes
- Requires strong research, personalisation and cadence discipline
Most enterprise roles blend both inbound and outbound priorities.
Domestic vs International Enterprise Roles
Domestic
- Strong understanding of national procurement and policy
- Faster cultural alignment
- Easier stakeholder rapport building
International
- Requires global frameworks (IB, MoE, national standards)
- Must navigate pricing localisation, compliance and time zones
- Often involves resellers or government tenders
- Best suited to adaptable, experiential sellers
Common Backgrounds
- Senior SDRs or BDMs with consistent quota achievement
- Experienced AEs from SaaS or public sector tech
- EdTech sales leaders with strategic account history
- Education sector professionals moving into commercial leadership
- Consultants or policy experts entering the sales domain
Career Pathways
- Enterprise AE → Regional Sales Lead → Head of Sales → VP Sales
- Strategic avenues include:
Partnerships leadership, Revenue Operations, Product GTM strategy
Success Metrics
- Closed revenue and quota attainment
- Win rate and deal velocity
- Forecast accuracy and pipeline health
- Multi‑stakeholder engagement metrics
- Enterprise expansion and renewal rates
- Contract value growth and cross‑sell performance
Key Skills Required
Sales Skills
- Enterprise discovery mastery
- Objection navigation and risk mitigation
- Negotiation excellence
- Strategic pricing and value articulation
EdTech Expertise
- Knowledge of academic cycles and curriculum context
- Safeguarding and compliance awareness
- Sector‑specific procurement experience
Personal Attributes
- Resilience and patience
- Adaptability and strategic curiosity
- High EQ for stakeholder management
- Clear and compelling communication
Interview Questions You Will Face
- Tell me about the largest enterprise deal you closed and how you structured it
- How do you manage complex procurement expectations?
- What is your approach to negotiation on multi‑year contracts?
- How do you forecast long sales cycles with confidence?
- Describe your experience with international or multi‑institution deals
How to Stand Out as a Candidate
- Share detailed stakeholder maps and account plans
- Demonstrate structured negotiation outcomes
- Showcase enterprise deals with measurable impact
- Speak confidently about procurement, compliance and contract structures
- Build a visible professional presence aligned to EdTech impact
Gender Representation
- Senior commercial roles continue to lean male dominated
- Women often excel in strategic relationship building and consultative sales
- Increasing female representation strengthens team outcomes and market credibility
- RecruitHer actively supports more women moving into senior enterprise sales
When to Ask for a Promotion
- Consistent overachievement across quarters
- Strategic ownership of enterprise accounts
- Mentorship of SDRs/BDMs and influence in GTM strategy
- Leadership confidence and cross‑team advocacy
RecruitHer Advice to Hiring Managers
- Prioritise sector fluency over generic quota achievement
- Test scenario‑based enterprise negotiation skills
- Value long‑term relationship building and customer trust
- Hire diverse candidates to reflect global education audiences
- Clarify expectations on cycle length and KPI definitions upfront
