Founding Technical GTM/Sales Lead

UniversalAGI•San Francisco, CA

8d•Onsite

About The Position

As our founding Technical GTM/Sales Lead, you'll be in the arena from day one, building the commercial engine that will power UniversalAGI's market dominance. This is your chance to take everything you've learned about deep tech sales and use it to establish our foothold in the automotive and maritime industries, two sectors on the verge of AI-driven transformation. You'll work directly with the CEO and founding team to identify target accounts, build relationships with technical decision-makers, and close deals that will define our early revenue trajectory. You're not just selling software , you're evangelizing a paradigm shift in how industrial engineering is done. This isn't transactional sales. This is strategic business development at the highest level, identifying CFD simulation leaders who are drowning in computational bottlenecks, demonstrating how our AI models can compress weeks of simulation into hours, and closing large deals with companies like Toyota, BMW, Honda, Renault, Tesla, Ford, GM, Rivian, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and major maritime OEMs. This is a role for someone who speaks engineer as fluently as they speak business, who can whiteboard computational fluid dynamics with a PhD then turn around and discuss ROI with a CFO, and who's ready to build a world-class GTM engine from the ground up.

Requirements

5+ years of technical sales or business development experience selling complex B2B software/SaaS to engineering organizations, with proven track record of consistently exceeding quota and closing $500K+ deals
Deep industry connections in automotive and/or maritime sectors , you have existing relationships with simulation engineers, R&D leads, and technical decision-makers at OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, or maritime companies
Demonstrated success selling to technical buyers (engineers, engineering managers, technical directors) and navigating technical evaluation processes including POCs, benchmarks, and pilot programs
Technical background in mathematics, physics, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, or related quantitative field, you understand CFD, FEA, numerical methods, and computational physics enough to have credible technical conversations
Proven ability to source and develop your own pipeline through outbound prospecting, industry networking, conference engagement, and creative business development strategies
Experience delivering technical presentations to audiences ranging from individual contributors to C-suite executives, with ability to adjust technical depth and business messaging accordingly
Strong consultative selling skills , you lead with curiosity, uncover real pain points, build champions, and navigate organizational politics to get deals across the line
Exceptional communication skills both written and verbal, capable of articulating complex technical concepts in clear, compelling business language
Comfortable working in high-intensity, fast-paced startup environments with evolving product offerings, ambitious growth targets, and the need to build processes on the fly
Track record of meeting aggressive sales targets in highly competitive markets, with examples of creative deal-making and relentless execution to close challenging opportunities

Nice To Haves

Prior experience at early-stage startups (Seed to Series B) during rapid growth phases, ideally in deep tech, AI, or engineering software
Existing network within simulation software ecosystem , relationships at ANSYS, Siemens, Dassault Systèmes, Altair, or their customer bases
Direct experience selling simulation software, CAE tools, or HPC solutions to automotive or maritime engineering teams
Technical sales experience in AI/ML products or other cutting-edge technologies requiring customer education and category creation
Engineering degree (MS/PhD preferred) with hands-on experience using CFD or simulation tools in automotive/maritime applications
Experience establishing GTM strategy and sales processes from scratch at early-stage B2B companies
Strong presence in automotive/maritime technical communities , regular conference speaker, published technical papers, or recognized industry expert
Enterprise sales experience navigating Fortune 500 procurement, legal review, security assessments, and complex contract negotiations

Responsibilities

Own the entire sales cycle from prospecting through close for automotive and maritime accounts, building pipeline and consistently hitting aggressive quarterly revenue targets
Source and qualify high-value prospects through strategic outbound campaigns, industry conferences, technical forums, and leveraging your existing network in automotive/maritime engineering communities
Deliver compelling technical presentations to diverse stakeholders, from hands-on CFD engineers to VP of Engineering to C-suite executives, tailoring your pitch to each audience's technical depth and business priorities
Build and maintain deep relationships with technical decision-makers (simulation engineers, computational engineering leads, R&D directors) who actually use the tools and can champion our solution internally
Partner directly with the CEO and technical team to translate complex AI capabilities into clear value propositions that resonate with automotive aerodynamicists and maritime hydrodynamicists
Navigate complex enterprise sales cycles involving multiple stakeholders, technical evaluations, proof-of-concept deployments, procurement processes, and contract negotiations
Develop market intelligence on competitive landscape, pricing dynamics, customer pain points, and emerging opportunities in automotive and maritime simulation markets
Represent UniversalAGI at industry conferences, technical symposiums, and customer sites, building our brand and expanding our network in target verticals
Design and optimize the sales playbook from scratch—prospecting sequences, demo flows, technical evaluation processes, pricing strategies, and closing tactics that future sales hires will replicate
Track, analyze, and forecast pipeline health, conversion rates, deal velocity, and revenue metrics with precision—you'll build the revenue operating system that scales with our growth