GTM Sales Leader

NetApp • San Jose, CA

5d

About The Position

The DataPelago Sales Leader will build and own the sales function from the ground up, covering new-customer acquisition, pipeline generation, hiring, forecasting, and repeatable enterprise sales execution. This hands-on, quota-carrying player-coach will initially prospect, lead complex sales cycles, negotiate, and close deals while recruiting and coaching Account Executives and Solution Architects.

Working with DataPelago's founders, product and engineering teams, and NetApp Account Executives, the leader will establish the sales strategy and operating discipline needed to win early customers. As the business scales, the leader will build a repeatable sales engine and progressively integrate the sales motion into NetApp's broader field organization.

DataPelago is building a data-processing platform that applies accelerated computing to analytics and AI workloads. Following its acquisition by NetApp, it combines an early-stage company's ownership, pace, and influence with NetApp's global customer reach, resources, and enterprise relationships. The team will operate with a focused, startup-style model while developing a scalable business and go-to-market motion. The position is located in San Jose, California.

Requirements

• 15+ years of overall sales experience, including 5+ years leading sales teams.
• Proven record of carrying and exceeding an individual enterprise sales quota, including personally sourcing, advancing, and closing complex net-new deals.
• Strong hunter orientation and demonstrated ability to create pipeline without relying primarily on existing accounts, inbound demand, or an established lead-generation engine.
• Experience selling emerging enterprise data, analytics, or AI technologies to technical buyers and senior business executives.
• Experience building or materially shaping a zero-to-one sales motion, including early customer acquisition, sales processes, and team development.
• Ability to hire, coach, and lead a sales and pre-sales team while remaining personally involved in deals.
• Strong command of complex enterprise buying cycles, technical evaluations, ROI-based selling, commercial negotiation, and contracting.
• Ability to establish pipeline discipline, reliable forecasting, sales metrics, and operating cadence from the ground up.
• Strong executive communication, commercial judgment, cross-functional influence, and a high-ownership builder mindset.

Nice To Haves

• Bachelor's degree preferred.
• Familiarity with enterprise data and AI buyers and use cases, including data engineering, ETL/ELT, cloud analytics, and modern data platforms.
• Experience in both an early-stage technology company and a larger enterprise organization.

Responsibilities

• Define and execute the zero-to-one sales plan, including ideal customer profiles, target accounts, segmentation, coverage, sales plays, and revenue goals.
• Initially carry a personal sales quota; originate pipeline, engage executive buyers, and personally negotiate and close net-new enterprise deals. As the team grows, take accountability for team-level sales targets.
• Build pipeline through direct outbound prospecting, executive relationships, customer introductions, ecosystem partners, and collaboration with NetApp sales teams.
• Own complex enterprise sales cycles from qualification and discovery through business-case development, technical validation, pricing, procurement, negotiation, close, and customer handoff.
• Build, hire, onboard, coach, and lead the Account Executive and Solution Architect team while remaining directly involved in priority deals and customer relationships.
• Establish sales operating foundations, including CRM discipline, qualification criteria, pipeline stages, account planning, forecasting, deal reviews, conversion metrics, and performance reporting.
• Partner with Solution Architects to define evaluation success criteria, demonstrate business value, and convert successful technical evaluations into commercial wins.
• Establish a co-selling model with NetApp Account Executives, including lead routing, technical qualification, opportunity ownership, and follow-through.
• Work with DataPelago founders, product, engineering, and Product Marketing to refine buyer priorities, positioning, competitive differentiation, and commercial strategy.

Benefits

• Comprehensive benefits package that may include health insurance, life insurance, retirement or pension plans, paid time off, leave options, an employee stock purchase plan, and/or restricted stock units, subject to regional variations and applicable laws and company policies.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior