Sales Director, Scale

Braze•Chicago, IL

12d•Hybrid

About The Position

Braze is seeking an experienced, entrepreneurial SaaS sales leader to build, scale, and lead its Braze For Startups (SMB) sales organization. This highly visible role calls for someone who has built and scaled an SMB or velocity-sales business in a high-growth or enterprise-scale SaaS company. The leader will manage SMB Account Executives and outbound prospecting professionals while establishing the sales motion, coaching approach, performance standards, hiring plan, and operating cadence needed to scale efficiently. They will create demand, convert pipeline, improve productivity, and deliver predictable new-business revenue, operating with autonomy and partnering across the company to develop the systems and programs that support segment growth. The role also develops external ecosystems to accelerate growth through relationships with venture capital firms and portfolio companies, digital agencies, consultants, system integrators, technology partners, and other influential organizations. Experience selling marketing technology, customer engagement, marketing automation, CRM, email, mobile, analytics, or related SaaS solutions is strongly preferred. The position owns SMB segment strategy, execution, and performance, including revenue attainment, pipeline generation, conversion, sales productivity, and forecast accuracy. The leader will build and develop a high-performing team, establish repeatable acquisition motions and operating practices, and work with Marketing, Sales Operations, Customer Success, Account Management, Product, Finance, and Partnerships to improve funnel performance and customer outcomes. They will represent Braze with customers, partners, communities, and senior stakeholders, and use market insight and data to identify improvements to SMB packaging, pricing, onboarding, adoption, and go-to-market efficiency. For U.S.-based candidates, the stated starting base-pay range is $90,500–$129,000 per year, with expected on-target earnings of $181,000–$258,000 per year, including bonus or commission. Compensation may vary based on location, knowledge, skills, and experience. The role also qualifies for equity grants of restricted stock (RSUs). Braze describes its work model as hybrid.

Requirements

At least 7 years of progressive SaaS sales and go-to-market experience, ideally including SMB, commercial, velocity, growth, or emerging-business segments.
At least 3 years of direct people-management experience leading SMB sales teams, including Account Executives and preferably SDR, BDR, or outbound prospecting organizations.
Demonstrated success building or materially scaling an SMB sales team, sales motion, or revenue segment within a high-growth or large-scale SaaS environment.
Strong record of hiring, coaching, developing, and retaining quota-carrying sales talent and frontline sales managers.
Experience owning meaningful revenue targets and delivering against new-business, pipeline, productivity, and forecast goals.
Deep knowledge of SaaS sales metrics and levers, including ARR, ACV, pipeline coverage, conversion rates, sales-cycle length, quota attainment, productivity, CAC efficiency, retention, and expansion.
Experience creating and improving sales processes, performance-management systems, forecasting cadences, qualification standards, and sales enablement programs.
Ability to lead both an outbound prospecting function and a full-cycle SMB Account Executive team.
Strong cross-functional leadership and experience partnering with Marketing, Customer Success, Account Management, Product, Sales Operations, Finance, and Partnerships.
Experience building relationships with venture capital firms, accelerators, startup communities, agencies, system integrators, consultants, and/or technology partners.
Ability to develop partner-sourced or partner-influenced pipeline through co-selling, referrals, agency relationships, technology integrations, and ecosystem programs.
Executive-level communication skills, including leading customer conversations, executive presentations, QBRs, internal business reviews, and partner discussions.
Business acumen and ability to navigate complex organizations, identify economic buyers and decision-makers, and guide stakeholders through SaaS buying processes.
Data-driven operating style, sound judgment, high accountability, and comfort making decisions in an evolving, ambiguous environment.
Strong external presence and ability to build trusted relationships through professional communities, social channels, events, and industry networks.
Familiarity with digital, mobile, AI, customer-engagement, and application-market trends.

Nice To Haves

Experience selling marketing technology, customer engagement, marketing automation, CRM, email, mobile, analytics, data, or related SaaS solutions.
Prior experience at a startup, scale-up, or high-growth technology company.

Responsibilities

Own SMB sales strategy, execution, and performance, including revenue attainment, pipeline generation, conversion, productivity, and forecast accuracy.
Build and lead a high-performing team of Account Executives and outbound prospecting professionals.
Create a repeatable SMB sales motion across inbound, outbound, partner-led, and sales-assisted acquisition channels.
Establish the operating cadence, including pipeline reviews, forecast calls, deal inspection, performance management, quarterly planning, and executive business reviews.
Recruit, onboard, coach, develop, and retain sales talent; build management capacity and career paths as the organization scales.
Develop sales playbooks, enablement programs, prospecting standards, qualification methodologies, discovery frameworks, and objection-handling tools.
Partner with Sales Operations on territory and account assignment, lead routing, pipeline definitions, capacity planning, compensation structures, dashboards, and forecasting.
Work with Marketing to improve demand generation, campaign conversion, account targeting, lead quality, lifecycle programs, and funnel attribution.
Collaborate with Customer Success and Account Management on customer handoffs, activation, retention, adoption, and expansion opportunities.
Build and operationalize relationships with venture capital firms, startup ecosystems, accelerators, agencies, consultants, system integrators, and technology partners.
Develop partner-led and ecosystem-led growth through referral, co-sell, implementation, marketplace, and portfolio-company programs.
Represent Braze with customers, partners, industry communities, and senior stakeholders, and share market, customer, and competitive insights with the go-to-market organization.
Identify improvements to SMB packaging, pricing, onboarding, product adoption, and go-to-market efficiency using customer insight and data analysis.
Prioritize investments, improve execution, and build programs to make SMB a durable growth engine.

Benefits

Competitive compensation that may include equity.
Retirement and Employee Stock Purchase Plans.
Flexible paid time off.
Comprehensive medical, dental, vision, life, and disability benefit plans.
Family services that include fertility benefits and equal paid parental leave.
Professional development through formal career pathing, learning platforms, and a yearly learning stipend.
Curated in-office employee experience designed to foster community, team connections, and innovation.
Opportunities to give back through an annual company-wide Volunteer Week and donation matching.
Employee Resource Groups.
Equity grants of restricted stock (RSUs).