Founding Account Executive

Aether Biomachines•Menlo Park, CA

3d•$130,000 - $180,000

About The Position

We are hiring a Sales Executive to accelerate Aether's commercial growth in the U.S. market. This is a high-impact, high-autonomy role for someone who takes ownership of outcomes and has a proven track record of building revenue from the ground up at an early-stage company. You will be our first on the sales side. You'll work hand-in-hand with our scientific and BD teams to translate Aether's breakthrough materials capabilities into compelling commercial outcomes.

Requirements

You take ownership of outcomes and are motivated by building something from the ground up
You’re persistent and resourceful, especially when deals are ambiguous or slow moving
You balance urgency and thoughtfulness in technical, high-stakes environments
You earn trust quickly with engineers and operators by focusing on substance over style
6+ years in enterprise sales - ideally in advanced materials, 3D printing, industrial tech, or deeptech.
History of proactively sourcing and advancing opportunities, not relying on inbound demand or established brand pull.
Demonstrated track record of closing complex, high-value deals with long sales cycles in engineering-led environments.
Ability to maintain momentum across long sales cycles with multiple stakeholders and ambiguous buying processes.
Experience selling into aerospace, defense, or industrial manufacturing verticals.
Proven ability to build commercial momentum at an early-stage or Series A/B company.
Ability to credibly engage with technical buyers: engineers, R&D directors, CTO offices, and program managers.
Comfortable operating with high autonomy in a fast-moving, resource-constrained environment.
Experience with regulated, security-conscious environments (defense procurement, government contracts, etc.).

Nice To Haves

Background in materials science, chemical engineering, industrial biotech, or a related applied science (degree helpful but not required).
Familiarity with DoD innovation programs (SBIR, DARPA, DIU, etc.) and government procurement pathways.
Experience at a deeptech startup or dual-use technology company.
Existing relationships within aerospace/defense primes or additive manufacturing OEMs.

Responsibilities

Own the full sales cycle, from prospect identification through close, across priority verticals.
Build and manage a robust, data-driven pipeline with accurate forecasting.
Define and execute a go-to-market strategy in partnership with leadership.
Lead complex, multi-stakeholder sales engagements with engineering teams, R&D leadership, CTO offices, and procurement.
Build trust with highly technical buyers by combining commercial acumen with a genuine understanding of customer problems.
Structure deals including pilot projects, PoCs, joint development agreements, and multi-year partnerships.
Translate customer challenges into compelling value propositions grounded in Aether's materials science capabilities.
Map the U.S. ecosystem: OEMs, Tier 1/2 suppliers, additive manufacturing partners, defense innovation units, and industrial conglomerates.
Identify early commercial pathways where Aether's materials drive step-change performance for customers.
Represent Aether at industry events, conferences, and in ecosystem consortiums.