Enterprise Account Executive - Acquisition

ABOUT DATALAB

At Datalab, our purpose is to empower businesses to unlock measurable value through data-driven insights and intelligent analytics. We expertly design and implement end-to-end modern data solutions, with Snowflake at the core, complemented by carefully selected data technologies to ensure efficient, cost-effective, and future-ready data ecosystems. By combining innovation and deep expertise, we enable real-time, actionable insights that help organisations become smarter, more agile, and more resilient in an ever-changing digital landscape.

For more information and a host of resources please visit: https://datalabsolutions.ai/

Location: Cape Town Metropolitan | Johannesburg & Surrounds

ROLE SUMMARY

As an Account Executive - Acquisition at Datalab, you will be responsible for driving new client acquisition and commercial growth across enterprise and mid-market organisations. You will own the sales process from territory and account planning through prospecting, executive discovery, qualification, solution positioning, proposal development, commercial negotiation, contract signature, and transition into delivery or onboarding.

This is a consultative, value-led, partner-aligned enterprise sales role. Success requires the ability to understand a client's business priorities and technology roadmap, build trusted executive relationships, manage a complex multi-stakeholder sales process, and translate Data & AI opportunities into clear commercial value.

You will work closely with Datalab's commercial, Data & AI, architecture, engineering, and delivery teams, as well as Snowflake, Matillion, ThoughtSpot, Sigma, and other approved technology or services partners, to develop and close high-quality opportunities.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Territory, Account & Pipeline Development

• Develop and execute a territory and account strategy aligned to Datalab's Ideal Customer Profile (ICP), commercial priorities, target prospect list, and regional growth plan.
  
• Identify and develop new logo opportunities as well as new buying centres within existing customers, including materially different departments, business units, subsidiaries, geographies, or executive stakeholder groups.
  
• Research customer context, industry trends, business priorities, trigger events, technology landscape, existing and future data or IT roadmap, and likely areas of commercial relevance.
  
• Build account maps, stakeholder maps, opportunity hypotheses, and targeted engagement plans that support credible outreach and pipeline creation.
  
• Collaborate with Datalab marketing, partner teams, and internal stakeholders on campaigns, events, account planning, and other activities designed to create qualified pipeline and revenue opportunities.
  

Executive Engagement & Discovery

• Arrange and lead initial executive and CxO discussions, discovery sessions, and positioning meetings with prospective customers.
  
• Act as a trusted commercial advisor by understanding the customer's current environment, strategic priorities, business drivers, future roadmap, and decision-making context.
  
• Translate business, data, analytics, AI, reporting, and platform challenges into clear value hypotheses and relevant Datalab or partner-led solution opportunities.
  
• Engage credibly with both business and technology stakeholders and adapt the commercial narrative to the priorities of each audience.
  

Qualification & Opportunity Management

• Qualify opportunities using the MEDDPICC framework, including metrics, economic buyer, decision criteria, decision process, pain, paper process, champion, competition, and compelling event where applicable.
  
• Own qualified opportunities through the full sales process, ensuring clear next steps, stakeholder alignment, decision-path visibility, commercial momentum, and disciplined follow-up.
  
• Coordinate internal solution, commercial, and technical resources required to progress each opportunity and ensure that customer requirements are clearly understood.
  
• Maintain accurate CRM records, opportunity stages, qualification evidence, meeting outcomes, next steps, owners, and expected timelines throughout the sales cycle.
  

Solution, Partner & Commercial Positioning

• Identify the appropriate Datalab, Data & AI, partner, or service-line path for each qualified opportunity and position the most relevant solution based on customer need.
  
• Coordinate joint account planning, opportunity alignment, and customer engagement with Snowflake, Matillion, ThoughtSpot, Sigma, and any other technology or services partners approved by Datalab from time to time.
  
• Work with Datalab's technical and delivery teams to shape proposals, statements of work, commercial models, demonstrations, workshops, and solution positioning where required.
  
• Ensure relevant partner deal registrations, opportunity records, and commercial processes are completed accurately and on time.
  

Commercial Negotiation, Closure & Onboarding

• Own the commercial process through proposal, negotiation, procurement, contracting, and closure, with support from Datalab leadership and technical stakeholders where required.
  
• Confidently negotiate commercial terms and progress agreements while protecting Datalab's commercial position and maintaining a strong customer relationship.
  
• Drive opportunities to a clear commercial outcome within an appropriate timeframe and proactively address blockers that may delay or prevent closure.
  
• Support a structured transition from sales into delivery or onboarding, ensuring customer expectations, commercial commitments, stakeholders, and agreed outcomes are clearly communicated.
  

Pipeline Discipline & Forecasting

• Maintain a healthy, qualified pipeline across the allocated territory and target accounts, with sufficient coverage to support Datalab's growth objectives.
  
• Maintain accurate and current CRM records and provide clear, evidence-based forecasting of opportunity stage, value, probability, timing, risk, and next actions.
  
• Own the follow-up cadence across active opportunities and ensure deals do not stall due to lack of action, poor administration, or unclear next steps.
  
• Participate in regular pipeline, forecast, account-planning, and performance reviews with Datalab leadership.
  

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will be a self-managed, commercially strong enterprise seller who can independently develop new business, engage senior decision-makers, manage a complex sales process, and close high-value technology or professional services opportunities. Relevant experience should include:

• 5+ years of enterprise B2B field sales, account executive, or new business development experience, preferably within data, cloud, analytics, AI, software, technology, or professional services.
  
• A proven track record of independently developing and closing new client relationships and achieving new business or revenue targets.
  
• Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder enterprise sales cycles from prospecting and qualification through proposal, commercial negotiation, contracting, and close.
  
• Strong executive-level relationship management skills and the confidence to engage credibly with CxO, business, technology, finance, procurement, and data stakeholders.
  
• Experience determining customer requirements, understanding the broader business and technology context, and positioning appropriate solutions against measurable business outcomes.
  
• Strong working knowledge of MEDDPICC or a comparable structured enterprise sales methodology.
  
• Excellent verbal and written communication, presentation, listening, negotiation, organisation, and relationship management skills.
  
• A disciplined approach to CRM hygiene, account planning, pipeline management, forecasting, follow-up cadence, and opportunity progression.
  
• An understanding of modern data platforms, cloud, analytics, AI, reporting, and enterprise data architecture. Snowflake experience would be advantageous.
  
• Experience working in a partner-led sales motion with technology vendors such as Snowflake, Matillion, ThoughtSpot, Sigma, or similar ecosystem partners would be advantageous.
  
• Comfort using AI and modern productivity tools to improve research, account planning, prospect engagement, and sales execution.
  

WHAT SUCCESS LOOKS LIKE

Success in this role will be measured by the quality of account development, the relevance of customer engagement, the strength of qualification evidence, disciplined opportunity progression, and the Account Executive's ability to move high-potential opportunities through Datalab's commercial process toward a successful close.

Monthly performance measures include:

• Customer Mapping & Research: At least 12 new accounts or new buying centres mapped against Datalab's Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) and approved by the relevant commercial lead. This includes new logo accounts as well as materially different departments, business units, subsidiaries, geographies, or executive stakeholder groups within existing clients where Datalab does not currently have an active opportunity or relationship.
  
• AE-Led Introduction Calls: At least 10 qualified Account Executive-led introduction calls held per month from approved mapped accounts or approved new buying centres, with meeting notes, stakeholder details, qualification context, and next steps captured in the CRM.
  
• Partner / Data & AI Relevance and Progression: At least 6 approved partner-relevant or Data & AI-relevant opportunities progressed per month from approved mapped accounts, approved new buying centres, or AE-led introduction calls. Current approved partner motions include Snowflake, Matillion, ThoughtSpot, Sigma, and any other technology or services partners approved by Datalab from time to time.
  

Success is not measured by activity volume alone. Activities must be relevant, credible, properly evidenced, aligned to Datalab's target customer profile, and accurately captured in the CRM. In addition to the monthly measures above, the Account Executive is expected to own qualified opportunities through proposal, negotiation, contracting, and close in line with Datalab's commercial objectives.

REMUNERATION STRUCTURE

The total monthly remuneration package for this role is structured as a balanced fixed and performance-based remuneration model.

The remuneration structure includes:

• Fixed base salary, representing 60% of total monthly remuneration.
  
• Variable performance-based remuneration, representing 40% of total monthly remuneration and linked to agreed monthly performance targets.
  
• Monthly variable remuneration is allocated across the three core performance categories as follows:
  • Customer Mapping & Research: 35%
    
  • AE-Led Introduction Calls: 35%
    
  • Partner / Data & AI Relevance and Progression: 30%
    
• Each monthly performance category operates as a threshold-based measure. The Account Executive must achieve 100% of the approved monthly target for a category in order to qualify for payment of the variable remuneration allocated to that category.
  
• Overachievement may be recognised up to the approved maximum cap for each category, subject to quality, evidence, and approval requirements.
  
• Additional bonus earnings may be available for qualifying partner-sourced Cap 1 SPN-approved deal registrations and signed client contracts, subject to Datalab's remuneration policy, approval processes, and payment conditions.