Key Account Director

Posted Yesterday
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Paris, Île-de-France, FRA
In-Office
Senior level
Security • Cybersecurity
The Role
Own and drive full sales cycle for Global 500 strategic accounts: build and manage pipeline, run POCs, lead commercial negotiations, map executive stakeholders, collaborate with partners and SMEs, and close high-value cybersecurity deals independently.
Summary Generated by Built In

Darktrace is a global leader in AI-driven cybersecurity, helping organizations stay ahead of evolving threats every day.    

Darktrace was built on a genuinely differentiated idea: that Adaptive AI could detect and respond to novel, real-time cyber threats. That approach matters more than ever in the era of AI.  Today, our customers depend on us to stay ahead.   

At Darktrace, we are energized by that responsibility.  We work across teams and rally around a shared goal. We own outcomes end to end - step in, step up and see things through without waiting to be asked.   We make decisions with urgency, say the hard thing, and hold each other to high standards with care and directness. We move first and learn fast anticipating where our customers are going next, continuously challenging ourselves.  

We invest in the skills, learning and opportunities that help people deliver at the level their roles demand, and reward the aptitude and curiosity to grow beyond them. 

Our Values: Own It | Win as One | Raise Our Bar | Move First. Learn Fast 

Job Description:

Focusing on strategic accounts, comprising of the Global 500, you will work with your supporting team to identify opportunities, map accounts, and expand key stakeholder relationships to successful meet your sales targets. This is a closing role, and is therefore responsible for the entire sales cycle, including the revenue attributed to winning new customers. 

What will I be doing:

The team comprises of experienced sales professionals, each with experience of working with strategic opportunities across the industry. As a Key Account Director you will report directly to the senior leadership team and play a crucial role in ensuring strong alignment with partners and proactively creating and managing your own pipeline to drive business success.  

  • Independently create and develop a robust sales pipeline, leveraging both direct outreach and collaboration with internal BDR teams and strategic partners. 

  • Attending meetings to present Darktrace and discuss Cyber challenges / priorities with strategic scale opportunities 

  • Take the lead in running projects (POCs) with strategic-scale opportunities, ensuring a proactive approach to building and nurturing the pipeline while maintaining partner collaboration in solution development. 

  • Drive commercial negotiations while maintaining alignment with key partners to enhance business outcomes. 

  • Collaborate with dedicated Subject Matter Experts and channel partners to address complex use cases effectively. 

  • Map key accounts and develop strategic relationships with executive stakeholders (C-Level and below), ensuring account strategies integrate both self-generated and partner-led opportunities. 

  • Work independently with minimal oversight, providing creative and effective solutions to immediate challenges and advising others on complex issues, while maintaining a partner-centric approach. 

 

What experience do I need:

 

With deep expertise in cybersecurity, this role requires articulating complex security challenges, tailoring value-based solutions, and fostering trust with key decision-makers. Skilled in qualifying leads, optimising pipelines, and leading high-value negotiations, this role also navigates compliance landscapes and strategic market positioning. This role emphasises collaboration, resilience, and mentorship to align with customer needs while driving continuous improvement. Leveraging advanced CRM and sales tools, the position enhances business processes and outcomes, ensuring strategic efficiency and long-term success. 

  • Demonstrated ability to self-source and develop a strong sales pipeline, leveraging both direct prospecting and partner-led initiatives. 

  • Proven ability to align with partners, leveraging joint value propositions to drive success. 

  • This position is suited to an individual who can demonstrate a successful track record of full-cycle sales experience of large cyber security sales at the strategic level. 

  • You'll bring the ability to leverage your existing network in developing your client base within the first 6 - 9 months, including self-sourcing new opportunities and collaborating with partners to expand reach. 

  • Given the complexity of the work you'll have excellent communication skills allowing you to co-ordinate with multi-disciplinary teams and strategic partners. 

  • A hunter mentality, with the ability to actively seek out and create new business opportunities, build rapport with senior decision-makers, and maintain long-term partner alignment. 

Benefits:

  • 25 days’ holiday + all public holidays,

  • Additional day off for your birthday,

  • Life & disability insurance,

  • Medical insurance,

  • Meal vouchers,

  • Employee Assistance Program.

As a growing business strengthening its governance and controls, this role plays a part in supporting high standards of integrity and accountability. 

Darktrace is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We consider all qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth, and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, veteran or military status, or any other characteristic protected by applicable federal, state, or local law.

Darktrace is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities in accordance with applicable laws. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate in the application or interview process, please contact your Talent Partner.

Skills Required

  • Deep expertise in cybersecurity and ability to articulate complex security challenges
  • Proven track record of full-cycle, strategic enterprise cybersecurity sales (closing large deals)
  • Demonstrated ability to self-source and develop a strong sales pipeline
  • Experience aligning and collaborating with channel partners and joint value propositions
  • Ability to leverage existing network to develop client base within first 6-9 months
  • Skilled in qualifying leads, optimising pipelines, and leading high-value negotiations
  • Experience running and leading POCs and solution development with strategic accounts
  • Excellent communication and stakeholder management with executive (C-level) audiences
  • Proficiency with advanced CRM and sales tools
  • Hunter mentality and ability to independently create new business opportunities

Darktrace Compensation & Benefits Highlights

The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Darktrace and has not been reviewed or approved by Darktrace.

  • Healthcare Strength Healthcare coverage is considered strong in the U.S., with employer-paid medical, dental, and vision noted alongside good networks. Plan quality stands out as a core strength of the package.
  • Leave & Time Off Breadth Time off typically includes around 20–21 days of PTO plus paid holidays, with mentions of an additional birthday day. Parental and family leave are also described as part of the offering.
  • Affordable Benefits Employer-paid health coverage for employees—often extended to dependents—reduces premium costs. This makes core medical benefits more financially accessible.

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The Company
HQ: Cambridge
1,763 Employees
Year Founded: 2013

What We Do

Darktrace, a global leader in cyber security AI, delivers world-class technology that protects over 5,500 customers worldwide from advanced threats, including ransomware and cloud and SaaS attacks. The company’s fundamentally different approach applies Self-Learning AI to enable machines to understand the business in order to autonomously defend it. Headquartered in Cambridge, UK, the company has 1,500 employees and over 30 offices worldwide. Darktrace was named one of TIME magazine’s ‘Most Influential Companies’ for 2021.

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