Are you ready to unlock intelligence?
If you don’t think you meet all of the criteria below but are still interested in the job, please apply. Nobody checks every box - we’re looking for candidates that are particularly strong in a few areas, and have some interest and capabilities in others.
About the Role:
We are looking for an experienced sales professional, ideally with open source experience, who will be selling into Central Government departments and public sector agencies. The ideal candidate has been a part of the sales efforts for other early-stage enterprise products in an entrepreneurial setting and understands the unique complexities of public sector procurement. The Strategic Account Executive will be integral to our growth plan and in acquiring new public sector accounts. Kong’s Account Executive will be the primary point of contact and the face of Kong for our prospects.
What You'll Do:
Sell the Kong Enterprise Platform to Central Government and broader public sector customers.
Meet individual quota and objectives.
Take ownership of your territory, which includes understanding and navigating government procurement processes, framework agreements, and buying criteria, ensuring pipeline accuracy based on evidence, and working opportunities to closure.
Provide account leadership and direction in the pre- and post-sales process, maintaining a deep understanding of public sector mission objectives, and contribute to analysis on wins/losses.
Ability to travel to customer and partner sites as required (30% - 50%).
And any additional tasks required by manager.
What You'll Bring:
A true desire to see citizens and public sector organizations benefit from the investment they make with Kong.
10+ years of experience in selling enterprise software, with a proven track record of hitting targets; experience with open source, APIs, and/or infrastructure software a big plus.
Ability to leverage established relationships in enterprise accounts and utilize proven sales techniques for success.
Effective communicator and strong interpersonal skills, capable of building trust with government stakeholders and digital transformation leaders.
Excellent negotiation, presentation, and closing skills within complex buying environments.
Motivated, driven, and results-oriented.
Bonus Points
Experience with fast-growing startups is a plus.
#LI-JM3
About Kong:
Kong Inc., a leading developer of API and AI connectivity technologies, is building the infrastructure that powers the agentic era. Trusted by the Fortune 500 and startups alike, Kong's unified API and AI platform, Kong Konnect, enables organizations to secure, manage, accelerate, govern, and monetize the flow of intelligence across APIs and AI models. For more information, visit www.konghq.com.
Skills Required
- 10+ years selling enterprise software with a proven track record
- Experience selling into Central Government and public sector procurement
- Knowledge of government procurement processes, framework agreements, and buying criteria
- Experience with open source, APIs, and/or infrastructure software
- Ability to travel to customer and partner sites as required (30% - 50%)
- Proven ability to manage a territory, maintain pipeline accuracy, and close deals
- Strong negotiation, presentation, and closing skills within complex buying environments
- Effective communication and ability to build trust with government stakeholders and digital transformation leaders
- Experience with fast-growing startups
- Motivated, driven, and results-oriented
Kong Compensation & Benefits Highlights
The following summarizes recurring compensation and benefits themes identified from responses generated by popular LLMs to common candidate questions about Kong and has not been reviewed or approved by Kong.
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Leave & Time Off Breadth — Flexible PTO, company-wide Unplug Days, and a four‑week paid sabbatical after five years are prominently offered to support rest and work–life balance. These programs are presented as meaningful perks beyond base pay and are highlighted across official materials and third‑party summaries.
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Healthcare Strength — U.S. medical, dental, and vision coverage is described as strong, with plan quality drawing positive sentiment. Solid healthcare appears to contribute meaningfully to overall satisfaction with the total package.
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Equity Value & Accessibility — Stock options are offered to most employees, creating ownership upside alongside cash compensation. Equity is positioned as a visible component that helps keep offers competitive for certain technical and go‑to‑market roles.
Kong Insights
What We Do
Kong Inc., a leading developer of cloud API technologies, is on a mission to enable companies around the world to become “API-first” and securely accelerate AI adoption. Kong helps organizations globally — from startups to Fortune 500 enterprises — unleash developer productivity, build securely and accelerate time to market.
Why Work With Us
It starts with how we show up for each other. We’ve created a workplace that’s intentionally flexible, deeply inclusive, and built for meaningful collaboration — whether virtual or in person. We trust our teams to own their work, and we give them the support, tools, and freedom to grow.
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