Account Executive job description.
An account executive manages client relationships and drives revenue growth by identifying prospects, closing sales, and maintaining ongoing accounts. They build pipeline through outbound outreach and inbound leads, negotiate contracts, and coordinate with internal teams to deliver on client commitments and renewal targets.
The Account Executive job description · $29
The full editable .docx — role summary, 8 worked responsibilities, qualifications, and skills, formatted for your letterhead. Delivered to your inbox within 24 hours — usually instantly.
Role: Account Executive Reports to: Sales Manager or Director of Sales
An account executive manages client relationships and drives revenue growth by identifying prospects, closing sales, and maintaining ongoing accounts. They build pipeline through outbound outreach and inbound leads, negotiate contracts, and coordinate with internal teams to deliver on client commitments and renewal targets.
- Build and manage a pipeline of qualified prospects
- Conduct product demos and sales presentations to prospects
- Negotiate contract terms and close new business deals
What's inside the document.
One-paragraph plain-English explanation of the role's outcome and scope.
8 responsibilities phrased the way the work is actually done.
4 qualifications a candidate must have to perform on day 30.
3 qualifications that would make a candidate excellent in year two.
5 skill chips you can copy directly into your ATS.
Sales Manager or Director of Sales
A complete document set.
- Word document (.docx) — fully editable
- PDF — signature-ready
- Google Docs — one-click copy to your Drive
- 12 months of updates to this document
- Commercial-use licence for internal and client work
The work, not the title.
- Build and manage a pipeline of qualified prospects
- Conduct product demos and sales presentations to prospects
- Negotiate contract terms and close new business deals
- Maintain and grow relationships with existing accounts
- Collaborate with marketing and customer success on handoffs
- Track sales activity and forecast revenue in CRM systems
- Meet or exceed assigned quarterly sales quotas
- Stay current on product updates and competitive positioning
Required — and what would make a candidate excellent.
- Bachelor's degree or equivalent sales experience
- 2+ years of B2B or B2C sales experience
- Strong negotiation and presentation skills
- Proficiency with CRM software
- Experience selling into the employer's target industry
- Track record of exceeding sales quotas
- Familiarity with consultative or solution-selling methods
Eight steps from download to publish.
- 01Open the Account Executive job description in Word or your one-click Google Docs copy.
- 02Replace placeholders for company name, reporting line, and location with your specifics.
- 03Tighten the summary to one paragraph that names the team's outcome, not just the role.
- 04Edit the responsibilities to match the actual scope of the seat — aim for 6 to 8 items, not 12.
- 05Separate required qualifications from preferred. Required is what a candidate must have to do the work on day 30; preferred is what would make them excellent in year two.
- 06Add salary range guidance using BLS, Payscale, or your own band data — do not copy generic figures.
- 07Have the hiring manager and one peer read it. Cut anything that wouldn't survive a candidate question.
- 08Publish to your ATS, intranet, and external careers page.
The right document at the right moment.
Use this Account Executive job description any time you are opening or reopening a seat at this level. The mid band sets the calibration — copy the document, tighten it to your specific scope, and circulate to the hiring panel before the first interview.
The reporting line (Sales Manager or Director of Sales) and skills list are starting points. Override either if your org structure or stack differs from the norm — the template is a draft, not a contract.
Honest answers before you download.
- What's the difference between an account executive and a sales representative?
- Account executives often manage the full sales cycle from qualified lead to close and ongoing account growth, while sales representatives may focus more narrowly on outreach or specific deal stages.
- What quota expectations are typical?
- Quotas vary widely by industry and deal size, so employers should define clear, achievable targets tied to territory and pipeline support provided.
Other documents in this neighbourhood.
Sales Representative
A Sales Representative manages a portfolio of prospects and customers, runs the sales cycle from qualification to close, and is accountable for a quota of revenue or new logos..
Sales Manager
A Sales Manager leads a team of sales representatives to meet revenue targets and grow market share.
Customer Success Manager
A Customer Success Manager builds long-term relationships with customers to drive product adoption, satisfaction, and retention.
This Account Executive job description is a professionally drafted starting point for your hiring process and is not legal advice. Hiring practice varies by jurisdiction (e.g. pay-transparency laws differ across US states and AU jurisdictions). Adapt this document for your specific location and have employment counsel review any clauses you add before publishing. Salary varies by region, employer type, and experience. Reference BLS or current industry surveys for ranges. Full disclaimer.