Founding Account Executive | eCommerce AI SaaS (US)

Location: New York, United States

Experience: 5–12 years

Team: Sales

About Manifest AI:

Manifest AI helps eCommerce brands increase conversions with an AI Shopping Assistant that answers product questions, recommends the right products, summarizes reviews, guides purchase decisions, and delivers personalized shopping experiences across every stage of the buyer journey.

Backed by Y Combinator (S20), Manifest AI is trusted by 500+ global brands, including LEGO, Transformer Table, Imagine, Durex, and many of the fastest-growing Shopify merchants. We’re helping merchants increase conversions, improve customer engagement, and create shopping experiences that feel as natural as talking to an in-store expert.

As AI transforms how consumers discover and buy products online, we’re building the digital store associate every eCommerce brand will rely on.

About the Role:

This isn’t a typical Account Executive role.

Our North America go-to-market is already founder-led, and you’ll work directly with the founders to build pipeline, close deals, and help scale Manifest AI across the region.

You’ll sell directly to eCommerce brands, operators, founders, and enterprise retail teams looking to improve product discovery, customer engagement, and conversions through AI.

If you enjoy building pipeline, owning the full sales cycle, and helping shape how a fast-growing AI company wins a market, you’ll thrive here.

What You’ll Do

• Own the entire sales cycle, from outbound prospecting to close.
• Build pipeline through cold calls, email, LinkedIn, and account research.
• Run discovery calls, product demos, negotiations, and close deals.
• Sell to senior decision-makers, including Founders, CEOs, Heads of eCommerce, Growth, Marketing, Customer Experience, and Digital teams.
• Travel across the US with the founders for key customer meetings, conferences, and industry events.
• Represent Manifest AI at leading eCommerce conferences and customer events.
• Partner closely with Product, Marketing, and Customer Success to bring customer feedback into product and go-to-market decisions.
• Build trusted relationships with prospects by understanding their business goals and demonstrating how AI can improve their online shopping experience.
• Own your territory with a founder mentality, continuously experimenting with outbound strategies and account planning to create pipeline.
• Maintain accurate pipeline management and forecasting through CRM hygiene.

Whom We’re Looking For:

• 5–12 years of quota-carrying B2B SaaS closing experience with ownership of the full sales cycle.
• Comfortable operating in outbound-heavy, zero-to-one startup environments.
• Confident leading discovery, negotiation, and executive-level conversations.
• Self-directed, competitive, and comfortable with ambiguity.
• Strong communicator who enjoys building relationships with founders and senior business leaders.
• Curious about AI and excited by how it’s transforming eCommerce.
• Based in the United States and willing to travel for customer meetings and industry events.
• Candidates with experience selling into Shopify brands, eCommerce retailers, or digital commerce teams will be strongly preferred.

Preferred Experience:

We’re especially excited to meet candidates with backgrounds in eCommerce SaaS.

Ideal experience includes selling:

• Shopify apps or Shopify ecosystem products
• eCommerce SaaS platforms
• AI or automation software
• Customer Experience (CX) platforms
• Marketing Technology (MarTech)
• Commerce technology
• Personalization, search, merchandising, or conversion optimization platforms

Bonus points if you’ve worked with Shopify merchants, DTC brands, omnichannel retailers, or enterprise commerce teams.

Contract-to-Hire Structure:

This role begins as a 2-month paid contract designed as a focused ramp period.

During this time, you’ll be expected to:

• Build a qualified pipeline.
• Run discovery and demo calls.
• Progress opportunities toward close.
• Demonstrate ownership, execution, and strong customer engagement.

High performers will transition into a full-time Founding Account Executive role with expanded responsibility, ownership, and long-term growth opportunities.

Perks & Benefits:

• 📈 Competitive Compensation + ESOPs – Share in the long-term success of Manifest AI through a competitive compensation package and employee stock ownership.
• 🤝 **Work Directly with the Founders…