About the role

ABOUT OPENROUTER OpenRouter is the open AI routing and infrastructure layer that enterprises use to access, manage, and optimize the best large language models across providers—without lock-in, capacity constraints, or unnecessary cost. We power some of the most advanced AI teams in the world by giving them the flexibility to move fast, scale confidently, and stay future-proof as models evolve. As enterprise adoption of AI accelerates, OpenRouter sits at the center of how organizations operationalize LLMs across research, product, and production workloads. ABOUT THE ROLE As a Strategic Account Executive, you will develop our partnerships with our largest and most complex enterprise customers by creating long-term alignment between OpenRouter and your accounts' business strategy, technology roadmap, and AI adoption journey. This is a high-impact role focused on multi-stakeholder deals, long sales cycles, and strategic AI infrastructure conversations with technical, financial, and executive decision-makers. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Proactively build and manage a robust pipeline of high-impact outbound sales campaigns to identify and engage key decision-makers at target accounts, establishing the value proposition early in the sales cycle. - Be accountable for the relationship and business developed between OpenRouter and a limited number of Strategic Accounts - Build, document, and implement account strategies that are mutually beneficial to the customers you manage and OpenRouter - Build, develop, and orchestrate multi-level executive relationships across CTO, CIO, CFO, and AI leadership - Own the full sales cycle from lead to close to activation for large enterprise deals, including demos, proposals, and ROI analyses - Contribute to shaping our enterprise go-to-market strategy and building repeatable processes and scaled engagement models - Stay abreast of AI trends, competitive landscapes, and regulatory changes to inform sales strategies and provide feedback to the product team - Attend industry conferences, client meetings, and networking events (up to 30% travel required) WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR - 7-10+ years of sales experience managing large, strategic accounts, selling complex technical solutions, and closing seven-figure deals with consistent overachievement in quota - Demonstrated ability to thrive in highly ambiguous, unstructured environments, with a proven capacity to create clarity, define processes, and navigate complex challenges independently. - A proven track record of moving sales processes forward from inception to close by leading complex, multi-party sales in a highly consultative manner, understanding customer strategies and leading with value - Great listening skills and the ability to quickly become a trusted resource for C-level decision-makers across technology and finance organizations - An ability to understand complex technical and business problems and articulate how OpenRouter's platform can address them - Experience selling technical or infrastructure products (AI/ML platforms, developer tools, cloud, data, or APIs) - Proven ability to lead complex negotiations involving bespoke commercial agreements, with strong business acumen around pricing, contracts, and enterprise buying processes - Superior verbal, written, and presentation skills - A positive attitude and tireless work ethic when encountering blockers to success, whether external or internal - Strong interest in technology and a deep understanding of the AI/LLM space - Meticulous approach to CRM hygiene and experience utilizing thorough sales forecasting metrics on a weekly/quarterly basis and communicating them in a succinct manner NICE TO HAVES - Experience selling AI, ML, or developer-first products - Familiarity with LLM ecosystems (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, open-source models) - Experience working with global or multi-region enterprise customers - Prior startup or high-growth