Why This Job is Featured on The SaaS Jobs
Enterprise selling remains one of the clearest windows into how SaaS companies translate product capability into durable revenue, and this role sits squarely in that motion. By focusing on SLED, specifically higher education, it connects modern IT service management and employee experience software to environments with complex governance, multiple buying centers, and heightened scrutiny around outcomes.
For a SaaS sales career, the long-term value is in developing repeatable enterprise mechanics that travel well across platforms and categories. Work like navigating medium to long sales cycles, building consensus across IT, HR, and administration, and shaping a business case around operational efficiency tends to sharpen core enterprise skills that later apply to other regulated or stakeholder-heavy verticals. The cross-functional nature of enterprise pursuits also builds fluency with solutions engineering, marketing, and customer success handoffs, which matters in SaaS where retention and expansion depend on what happens after signature.
This role is best suited to someone who prefers structured, consultative deal work over transactional volume, and who enjoys mapping product value to varied stakeholder priorities. It will likely fit a seller who wants deeper vertical expertise while staying anchored in broadly applicable SaaS enterprise sales craft.
The section above is editorial commentary from The SaaS Jobs, provided to help SaaS professionals understand the role in a broader industry context.
Job Description
Company Description
Organizations everywhere struggle under the crushing costs and complexities of “solutions” that promise to simplify their lives. To create a better experience for their customers and employees. To help them grow. Software is a choice that can make or break a business. Create better or worse experiences. Propel or throttle growth. Business software has become a blocker instead of ways to get work done.
There’s another option. Freshworks. With a fresh vision for how the world works.
At Freshworks, we build uncomplicated service software that delivers exceptional customer and employee experiences. Our enterprise-grade solutions are powerful, yet easy to use, and quick to deliver results. Our people-first approach to AI eliminates friction, making employees more effective and organizations more productive. Over 72,000 companies, including Bridgestone, New Balance, Nucor, S&P Global, and Sony Music, trust Freshworks’ customer experience (CX) and employee experience (EX) software to fuel customer loyalty and service efficiency. And, over 4,500 Freshworks employees make this possible, all around the world.
Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.
Job Description
As an Account Executive, Enterprise (SLED), you will play a pivotal role in expanding Freshworks’ footprint within Higher Education institutions. This role focuses on engaging multiple stakeholders across colleges and universities, delivering customized ITSM and EX solutions, and empowering institutions to drive productivity and employee satisfaction through our advanced software. You’ll thrive in complex, consultative sales processes with high-budget deals and medium-to-long sales cycles, helping Higher Education institutions improve employee workflows and IT efficiency.
Key Responsibilities
- Solution Selling: Develop tailored ITSM and EX strategies for Higher Education clients, demonstrating how Freshworks’ solutions optimize productivity and enhance faculty and staff engagement.
- Stakeholder Management: Collaborate with diverse decision-makers, including administrators, IT leaders, and HR departments, to address unique challenges within Higher Education institutions and deliver impactful outcomes.
- Pipeline Management: Build, maintain, and execute a robust sales pipeline, ensuring consistent progress through medium- to long-term sales cycles tailored to the Higher Education sector.
- Customized Engagements: Create and present compelling value propositions that align with institutional goals, priorities, and budgets.
- Collaborative Approach: Partner with Marketing, Solutions Engineers, and Customer Success teams to create seamless, end-to-end experiences for prospects and clients in the Higher Education vertical.
Qualifications
Experience:
- 5–8 years of proven success in SaaS enterprise sales, with strong experience in ITSM and EX solution selling.
- Prior experience selling to Higher Education institutions is a strong plus.
Expertise:
- Advanced knowledge of SaaS platforms and their role in driving institutional efficiency.
- Hands-on experience with ITSM solutions and EX platforms designed to improve faculty and staff productivity and engagement.
Skills:
- Mastery in solution selling and pipeline management.
- Strong analytical abilities to assess customer needs and provide tailored recommendations.
Additional Information
The annual base salary range for this position is $105,000 — $165,000 USD + Variable Compensation (where applicable)
Compensation is based on a variety of factors including but not limited to location, experience, job-related skills, and level. Bonus/equity may be available.
Freshworks Benefits: Freshworks offers multiple options for dental, medical, vision, disability, and life insurance. Equity + ESPP, flexible PTO, flexible spending, commuter benefits and wellness benefits are also offered. Freshworks also offers adoption and parental leave benefits.
At Freshworks, we have fostered an environment that enables everyone to find their true potential, purpose, and passion, welcoming colleagues of all backgrounds, genders, sexual orientations, religions, and ethnicities. We are committed to providing equal opportunity and believe that diversity in the workplace creates a more vibrant, richer environment that boosts the goals of our employees, communities, and business. Fresh vision. Real impact. Come build it with us.
