Strategic Sales Director

Strategic Sales DirectorRobust AI | San Carlos, CA — Remote | Full TimeAbout you and this roleRobust AI is an mid-stage startup founded by an unsurpassed team of veterans in robotics, AI, and Supply Chain who are dedicated to making the promise of Physical AI a reality. We are a collaborative group with a diverse set of perspectives, seeking talented individuals who are passionate about making robots that are valuable to customers and delightful to use. Help us redefine the very foundation of robotics and build robots that are smart, safe, and flexible: fully autonomous and truly collaborative.As a Strategic Sales Director at Robust.AI, you will own our largest and most consequential customer relationships — selling, deploying, expanding, and permanently embedding the next generation of warehouse robotic systems inside enterprise fulfillment networks. This is a high-visibility role reporting to the Head of Sales, with influence across every commercial and technical group within the Robust.AI organization. You will possess a unique combination of well-developed customer-facing skills, problem-solving abilities, leadership, and relationship management through effective communication. You are also comfortable working in a startup environment, can collaborate with a team and can pivot effectively. You will have a strong network and deep experience of selling in fulfillment warehouses. This is a senior individual-contributor role: you carry your own number and mentor the sellers around you rather than managing a team.Main responsibilitiesWork with Robust.AI Sales Leadership to help size and position robotic solutions to both new and existing customersDevelop, maintain, and grow a strong pipeline of qualified opportunities in our target marketDrive and manage the entire sales cycle, from initial engagement to closed sales, for large and mid-market opportunities Build and defend the business case: ROI models, subscription economics, and performance-based structures Lead pricing and contract negotiation in partnership with sales leadership, structuring agreements that scaleNavigate complex, multi-stakeholder buying processes including procurement, legal, safety, and IT security reviewOwn a named portfolio of strategic accounts: build penetration plans that map the organization, identify the economic buyer, and multi-thread across operations, engineering, finance, and ITCollaborate internally with solutions, marketing, product, and customer success teams to provide feedback from the field and ensure an ideal customer experienceAct as a player-coach, leading and mentoring junior reps on the team and in your territoryNetwork and develop relationships with partners in our space to help expand our market presenceTravel to and spend time onsite with prospects to qualify and assess their current operations and fit of our solutionLead and drive the expansion of systems at early-stage customer sitesConduct post-project evaluation and identify successful and unsuccessful project elementsEffectively communicate with customers daily to ensure smooth transitions to deployment and continued scaling opportunitiesCommunicate and troubleshoot with the Robust engineering teamWhat you'll bring to the tableBS in Business Administration, Operations, Engineering, or related field and at least 8 years of related work experienceStrong knowledge and understanding of distribution and fulfillment operationsAn existing network of relationships with 3PLs, retailers, and fulfillment operators that you can activate from day oneA proven track record of achieving and exceeding sales targets and objectivesDemonstrated success closing large, complex, multi-stakeholder deals with long sales cycles and executive sponsorshipStrong commercial and financial fluency — you can build and defend an ROI case in front of customer executivesExperience mentoring or coaching other sellers, formally or informallyAbility to communicate technical/complex information both verbally and in writingSelf-motivated and able to solve problems independently and in customer settingsStrong communication skills to collaborate effectively with internal and external teamsKnowledge of and interest in diverse technical topics, including software, hardware, and roboticsExperience managing and navigating enterprise level salesPerform multiple tasks concurrently and respond to pressure situations effectivelyStrong leadership and relationship-building skills50% Travel requiredNice to haveExperience selling RaaS, subscription, or other consumption-based commercial modelsExperience growing a single-site deployment into an enterprise-wide, multi-site programFamiliarity with WMS/WES ecosystems and how automation integrates with themWhat we offerCompetitive compensation with quota-based acceleratorsStock options and growth potentialStrong startup (and fun) cultureMedical, Dental, and Vision coverageFlexible vacation and sick leave practicesPaid parental leaveRobust AI fosters a culture