Sales Director, NYC
ABOUT AARU
Aaru operates at the frontier of predictive intelligence, using AI to simulate and predict human behavior at scale. By generating and deploying instances of artificial intelligence that mirror humans, called agents, Aaru simulates entire populations with unprecedented accuracy. Our partners use Aaru to refine strategic positioning, identify and understand high-value audiences, validate concepts and messaging before launch, optimize pricing decisions, and build a continuously richer understanding of their customers through simulation. We provide organizations with invaluable foresight, empowering them to anticipate outcomes and proactively make the right decisions at the right time, every time.
We're a small, dedicated, mission-driven team and we intend to stay that way. We believe the best work happens when exceptionally talented people are given ownership, trust and the space to operate without bureaucratic friction. We work with urgency and intellectual honesty and expect new team members to match our velocity. We seek individuals who thrive at the frontier, who push beyond conventional limits, who bring curiosity and conviction in equal measure, and who want their work to have demonstrable impact in the world. If you're energized by the idea of a small team doing things that feel impossible, let’s build together.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Aaru is looking for a Sales Director to build and lead a team of Enterprise Account Executives as we scale go-to-market. Aaru's clients use behavioral simulations to pressure-test high-stakes decisions before they're made: M&A strategy, product launches, policy shifts, and geopolitical risk assessments. You'll be responsible for the team selling a novel capability to some of the world's most sophisticated decision-makers, including C-suite executives and government officials.
The ideal candidate has carried an individual number in a technically sophisticated or emerging-category product before stepping into management, and has since built and run a small, high-performing AE team. You know how to test and build a repeatable motion that your people can execute against.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Talent Magnet. Recruit, coach, and retain exceptional GTM talent with deep industry and platform-selling expertise; develop leadership talent and create career paths that keep top performers growing
Codify the use cases, proof points, reference stories, and sales motions that make wins repeatable within each industry, partnering with Alliances, Marketing and Enablement teams to scale them
Engage personally with C-level executives on priority pursuits, building business cases and value narratives and navigating complex procurement, security, and legal processes through to production deployment and expansion
Own the organization's revenue targets and operating rhythm, instilling pipeline-generation discipline and running forecasting, deal inspection, and account planning cadences that make performance predictable and coachable across a high-volume, high-velocity book of business
Partner closely with Applied AI, Solutions Architecture, and Product to design solutions, prove value quickly, and translate industry needs into product and roadmap input
Orchestrate cross-functional and partner motions with Deployment, Marketing, Partnerships and Legal to deliver a seamless customer experience, and represent Aaru with customers and at industry events as a visible, trusted leader
YOU MAY BE A FIT IF
Experience leading GTM teams that sell technical, complex products at the frontier of AI technology
A proven track record of land and expand motion within enterprise customers, including building C-suite relationships
You can read a pipeline and a forecast critically: you spot soft deals, coach the gaps, and hold sellers accountable without needing to take over their deals
Experience designing go-to-market coverage for a strategic sales team, including but not limited to account segmentation, prioritization and PG narrative
Operational rigor across both a high-volume pipeline and complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles, balancing velocity with deal quality and forecasting accurately in fast-changing environments
Credibility with technical or research-adjacent buyers, working effectively with solutions architects and applied AI teams
Strong coaching skills that raise team performance through deal coaching and account strategy, combined with personal effectiveness alongside executives on high-priority opportunities
A genuine interest in the mission of Aaru - using simulations to change the world in front of us
STRONG CANDIDATES MAY ALSO
Have built a sales team from a small handful of reps into a larger, structured org, including standing up early sales ops, comp design, and territory planning.
Have experience selling and managing teams that sell through consulting or channel partners, not just direct, and understand the nuances of co-selling and partner-influenced deals.
Have sold or managed the sale of something that didn't have a name yet: a new category, a new methodology, a capability that buyers had to be educated on before they could be convinced.
Have familiarity with financial services, CPG, energy, healthcare, or government verticals where high-stakes decisions are frequent and the cost of being wrong is high.
Have exposure to AI, advanced analytics, research methodologies, or scenario planning tools, and can have a substantive conversation about how they work and where they fall short.
LOCATION
This role is based in New York City. Aaru is an in-person company, working 5 days a week in office. Candidates are expected to be located within the New York City metropolitan area or open to relocation.
BENEFITS
At Aaru, we take care of our people. In addition to a competitive base salary and equity participation, we offer comprehensive medical, vision, and dental coverage, visa sponsorship and relocation support, and various other benefits and perks.