Cloudflare is hiring: Senior Account Executive, Start-ups (Bay Area) in San Fran

Senior Account Executive, Start-ups (Bay Area)

Join Cloudflare as a Senior Account Executive focused on start‑ups in the Bay Area.

About Us

At Cloudflare, we are on a mission to help build a better Internet. Our network powers millions of websites and other Internet properties for customers ranging from individual bloggers to SMBs to Fortune 500 companies. Cloudflare protects and accelerates any Internet application online without adding hardware, installing software, or changing a line of code. The global network becomes smarter with every request, improving performance and reducing spam and attacks. Cloudflare was named to Entrepreneur Magazine’s Top Company Cultures list and ranked among the World’s Most Innovative Companies by Fast Company.

About The Department

Account Executives, Channel Account Managers, Business Development Representatives, Solution Engineers, Customer Success, and Sales Operations work together to help customers adopt Cloudflare and create great internet‑enabled experiences. The sales team helps customers solve real, technical problems while creating revenue streams that support free services for millions.

About This Role

Digital Native AEs sell into the most innovative companies in North America. In targeting high‑growth, technologically advanced, and venture‑backed companies, AEs drive in‑depth product discussions while communicating and demonstrating value quickly to customers. This role focuses on both acquiring new Digital Native accounts and expanding existing customer accounts across Security, Network, Development, and Infrastructure teams.

Key Responsibilities

• Develop, execute, and maintain your territory plan to exceed quarterly sales targets and annual quota.
• Be an expert in three sales motions: new business acquisition, customer expansion, and renewal.
• Build a robust sales pipeline using the four sourcing funnels: AE‑led outbound, BDR, Channel, and Marketing Inbound.
• Leverage a deep technical understanding of the problems Cloudflare solves to drive a consultative sales motion.
• Craft and communicate compelling value propositions for Cloudflare services, including regular outbound campaigns on product and feature updates.
• Accurately forecast and build commercial outcomes through consistent sales processes, next‑step expectations, and contract negotiations.
• As a trusted advisor, build long‑term strategic relationships with key accounts to ensure adoption, retention, and expansion.
• Network across business units within accounts and multi‑thread to identify and engage new divisional buyers.
• Position Cloudflare’s platform—including Cloudflare One and the Connectivity Cloud—in each target customer.
• Operate internally as a liaison with cross‑functional teams to share customer feedback and insights to improve experience and investments.

Requirements

• 5+ years sales experience selling B2B SaaS.
• Strong B2B discovery skills.
• Ability to customize a client‑centric why‑change narrative with industry trend insight.
• Track record of beating annual targets of $1M+ and managing complex six‑figure deals.
• Experienced in multithreading into the C‑suite and across an organization to manage a complex sales cycle.
• Self‑motivated; entrepreneurial spirit.
• Bachelor’s degree required.
• Proficiency in SFDC, Tableau, G‑suite, and MSFT suite.
• Ability to travel up to 25% of the time.

Compensation

Compensation may be adjusted depending on level and work location.

• California (excluding Bay Area): Annual salary $235,000 – $287,000.
• Bay Area: Annual salary $248,000 – $303,000.

This role is eligible to earn incentive compensation under Cloudflare’s Sales Compensation Plan. The estimated annual salary range includes on‑target incentive compensation that may be attained under the plan.

Equity

This role is eligible to participate in Cloudflare’s equity plan.

Benefits

Cloudflare offers a complete package of benefits and programs to support you and your family. The following describes the benefits for U.S. employees; benefits may vary outside the U.S.

Health & Welfare Benefits

• Medical/Rx Insurance
• Dental Insurance
• Vision Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Commuter Spending Accounts
• Fertility & Family Forming Benefits
• On‑demand mental health support and Employee Assistance Program
• Global Travel Medical Insurance

Financial Benefits

• Short and Long Term Disability Insurance
• Life & Accident Insurance
• 401(k) Retirement Savings Plan
• Employee Stock Participation Plan

Time Off

• Flexible paid time off covering vacation and sick leave
• Leave programs, including parental, pregnancy health, medical, and bereavement leave

What Makes Cloudflare Special

We’re not just a highly ambitious, large‑scale technology company. Fundamental to our mission is protecting the free and open Internet.

Project Galileo: Since 2014, we’ve equipped more than 2,400 journalism and civil society organizations in 111 countries with powerful tools to defend against attacks that would otherwise censor their work. These tools are already used by Cloudflare’s enterprise customers at no cost.

Athenian Project: Since 2017, we’ve created the Athenian Project to ensure state and local governments have the highest level of protection and reliability for free. We have provided services to more than 425 local government election websites in 33 states.

1.1.1.1: We released 1.1.1.1 to help fix the foundation of the Internet by building a faster, more secure and privacy‑centric public DNS resolver. This is available publicly for everyone to use; we never store client IP addresses. We will continue to abide by our privacy commitment and ensure no user data is sold to advertisers or used to target consumers.

Sound like something you’d like to be a part of? We’d love to hear from you!

This position may require access to information protected under U.S. export control laws, including the U.S. Export Administration Regulations. Any offer of employment may be conditioned on your authorization to receive software or technology controlled under these laws without sponsorship for an export license.

Cloudflare is an equal‑opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without regard to any protected class. We are an AA/Veterans/Disabled Employer.

Cloudflare provides reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with disabilities. If you require a reasonable accommodation to apply, please contact us at hr@cloudflare.com or 101 Townsend St., San Francisco, CA 94107.

Seniority level

Mid‑Senior level

Employment type

Full‑time

Job function

Sales and Business Development

Industries

• IT Services and IT Consulting
• Technology
• Information and Internet
• Computer and Network Security