Senior Account Executive, Higher Education - Occuspace
At Occuspace, we believe the physical world should be as data-driven as the digital world. Space utilization data drives better and more sustainable design, management and experience of physical spaces. Our mission is to make it simple and easy to collect and act on this data. We believe that how humans interact with buildings will be the single most important data point in designing the buildings of the future. We have a lot of work to do to make space utilization data a standard metric for all commercial buildings, but with a world-class team working in a low-ego environment, we believe we can truly change how we design, manage, and experience the built environment.
About the Role:
We’re seeking a senior-level higher education seller to drive new business growth for Occuspace’s market-leading space utilization platform trusted by over 100 colleges and universities, including Stanford, UCLA, Purdue, Clemson, and LSU. This role owns new business for our higher education vertical. You’ll win net-new universities by selling to the business leadership side of campus who run facilities, energy, space and capital planning, finance and IT. You’ll start with a live pipeline of RFPs and strong market relationships. We’re looking for someone who wants to own this business, gets excited about growing it, and has a consistent track record of exceeding sales targets in Higher Ed.
What You’ll Do:
● Drive Net-New Revenue: Own the full sales cycle for new logo acquisition — from targeted prospecting and lead generation through contract execution.
● Prospect Relentlessly: Identify, research, and engage high-potential accounts, focusing on business-side decision-makers, typically within Finance and Administration organizations, such as VPs, AVCs, VCs, and department heads.
● Own the Territory and Win RFPs: Build and run the Higher Ed territory plan, and get ahead of and lead public procurement RFPs end-to-end, from response through evaluation presentations to contracting.
● Lead Commercial Negotiations: Manage complex sales processes, align technical and business requirements, and negotiate strategic agreements that deliver measurable business results and ROI for clients.
● Industry Engagement: Build visibility and credibility by attending key industry conferences, events, and networking opportunities (such as national and regional SCUP, APPA and NACUBO events) to establish Occuspace as the go-to partner for campus space occupancy data and insights.
● Consultative Solution Selling: Deeply understand prospect pain points, uncover hidden challenges, and design tailored solutions that demonstrate clear business value.
● Collaborate for Success: Partner closely with product, marketing, and customer success teams to ensure alignment from initial pitch through onboarding.
● Maintain a High-Velocity Pipeline: Use CRM tools to track activity, forecast accurately, and maintain consistent progress toward aggressive new business goals.
Key Qualifications:
● Higher Ed SaaS Sales Experience: 5–7+ years of new business sales selling SaaS or similar technology into higher education, with a record of exceeding quota by consistently closing net-new institutions. Higher Ed vertical experience is strongly preferred.
● Hunter Mindset: Proven ability to identify, target, and break into new markets; thrives in building pipeline from scratch.
● Technical & Solution Proficiency: Skilled in positioning occupancy software, space management, or related technology, translating complex solutions into clear business benefits.
● Selling to Business-Side Leaders: Expert in discovery and solution design that wins buy-in from business-side campus leaders in facilities, space planning, finance and IT, rather than academic departments.
● High-Impact Communication & Negotiation: Exceptional verbal, written, and presentation skills, with the ability to influence strategic discussions and structure complex agreements, including public procurement RFPs, sole-source justifications and purchasing cooperatives.
● Ownership Mindset: You run the sales aspect of the Higher Ed business like it’s your own, with urgency, accountability and focus in a fast-paced, high-growth environment.
Preferred Skills:
● Experience with campus finance & administration, space management, facilities, IoT, WiFi or ed-tech solutions.
● An existing network of university facilities, space planning or IT leaders.
● Experience with CRM platforms such as HubSpot.
● Strong presentation skills and the ability to articulate value propositions to diverse audiences.
Benefits:
● Competitive base salary plus uncapped commission on new business
● Comprehensive benefits package, including health, dental, and vision insurance.
● 401(k) and PTO
● Professional development opportunities and career growth potential.
● Remote work flexibility.
Equal Opportunity Employer: We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.