Account Executive

Acorn Canberra, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

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About Acorn: At Acorn PLMS, we are on a mission to transform the corporate learning experience. Our cutting-edge Performance Learning Management System (PLMS) software is powered by AI and designed to ensure that what people learn directly contributes to their exceptional performance in business. Corporate performance and learning needs a revolution, and Acorn PLMS is the antidote. We are the only solution that guides learners step by step to master the specific capabilities required for their roles, ultimately accelerating organisational performance.

Are you a driven sales professional who thrives on challenging the status quo and closing high-impact deals? We’d love to hear from you!

We are open to individuals based in Canberra or Sydney, Australia - this is an in-office role.

Role Overview

We are seeking a high-performing Account Executive to join Acorn’s Go-to-Market team and help accelerate our growth in the enterprise SaaS market. As a key member of our GTM function, you will be responsible for driving new business revenue, managing complex sales cycles, and partnering closely with internal stakeholders to deliver compelling value to prospective customers within Australia. You’ll be selling a market-leading Learning and Performance platform (PLMS) that transforms how organisations enable and measure workforce capability.

Our team uses the Challenger Sales Methodology and its principles of Teaching for Differentiation, Tailoring for Resonance and Taking Control, and we’re looking for someone who thrives in a consultative, insight-led sales environment. This is a strategic, quota-carrying role suited to a senior seller who excels in fast-paced, high-performance settings. You'll be backed by a cross-functional team including marketing, demand gen, and customer success to help you win and grow meaningful customer relationships.

5 Key Capabilities

The best part… we use our Acorn software at Acorn. We believe in the power of our Managers and Staff being aligned on the 5 capabilities needed for each role, and the level that we expect for any given role, using our Acorn AI tool to streamline this consistently across our business. The 5 levels comprise Foundational, Developing, Proficient, Advanced and Expert.

Here are the 5 capabilities for our Account Executive to give you an idea of what the role entails:

- Strategic Prospecting - Identifies and qualifies potential clients within Acorn’s ICP, leveraging market insights and Acorn’s value propositions to uncover new opportunities. Proficient level:



Consistently identifies high-potential leads. Tailors outreach strategically.
- Teaching for Differentiation - Challenges client assumptions by delivering unique insights that create differentiation. Reframes client needs to reveal unconventional solutions linked to Acorn’s offerings. Proficient level: Challenges client thinking using tailored insights. Confidently connects insights to Acorn solutions.
- Tailoring for Resonance - Customises messaging to client-specific needs for maximum relevance and engagement. Aligns communication with client priorities, using emotional and rational appeals effectively. Proficient level: Consistently delivers resonant messaging that deeply connects with client needs.
- Taking Control - Drives sales conversations assertively, steering discussions toward desired outcomes. Influences decision-making confidently while remaining flexible to client needs. Proficient level: Confidently drives strategic discussions, managing objections effectively to maintain momentum.
- Market and Product Knowledge - Maintains comprehensive knowledge of Acorn’s product suite and industry landscape. Leverages this knowledge to inform sales strategies and educate clients, ensuring alignment with Acorn’s values of transparency and innovation. Proficient level: Demonstrates in-depth product and market understanding. Confidently articulates Acorn’s offerings, adapting messaging to client industry.

Key Responsibilities

- Own and drive full sales cycles from discovery to close, targeting mid-market and enterprise organisations
- Build and manage a healthy pipeline of qualified opportunities through a mix of outbound prospecting and inbound leads
- Develop tailored proposals and deliver compelling product demonstrations that articulate the business value of Acorn’s platform
- Apply Challenger Sales principles to reframe client thinking and lead value-driven conversations
- Negotiate commercial terms and close deals that drive long-term value for customers and Acorn
- Maintain accurate forecasts and reporting in CRM (HubSpot)
- Collaborate with marketing, product, and implementation teams to ensure seamless handover and onboarding of new customers
- Represent the voice of the customer internally, sharing market feedback to inform go-to-market strategy and product roadmap

Experience





- 5 years of experience in B2B SaaS sales, with a consistent track record of hitting or exceeding quota
- Experience selling to HR, L&D;, or Operations stakeholders is highly valued
- Familiarity with the Challenger Sales Methodology and a proven ability to apply insight-led selling approaches
- Strong storytelling and demoing skills; ability to lead compelling discovery conversations and align solutions to strategic pain points
- Skilled in using modern sales tools (e.g. HubSpot)
- Comfortable navigating high-velocity environments and multi-threaded enterprise sales cycles
- Robust interpersonal skills with a growth mindset and team-first attitude
- Experience working in fast-paced, high-growth startups or scale-ups is a plus
- Be part of a high-growth SaaS company on a global mission
- Sell a category-leading platform that solves real customer problems
- Work with a high-performing, collaborative team that values continuous learning

Location

We are open to individuals based in Sydney or Canberra, Australia. We are an office-first company, meaning we work from our local offices the majority (if not all) of the time. Please note candidates will need to be in commuting distance to our offices based in the Canberra and Sydney CBD.

Applicants must have full working rights in Australia to be considered for this role. Unfortunately we are unable to provide visa sponsorship at this time.

Recruitment Process

Acorn is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. We are an equal opportunities employer and welcome applications from all qualified candidates. We aim to ensure that our recruitment process is fair and accessible to everyone and encourage candidates to request any accommodations needed during the application or interview stages.

About Working at Acorn

Acorn is the hub for learning and performance for over 3 million active learners globally. The work you do — whether that’s writing lines of code, designing the layout of a dashboard, or talking to customers — helps real people grow not just professionally, but personally. In the space of 10 years, we’ve grown to a global platform in the heart of many major organisations’ ecosystems.

There’s still so much more to do, and we need people who are keen to help us journey into the next phase on board! And since we’re still growing, there’s so much you can learn on that journey with us. To find out more about life at Acorn, our Values and working with us, check out our website at https://acorn.works and see our Life At Acorn video here! https://youtu.be/2BGUk-n3FrQ?si=U_sS1Y5ZSP0tNtZW

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📌 Account Executive (Canberra)
🏢 Acorn
📍 Canberra