Enterprise AE at Pre-IPO Cybersecurity Startup - $170K in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
Compensation & Market Position: The $164K–$170K base salary is competitive but on the lower end for senior enterprise AE roles at high-growth cybersecurity startups, where top performers often see $180K–$220K base. However, on-target earnings (OTE) via commission — which is likely 1:1 with base — could push total comp to $330K–$340K+, which is solidly market-rate for F1000-focused enterprise sales.
Career Development Signals: Obsidian is pre-IPO and actively fundraising, making this a high-risk, high-reward opportunity. Joining at this stage as an Enterprise AE means:
- Equity upside if the IPO materializes (founders came from CrowdStrike, Okta, Carbon Black — credible pedigree)
- Opportunity to build out territory from the ground up — valuable for future leadership roles
- Deep exposure to SaaS security, one of the fastest-growing cybersecurity categories (OAuth, AI agent risks, identity)
Green Flags: Backed by Greylock, credible founding team, named enterprise logos (Snowflake, T-Mobile), and a growing partner ecosystem (SentinelOne, Google Cloud) signal real market traction — not vaporware.
Red Flags to Watch: "Major fundraise ahead" can mean the company is still burning cash. New logo focus (vs. expansion) means a hunting-heavy quota — ideal for self-starters but demanding. Ensure quota attainability data is requested during interviews.
Skills Developed: Enterprise cybersecurity sales, C-suite relationship management, SaaS security narrative building — all highly transferable to roles at CrowdStrike, Palo Alto Networks, or similar players.
Obsidian Security is the leading SaaS security platform, trusted by global enterprises like Snowflake, T-Mobile, and Algolia. We protect 200+ organizations across North America, Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Australia, and New Zealand, including many of the world's largest Fortune 1000 and Global 2000 companies.
Founded in 2017 and backed by top investors like Greylock, Obsidian was built to close a critical gap: securing SaaS apps where business happens—Microsoft 365, Salesforce, and hundreds more. The company does this by offering a complete SaaS security platform to reduce risk, detect and respond to threats, and prevent breaches at the source. Obsidian was built by leaders who redefined endpoint and identity security at CrowdStrike, Okta, Cylance, and Carbon Black. Now, they're transforming how SaaS is secured.
With AI driving rapid SaaS growth and complexity, agentic AI tools gain privileged access to sensitive data through integrations, creating new risks most security tools miss. Obsidian uniquely detects anomalous OAuth token activity and manages integration risks. Major announcements are on the horizon. Recognizing that SaaS security needs to evolve, Obsidian enables growing organizations to start with a lightweight, prevention-focused browser extension and expand coverage over time.
With global momentum, a growing partner ecosystem including SentinelOne, Databricks, and Google Cloud, and a major fundraise ahead, Obsidian is scaling rapidly toward long-term growth and IPO readiness.
About the Team:
We're looking for a hardworking, focused, and driven Enterprise Account Executive to channel energy, passion, and initiative into new logo acquisition. You'll be responsible for developing and executing against a comprehensive account/territory plan whilst working collaboratively with our internal and external resources. This is a 100% remote role with ability to travel within and outside of this region.
About the Role:
- Proactively identify, qualify, and close sales pipeline across your territory and accounts
- Close business to meet and exceed monthly, quarterly, and annual business targets
- Demonstrate an extensive understanding of the Obsidian Security offering and our value to our customers
- Align with our partners and alliances to optimize opportunities
- Partner with internal resources across Sales Engineering, Customer Success, and Customer Support
- Demonstrate accurate pipeline forecasting and management
- Actively participate in our sales enablement training
About You:
- 5+ years of enterprise sales experience
- Working knowledge of sales concepts, methods, and techniques
- Experience evangelizing new technology into F1000 accounts
- Able to maintain and manage existing client relationships and accounts
- Able to utilize existing client and/or C-Level relationships, as well as build new relationships across IT Security and other lines of business
- Self-starter that creates and maintains a sales pipeline by capturing accurate and complete information in selected CRM databases including activity, closing, project forecast, close ratios, and market intelligence
- Strong ability to understand a customer's business issues and needs and articulate and map back value to a solution
- Strong prospecting skills, deal qualification, and POV management skills, leading to acquisition of new business
- Team player with the ability to collaborate well with internal stakeholders or partners to drive opportunities to closure
- Maintains awareness of market trends, competitor analysis, and market conditions which may impact customers
- Able to learn quickly and ramp to effectively articulate and differentiate the value of our product to prospective clients
Employee Benefits
Our competitive benefits packages are designed to support our employees' well-being, both at work and at home. Our US-based employees enjoy:
- Competitive compensation with equity and 401k
- Comprehensive healthcare with dental and vision coverage
- Flexible paid time off and paid holiday time off
- 12 weeks of new parent or family leave
- Personal and professional development resources
For more details on our US benefits, or for information on our international benefits, please see here.
Pay Transparency
Please note that the base pay range is a guideline and for candidates who receive an offer, the base pay will vary based on factors such as work location, as well as the knowledge, skills, and experience of the candidate. In addition to a competitive base salary, this position is eligible for equity awards and may be eligible for sales commission or incentive compensation based on the role or function within the company.
At Obsidian, we are proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. We value diversity and hire for talent, passion, and compassion. In compliance with federal law, all persons hired will be required to submit satisfactory proof of identity and legal authorization. If you have a need that requires accommodation, please contact [email protected].
Information collected and processed as part of any job applications you choose to submit is subject to Obsidian's Applicant Privacy Policy.
Base Salary Range: $164,000–$170,000 USD
Frequently Asked Questions
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