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Aiven is an open-source-based data platform enabling builders to run PostgreSQL, Apache Kafka, ClickHouse, OpenSearch, Valkey and more in production across any cloud. The company serves customers from Fintech and AI innovators to Utilities, all of whom depend on data infrastructure to power their AI ambitions.
You will own the commercial relationship with a book of existing Aiven customers across the UK and Ireland, representing more than $4m in ARR. Your primary mandate is to retain and grow that book through strategic account management, expansion, and new logo prospecting.
Key responsibilities include:
**Strategic Account Ownership**: Build and run account plans for priority customers with clear goals, stakeholders, risks and expansion opportunities. Partner with Solutions Architects, Technical Account Managers, Product Engineering and Aiven leadership to drive technical validation and customer success.
**Retention & Growth**: Spot contraction and churn risk early using usage and sentiment signals, then build protection plans. Identify cross-sell and upsell opportunities across the Aiven platform. Run renewals as a strategic process, not an event—manage commercial negotiations, contract terms and decision-maker relationships well before renewal dates. Qualify all opportunities using MEDDPICC.
**Relationship Building**: Develop relationships with technical users (engineering, platform and product leads) and executive buyers (budget holders, senior IT decision makers). Adjust your messaging and approach for each audience.
**Customer Advocacy**: Turn satisfied customers into proof points. Work with Marketing to create events, webinars, case studies and references. Represent Aiven at UK/Ireland industry events and feed customer, competitive and market insights back to Product, Engineering and leadership.
**New Logo Prospecting**: Own new business opportunities in the UKI territory from prospecting through close, using cold and warm outreach.
**AI-Native Operations**: Decide which tasks you own, which AI agents handle and which stop entirely. Run account research, risk monitoring, usage analysis, outreach drafting and forecasting through agents. Spend your time on judgment, relationships and negotiation. Keep Salesforce accurate and share workflow improvements with the team.
Success is measured by quota attainment, net and gross revenue retention, expansion ARR, early churn/contraction risk flagging, executive coverage, customer references and case studies, pipeline creation, forecast accuracy, CRM hygiene, and time allocation trending toward customer conversations.
You will report to the EMEA South Sales Director, work closely with Solutions Architects, Technical Account Managers, Support, Product Engineering, Marketing and Sales Development. The role is based in London with hybrid working and regular time in the London hub for planning and deal reviews. Travel to customers as needed.
**Requirements:**
- 5+ years of experience owning a book of existing customers in enterprise B2B software, with a proven record of retaining and growing ARR, managing renewals and churn risk, and negotiating contracts
- Experience selling to both technical users and executive buyers, with ability to adjust messaging for each audience
- A structured approach to account planning and multi-threading
- Clear communication in English, written and spoken
- Daily, hands-on use of AI tools in your sales workflow, with examples of work you have redesigned or cut as a result
- High agency: a record of owning accounts end-to-end and solving hard problems without waiting for a blueprint
**Nice to have:**
- Experience co-selling with cloud providers and partners
- Comfort with usage-based or consumption pricing and using usage data to spot risk and opportunity
- Experience selling open source based data technology
- Experience running customer advocacy (references, case studies, event speakers)
