Account Executive

Title: Account Executive Location: Barcelona

About Proton 

Join Proton and build a better internet where privacy is the default

Proton was founded in 2014 by scientists from CERN on a simple truth: privacy is a fundamental human right. Since then, we’ve built the world’s largest encrypted email service (Proton Mail) and expanded into Proton VPN, Proton Drive, Proton Pass, and Proton Calendar—tools used by millions globally to protect their freedom, fight censorship, and keep their data safe. In some situations, Proton has literally helped save lives!

We are profitable, independent (no VC control), and selectively hire from the top ~1% of applicants. Our 500+ team members across 50+ countries come from leading organizations and elite academic backgrounds. We move fast, keep hierarchy light, and prioritize impact over optics. If you want to do meaningful work with exceptionally high-caliber people, this is it. Join us and do work you can truly be proud of. Check our open-source projects here!

About the role

We are looking for a driven Account Executive with native French language skills to join our Proton for Business team. As a New Business Account Executive, you will own, work and grow business across a mix of outbound and inbound opportunities. You will play a significant role securing new business for Proton during our current period of hyper-growth. You should be business oriented, customer focused, and a self-starter who can manage their pipeline across all segments; from SMB to Enterprise. You will manage qualified high potential opportunities, using the SPICED sales framework to drive deep discovery, match customer challenges with Proton solutions, and work directly with our outbound and inbound SDRs to drive increasing win rates.

If you thrive in a fast-paced environment, love mastering complex tech stacks, and want to play a key role in driving growth for solutions you genuinely believe in, we want to hear from you.

Key responsibilities

1. Own business Opportunities: Take ownership and manage well qualified opportunities generated by our SDR team across outbound and inbound channels. Use deep discovery and effective deal management to identify the best way to help potential customers reach their desired business outcomes.
2. Strategic Prioritization: Manage your sales pipeline to optimize and ensure complex, key deals are prioritized, while also efficiently managing smaller, fast-moving requirements with future growth potential.
3. Multi-channel Engagement: You will drive successful business engagement across a mix phone, email and social selling channels, utilizing a multi-channel approach to drive business forward.
4. Close New Business: Work pipeline deals across business segments to successful close and consistently meet ARR targets.
5. Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner closely with Product Business Units, Marketing, and Customer Success to ensure seamless handoffs and gather market feedback.
6. Cultural Ambassadorship – Model a high‑energy, resilient mindset; mentor newer team members & SDRs on phone etiquette, objection handling, process flows and tool mastery.

Your profile

• Sales Driven: You have a proven track record as a Sales Account Executive, preferably in SaaS or cybersecurity.
• Confident Multi-threader: You have experience successfully multi-threading across various stakeholders to keep deals moving forward throughout each stage of the deal cycle.
• Process Oriented: You understand the importance of building an effective system for pipeline management and driving deal velocity and can manage time effectively to ensure quick wins don’t slip through the cracks.
• Qualified Communicator: You are a Native/Fluent French speaker. Fluency in English is also a must. Other languages are a major plus.
• Tech Savvy: You are comfortable navigating CRMs (HubSpot experience is a plus) and modern sales intelligence tools.
• Mission Aligned: You care about digital rights and privacy, making it easy to authentically advocate for Proton’s value proposition.
• Resilient & Adaptable: You can handle high volumes of inbound traffic while maintaining a personalized, consultative approach.

Technical & Tool Fluency

• Proficient with modern outreach stacks: Clay, Instantly, Gong, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, multichannel sequencing platforms, and a CRM (Salesforce, HubSpot, etc.).
• Comfortable working with simple reporting dashboards to track activity, conversion and forecast meeting volume.

Personal Attributes

• High‑energy & competitive – thrives on quota‑driven environments and loves beating targets.
• Resilient & tenacious – sees rejection as the data that will help us develop an expert understanding of where we win the most.
• Customer‑centric – quickly uncovers prospect pain points and frames the conversation around value.
• Tech‑savvy – embraces automation to eliminate manual grunt work and focus on high‑impact activities.
• Growth-Oriented – ready to take the next step in your sales career by not only qualifying deals, but closing them as well.

Bonus

• Experience selling security‑oriented SaaS or privacy‑focused products across various business segments.

Key competencies

Hard Skills

• Deal Mastery – Expert at effectively prioritising and managing strong business opportunities based on product fit & ability to solve customer challenges.
  Outreach Excellence – Confident customer facing presence driven by polished business acumen, written communication skills, and objection navigation.
• Tool Mastery – Strong familiarity with Clay, Instantly, Gong, LinkedIn Sales Navigator, and CRM reporting.
• Data‑Driven Optimization – Ability to analyse response SLAs & conversion metrics and iterate tactics rapidly.

Soft Skills

• Disciplined & Motivated – Self‑starter who can build their day around effective prioritization of deal velocity, follow-up, and closure.
• Coaching Mindset – Willing to share best practices and uplift newer teammates.
• Feedback‑Oriented – Actively seeks input from peers and managers to improve performance.
• Adaptable – Quickly pivots to new verticals, market shifts, or product updates.
• Collaborative – Works fluidly with Marketing, Product and Sales Ops to align on what good looks like for new business growth.

What We Offer

• Work that Matters: millions of people trust Proton with their privacy. We answer only to our users — not advertisers, not investors with conflicting agendas, not governments. The work you do here is real, and the impact is measurable. (read more about our impact here)
• Stock Options: at Proton, we all have the opportunity to be owners of the company. From day one, you have a real stake in what we're building. When Proton wins, you win.
• Technology: you'll get the right hardware and the right software you need to do your best work.
• Learning & Development: we invest in your growth because sharp people make us better. Proton is one of the fastest ways to accelerate your career because you'll be thrown into real challenges, with real ownership, from day one.
• Employee Benefits: your wellbeing isn't an afterthought. We offer strong health coverage, solid retirement options, generous leave, and wellness support so you can bring your best self to work every day
• In-Person Collaboration: Amazing things happen when passionate, smart, and purposeful people get together in the same room. With offices across Geneva, Zürich, Barcelona, London and more, you'll spend most of your time collaborating face-to-face with people who genuinely care about what they're building
• Food: Lunch and snacks are on us every day in our offices so you can focus on the work and not on what's for lunch.
• Transport: getting to the office shouldn't cost you. We cover public transport, bike allowances, or parking, whichever works for you.
• Flexible Working: you own your schedule. Set hours that work for you and your team — because outcomes matter more than when the clock says you started.

Check our social media to learn more about Proton: 

Our Commitment to Diversity and Inclusion

At Proton, we believe diversity drives innovation and strengthens our mission to provide privacy as a default for all. We are committed to fostering an inclusive environment where all individuals, regardless of race, ethnicity, gender, age, sexual orientation, physical ability, or socio-economic background, feel valued and empowered. We strive to create equal opportunities, promote open dialogue, and support continuous learning to ensure every voice is heard and respected.

If you need any extra support or reasonable adjustments during the hiring process, please let your talent partner know.

Candidate Privacy Notice

When you apply for a position, refer a candidate, or are considered for a role at Proton Technologies AG (Proton, we, us, or our), your information is stored in Greenhouse, in accordance with their Service Privacy Policy. This information is used to evaluate your suitability for the posted position. We also retain this information for consideration for future roles that you may apply for or that we believe may align with your background and skills.

Proton does not accept unsolicited resumes from any sources other than directly from candidates. We will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from an unsolicited offer, even if the candidate is subsequently hired by Proton.

To learn more about our privacy policy, please visit our privacy policy page.

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Compensation range
Barcelona: 45,000.00 - 61,000.00 EUR gross annually+ variable commission. Total on-target earnings (OTE): 69,231.00 - 93,846.00 EUR
*Final compensation will be determined based on the candidate's qualifications, skills, and previous experience