Strategic Account Executive

About the role

About Us Vinci is building a new compute layer for engineering: a physics foundation model that makes high-fidelity physics continuously accessible across the hardware development lifecycle. Today, the world’s most advanced semiconductors are still designed using workflows that assume physics is scarce, slow, and expert-gated. Simulation is run intermittently, often late in the process, limiting how much of the design space teams can explore and how early they can understand performance, reliability, and manufacturability. Vinci changes that. Our platform delivers deterministic, solver-grade physics simulation directly on native design and manufacturing geometry—at orders-of-magnitude higher throughput. In practice, this allows engineering teams to evaluate far more scenarios, surface issues earlier, and accelerate design cycles across thermal, packaging, and system-level challenges. Vinci is already in active use within leading semiconductor organizations, with multiple pilots underway and a growing number converting into commercial engagements. Teams are deploying the platform on real design programs—particularly in thermal and advanced packaging workflows—and seeing measurable impact in simulation throughput, design exploration, and cycle time. This is not a future concept or research effort. It is a product that has been successfully introduced into complex, production engineering environments—and is beginning to expand within those accounts Role Overview As a Strategic Account Executive, you will hunt new logos while driving growth within our most critical semiconductor accounts. You will be responsible for navigating complex organizational structures to identify key stakeholders, from individual contributors to C-suite executives, and articulating the transformative value of Vinci’s Physics AI platform. In this role, you will develop and execute sophisticated account strategies to displace legacy simulation tools and establish Vinci as the new standard for hardware optimization. You will act as a "quarterback," orchestrating resources across our Forward Deployment and Engineering teams to ensure successful technical evaluations and long-term production deployments. This is a hybrid role, with the expectation of working 3 days per week in our Palo Alto office for close collaboration with Sales, Product, and Engineering. Given the nature of strategic accounts, this role requires regular travel to customer sites, primarily within North America, with occasional travel to key semiconductor hubs in Asia and Europe. Who This Role Is For This role is designed for a very specific type of account executive. IF… - You are not looking for a well-defined playbook—you want to help create one. - You’ve been successful selling into complex technical organizations, but you’ve also felt the limits of selling incremental improvements to established tools. - You are drawn to opportunities where: - the product is not yet fully understood by the market – evangelical selling - the buyer does not have a predefined budget or category - and the sales motion requires shaping how customers think, not just what they buy – Challenger selling - You are comfortable engaging: - deeply technical IC - domain experts - executive leadership - often in the same deal cycle. - You know how to win competitive deals against incumbents—but you’re equally motivated by the opportunity to change what customers believe is possible. - Most importantly, you are looking for a role that is career-defining: one where success is measured not just in revenue, but in helping establish a new standard for how an industry operates. Responsibilities - Strategic Account Mapping: Build and maintain deep relationships within a small pod of "Tier 1" semiconductor accounts, identifying the specific business units where Physics AI can deliver maximum ROI. This role is responsible for “land” and “expand” sales activities in each account. - Full Sales Lifecycle Management: Lead the end-to-end sales process, from initial discovery and value proposition alignment to complex contract negotiations and closing multi-million dollar deals. - Cross-Functional Leadership: Partner closely with the Forward Deployment Sales team to ensure Test cases and Pilot Deployments are aligned with the customer’s business goals, technical requirements, and our platform capabilities. - Revenue Forecasting: Maintain an accurate and rigorous 4X pipeline, providing leadership with clear visibility into account health and expansion opportunities. - Market Intelligence: Act as a feedback loop for our Product team, distilling customer challenges and competitive landscape insights into actionable product requirements. Required Qualifications - 7+ years of experience in Enterprise software sales as a hunter, specifically selling into the semiconductor or electronics industry. - Proven track record of meeting or exceeding $2M+ annual quotas and closing complex, six-to-seven-figure deals. - Deep understanding of the semiconductor ecosystem, including EDA tools, fabless vs. IDM models, and the current challenges in advanced packaging (2.5D/3D IC). - Executive Presence: Exceptional ability to communicate vision and value to VP and C-level executives. - Technical Literacy: Ability to hold meaningful conversations about Vinci’s approach to physics simulations and how Vinci impacts design, validation, and manufacturing workflows, without needing an SE in every meeting. Preferred Qualifications - Background in Mechanical or Electrical Engineering. - AE/Sale experience at a major EDA firm (e.g., Cadence, Synopsys, Ansys) or a high-growth "AI for Engineering" startup. - Hunter with existing "rolodex" of senior leadership contacts at major semiconductor firms in Silicon Valley and Austin. - Experience navigating "Land and Expand" strategies within highly siloed engineering organizations. - Evangelical and Challenger selling. Educate and show a new approach with MEDDIC/MEDDPICC/Force Management foundation. Why Join Us - Be part of a team defining the future of AI in hardware design. - Own the commercial strategy for the world’s most influential semiconductor companies. - Work at the intersection of advanced AI, real-world engineering, and customer success. - Collaborate with world-class engineers and researchers in a fast-moving startup environment. Compensation Range: commensurate with experience and location $300K-$400K OTE, uncapped.