NeoCloud BD Pursuit Specialist / Account Executive
Backblaze (Nasdaq: BLZE) | Reports to the Head of NeoCloud Sales
Salary range: $171,000 - $192,000, plus variable pay and RSUs. Target OTE $285,000 - $320,000, 60:40 base to variable.
How We Got Here
We started by building storage servers from scratch in a Palo Alto apartment to save 90% on hardware. Turns out hard constraints make for pretty good engineering. That discipline forged a platform that performs as well or better than competitors, scales to multi-exabyte workloads, and costs a fraction of what AWS or Google charge. AI infrastructure runs on data. Storage gets hard at scale. We've been breaking, rebuilding, and improving that storage layer for 20 years.
Today, the world's leading AI infrastructure providers, neoclouds, and data-intensive businesses run on Backblaze. Our platform includes:
- B2 Overdrive - high-throughput object storage engineered for AI infrastructure, GPU workloads, and massive-scale data pipelines
- B2 Neo - white-label enterprise cloud storage powering neocloud platforms for AI, HPC, and media
- B2 Cloud Storage - S3-compatible object storage with predictable pricing, free egress, and no lock-in
- Computer Backup - automatic, continuous endpoint backup for Macs and PCs
500,000+ customers. 175 countries. Nasdaq: BLZE. backblaze.com
The Role
NeoClouds are GPU-rich, AI-native infrastructure providers, and they need fast, affordable, S3-compatible storage at scale. Backblaze is the high-performance capacity storage layer for AI. You will win these accounts.
This is a new-logo role. You will own a named set of NeoClouds from the top 80 worldwide and pursue them from first meeting to signed contract.
This is not an inbound role. If you want a defined territory and a queue of warm leads, it isn't the right fit. If your instinct is to pick an account, find the engineer who feels the storage cost first, and work up to the CXO, keep reading.
What You Will Do
- Pursue named accounts. Build a pursuit plan for each account. Map the buying group from infrastructure engineers to the CXO, and build relationships across it.
- Run discovery. Learn how each NeoCloud runs its stack, where storage costs and performance limit it, and how Backblaze fits. Work with the Sales Engineer and Field CTO on technical validation and proof-of-concept testing.
- Choose the route. Your motion is Sell-To. Decide with your manager when an account also calls for Sell-With, which Strategic Partnerships runs with the Head of NeoCloud Sales. When a partner such as NVIDIA, Super Micro, Weka, VAST, or AMD helps win the account, bring in Strategic Partnerships.
- Shape the deal. Work with your manager and legal on multi-year commitments, SLAs, and revenue share when Backblaze runs behind a NeoCloud's storage service.
- Sell inside Backblaze. Pull Cloud Operations and Engineering into the integration early. Their time is as scarce as your buyer's, and you will earn it.
- Line up executive sponsors. Secure a Backblaze executive sponsor and a customer executive sponsor on every priority account.
- Hand off and expand. Bring in the strategic account manager in Customer Success as customers go live, and stay in the account as it grows.
- Keep the forecast honest. Maintain accurate pipeline, next steps, and close dates in the CRM.
What We Are Looking For
- Infrastructure sales expertise, with a record of closing complex, multi-year deals in storage, cloud, compute, networking, or data center infrastructure
- Technical fluency. You run most technical conversations with infrastructure engineers and architects about GPU clusters, networking, and storage yourself, and earn their trust. The Sales Engineer owns deeper validation and proofs of concept
- Executive presence. You have built VP, SVP, and CTO relationships and can lead those meetings
- Hunter drive. You open doors in accounts that do not know you yet, and you stay with a long pursuit
- Seller of record. You have carried a quota and closed deals with your name on them
- Deal structure experience. You have negotiated SLA, IP, and revenue-share terms on deals you closed, not just understood them
- Team play. You work well with sales engineers, partner teams, and operations teams to land one account
Also True of the Right Person
- Existing relationships with NeoCloud technical or executive leaders
- Experience with OEM, ISV, or co-sell motions
- Familiarity with S3-compatible object storage, data egress economics, and AI/ML data pipelines
This Is Not the Role for You If
- You want a defined territory or an inbound queue rather than named accounts you have to open
- You prefer a short sales cycle to a long pursuit
- You hand technical questions to someone else and wait for the answer
- You want to bring a SaaS motion here unchanged
- You work accounts alone rather than with sales engineering, partners, and operations
How We Will Interview
We will ask you to walk us through a pursuit you ran from first meeting to signed contract, including a long one that stalled and how you kept it moving. We will ask how you earned an infrastructure engineer's trust. We will ask for your own view of how you would approach this role. You will hold cross-functional conversations with the Sales Engineer and the Field CTO, because you will pursue accounts with them. And you will go through a panel, so we can see how you work.
What We Offer
- Competitive compensation and equity package
- Full benefits including medical, dental, vision, and 401(k) with matching
- RSU grants for full-time employees
- ESPP program
- Flexible vacation policy
- Maternity & paternity leave
- MacBook to use for work, plus a generous stipend to personalize your workstation
- Childcare bonus (human children only)
- Fertility treatment and support
- Learning & development program
- Commuter benefits
- A collaborative and transparent culture that supports a healthy work-life balance
Pay Transparency and Equal Opportunity
To provide greater transparency to candidates, we share base pay ranges for all US-based job postings regardless of state. Final offer amounts are determined by multiple factors including candidate location, skills, depth of work experience, and relevant licenses/credentials.
Compensation for this role is $171,000 - $192,000, plus variable pay and RSUs. Target OTE $285,000 - $320,000, 60:40 base to variable.
At Backblaze, we value being fair and good to our customers, partners, and employees. Diversity, equity, and inclusion are at the core of our values. We are committed to fostering a workforce where all employees feel a sense of belonging regardless of race, ethnicity, nationality, gender, sexual orientation, age, religion, socio-economic status, ability, veteran status, and education. We are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer.
