Account Executive - Germany (all genders)

Location: Germany (Munich / Frankfurt / Stuttgart corridor), hybrid with regular travel · Reports to: Head of Sales · Languages: German and English (fluent)

About zerothird

At zerothird (zerothird.com), we’re building the next generation of secure communications.

As a fast-growing quantum technology company, we develop entanglement-based Quantum Key Distribution (eQKD) systems - enabling a new standard of security that is fundamentally resilient against both current and future (quantum) cyber threats.

Our technology builds on decades of pioneering quantum research and is designed to protect the networks of critical infrastructure, telecom providers, and enterprises worldwide.

Joining zerothird means turning quantum science into real-world security - and helping define how global communication stays protected in the quantum era.

The role

This is zerothird's first dedicated commercial hire in Germany and the owner of our priority growth market. The role exists to convert a strong reference base and the Vienna–Frankfurt QKaaS link into signed, multi-year commitments from German operators of critical infrastructure and regulated enterprises. It is a market-building position: the person carries the number, but also shapes the German commercial playbook alongside the Head of Sales.

You work daily with the Solutions Architect on live deals, draw on Marketing for enablement and executive briefings, and coordinate with the GTM & Partnerships Manager where German deals run through integrators or hosting partners.

Key Responsibilities

• Own the full deal cycle for German target accounts — from first contact through discovery, opportunity qualification, proposal, negotiation, and signed contract.
• Prioritise QKaaS along the Vienna–Frankfurt route and translate cost-per-key economics into clear commercial value for buyers (finance, utilities, transport, energy, public sector, defense-adjacent).
• Identify and qualify accounts strictly against the ICP; disqualify tool-shoppers, SMBs, and innovation-only initiatives without a production mandate.
• Land lighthouse references and testimonials that unlock the next wave of German deals.
• Position eQKD and QKaaS credibly with both economic buyers (CIO/CTO/CISO/COO) and technical buyers, bringing in the Solutions Architect at the right moment.
• Maintain clean pipeline discipline.
• Feed structured market intelligence back to the Head of Sales, Marketing, and GTM to refine the German motion.
• Represent zerothird at the limited set of German conferences and executive briefings the company invests in.

We seek

• 6+ years of B2B enterprise sales, ideally in telecom, network infrastructure, cybersecurity, critical infrastructure, or deep-tech.
• A demonstrable record of closing complex, six- to seven-figure, multi-stakeholder deals with long cycles.
• Comfort selling into regulated and security-critical environments; fluency navigating CISO/CIO buying committees plus risk, compliance, and procurement.
• A consultative, solution-led style — able to build a business case around risk, resilience, and long-term trust rather than feature comparison.
• An entrepreneurial mindset: you build a territory from zero rather than manage an inherited one.
• Native-level German and strong English.
• Nice to have: existing senior relationships in German financial services, energy/utilities, or transport infrastructure; experience introducing an as-a-service model into a CAPEX-driven buyer base.

Our Offer

• Ownership of zerothird's most important growth market, with direct influence over the German commercial playbook.
• A defined first-year mandate: one signed multi-year QKaaS commitment on the Frankfurt link and a second in advanced negotiation, backed by a qualified, production-grade pipeline.
• Close collaboration with an ambitious team in Vienna, flat hierarchies, and significant ownership in an early-growth environment.
• Work at the intersection of Nobel Prize-winning quantum physics, cybersecurity, and critical infrastructure — protecting systems that must run for decades.
• Flexible, hybrid working arrangements with tailored onboarding and ongoing coaching.

The minimum gross salary for this position is €3.806,97 per month (x14, based on full-time employment) in accordance with the applicable collective agreement, plus a performance-based bonus. However, there is a willingness to offer a higher salary depending on experience and qualifications.