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AE Manager, Chicago

BrightEdge

hybrid,Chicago, IllinoisSalesFull-time
Before you apply

Role details

The practical picture
Employment
Full-time
Role signal brief

The role, at a glance

Extracted from the source posting · 95% confidence

BrightEdge seeks an experienced Enterprise AE Manager to lead a team of 4 Account Executives in Chicago, driving complex SaaS sales for upper mid-market to enterprise clients. This front-line leadership role requires 5-10 years of SaaS experience with 1+ year managing AEs, focusing on coaching, pipeline management, and deal strategy in an in-office hybrid model (3 days/week).

What you need

  • 5-10 years of SaaS sales experience, including at least 1+ years in a frontline management or team lead capacity
  • Proven track record of leading AEs who close enterprise or upper mid-market level deals
  • Strong understanding of complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles within digital marketing, analytics, or MarTech
  • Skilled at developing sales talent—coaching reps through discovery, business case development, and negotiation
  • Excellent communication, forecasting, and operational rigor
  • Experience using Salesforce and sales productivity tools (Gong, Outreach, Clari, etc.)

What you will own

  • Lead, coach, and develop a team of 4 Enterprise and Upper Mid-Market Account Executives to exceed monthly sales targets
  • Drive accountability through consistent pipeline management, forecast accuracy, and deal inspection in Salesforce
  • Participate in high-value enterprise deals by providing strategic direction, executive presence, and negotiation support
  • Conduct regular 1:1s and team sessions focused on skills development, prospecting discipline, and effective value-based selling
  • Analyze performance, identify market opportunities, and implement data-driven sales plans
  • Recruit, onboard, and ramp new sales hires to ensure rapid productivity
Core skills
SalesforceSaaS salesEnterprise salesTeam leadershipSales coachingPipeline managementForecastingSales productivity toolsComplex deal strategyRecruiting and onboarding
Internal freshness window ends Oct 21, 2026
View source evidence
  • location “Job location: onsite,Chicago, Illinois”
  • responsibilities “This position is in-office 3 days / week”
  • must_have “5-10 years of SaaS sales experience, including at least 1+ years in a frontline management or team lead capacity”
  • must_have “Must be working in high-velocity sales environment on either a monthly or quarterly quota”
  • must_have “Experience using Salesforce and sales productivity tools (Gong, Outreach, Clari, etc.)”
  • summary “Our Sales organization drives growth by introducing the world's most sophisticated marketing teams to a more effective way to unlock performance from organic search”
  • category “AE Manager”
salesforcesaas salesenterprise salesteam leadership
Role brief
Shape the future of search.   About BrightEdge 

BrightEdge is a leading enterprise SEO and content performance platform that helps companies understand how their digital content drives real business results. Founded in 2007, we’re trusted by thousands of organizations across more than 80 countries, including brands like Microsoft and Visa. Our platform combines powerful data and AI-driven insights allowing our customers to plan, optimize, and measure campaigns based on real-time content performance. 

What sets BrightEdge apart are our people. With 400+ global employees across 7 offices, we foster a collaborative, curious, and supportive environment where smart ideas are encouraged and impact is visible. If you enjoy solving meaningful problems, learning new things, and working alongside talented teammates while helping shape the future of digital marketing, BrightEdge is a great place to build your career. 

About the Role

Our Sales organization drives growth by introducing the world’s most sophisticated marketing teams to a more effective way to unlock performance from organic search. Our teams are supported by strong onboarding, ongoing enablement, and clearly defined career paths that help sellers continuously sharpen their craft and grow their careers. We take a consultative, insight-led approach to sales and foster a culture that recognizes and rewards top performance.

We’re looking for an experienced and driven Enterprise AE Manager to lead a high-performing team of Account Executives focused on upper mid-market to enterprise-level clients. This is a front-line leadership role responsible for coaching, deal strategy, and pipeline execution to drive new business growth.   The ideal candidate is a hands-on sales leader with a strong background in complex SaaS sales, enterprise pipeline management, and team development.   This position is in-office 3 days / week.  

How you'll spend your time:

  • Team Leadership & Player-Coach: Lead, coach, and develop 4 Enterprise and Upper Mid-Market AEs while maintaining a hands-on role in selling to drive individual and team performance and exceed sales targets.

  • Deal Closing: Personally drive and close high-value enterprise deals through strategic selling, executive engagement, and negotiation expertise.

  • Sales Performance: Drive pipeline management, forecast accuracy, and deal accountability through Salesforce.

  • Coaching & Development: Lead 1:1s and team sessions focused on prospecting, skill development, and value-based selling.

  • Data-Driven Growth: Analyze performance, identify market opportunities, and execute targeted sales strategies.

  • Platform Demonstrations: Lead platform demos for prospective customers, showcasing key capabilities and aligning solutions to business needs to drive engagement and conversion. 

    • We're excited about you if you have:

  • SaaS Sales Experience: 5–10 years of SaaS sales experience, with a minimum of 1+ years in frontline management or team leadership.

  • Enterprise Sales Leadership: Proven success leading AEs closing Enterprise / Mid-Market deals, with a strong track record of achieving sales targets.

  • Complex Sales Cycles: Strong understanding of multi-stakeholder sales processes within digital marketing, analytics, SaaS, or MarTech.

  • Player-Coach Mindset: Demonstrated ability to lead by example, personally drive deals, deliver platform demos, and coach reps through discovery, business case development, and negotiation.

  • Communication & Execution: Excellent communication, forecasting, pipeline management, and operational discipline.

  • Sales Technology: Proficiency in Salesforce and sales productivity tools such as Gong, Outreach, and Clari.

  • Strategic Growth: Ability to balance short-term quota attainment with long-term team development and scaling.

  • High-Velocity Sales: Experience operating in a fast-paced sales environment with monthly (MRR) or quarterly quotas

    • Benefits:

  • Motivating, high-impact work that builds your career 
  • Medical, dental, and vision insurance with multiple package options 
  • 15-23 days PTO depending on tenure plus 10 paid holidays 
  • Pre-tax commuter benefit plan and company contribution to help reduce parking/public transit costs 
  • No or low cost therapy and professional coaching sessions through Spring Health 
  • 4-6 weeks fully paid parental leave 
  • Pet wellness and insurance plans to keep your furry family healthy 
    •   This role offers a competitive base salary + uncapped commission. 

    Additional

    How we work  BrightEdge is an equal opportunity employer and is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. All qualified applicants will be considered without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected status.   If you’re excited about this role but don’t meet every qualification, we encourage you to apply. Imposter syndrome can hold great candidates back, and we believe potential and willingness to learn matter just as much as checking every box. We value diverse perspectives, experiences, and ways of thinking, and we’re committed to building a team where everyone feels they belong and can do their best work.