Account Executive, Sales Solutions - Academics

At LinkedIn, our approach to flexible work is centered on trust and optimized for culture, connection, clarity, and the evolving needs of our business. The work location of this role is hybrid, meaning it will be performed both from home and from a LinkedIn office on select days, as determined by the business needs of the team.

LinkedIn Sales Solutions is building a dedicated, specialist sales motion for the Education, Academics, and Non-Profit vertical in India. We are looking for a high-performing Account Executive who brings deep experience selling into universities, colleges, academic institutions, and mission-driven organizations - and who thrives in complex, consultative, multi-stakeholder sales environments.

This role requires strategic thinking, vertical expertise, and trusted advisor selling, helping institutions modernize how they engage industry partners, alumni, donors, recruiters, and global stakeholders using LinkedIn Sales Navigator and our broader Sales Solutions portfolio.

You will own this vertical end-to-end: building pipeline, shaping demand, closing new business, and establishing LinkedIn as a long-term strategic partner to the education ecosystem.

Responsibilities:

• Own and grow a defined territory within the Education, Academics, and Non-Profits vertical, including: Central, State, and Private Universities; Colleges and Academic Institutions; Foundations, Trusts, and Non-Profit Organizations.
• Drive new business through a balanced motion of inbound leads and proactive outbound prospecting.
• Develop deep account strategies to penetrate complex institutions with multiple stakeholders and buying centers.
• Consistently close new business at or above quota, quarter over quarter.
• Build, manage, and forecast a healthy pipeline with high accuracy and transparency.
• Position LinkedIn Sales Navigator as a strategic growth platform - not just a sales tool - enabling institutions to build industry partnerships, strengthen alumni and donor engagement, enhance placement, research, and collaboration outcomes.
• Engage with senior stakeholders (CXOs, Deans, Heads of Placement, Industry Relations, Advancement, and Strategy).
• Diagnose customer needs and recommend the right mix of LinkedIn Sales Solutions across different lines of business.
• Act in the long-term best interest of the customer, balancing quota attainment with sustainable value creation.
• Build strong, trusted relationships across customer organizations - vertically and horizontally.
• Proactively identify adoption risks and partner with internal teams to mitigate churn.
• Drive expansion opportunities by demonstrating measurable impact and ROI.
• Serve as the voice of the customer, feeding market insights back into product, marketing, and GTM teams.
• Partner closely with Sales leadership, Marketing, Customer Success, and Business Operations.
• Share best practices and learnings to help shape a scalable vertical playbook.
• Maintain high discipline in territory planning, account planning, CRM hygiene, forecasting, and deal inspection.
• Take initiative beyond your patch - contributing to broader team goals and strategic initiatives.
• Travel as required (approximately 30-40%), aligned to customer and business needs.

Basic Qualifications:

• 3+ years of B2B selling experience into the Education / Academics / Non-Profit vertical.
• Experience in managing complex, consultative sales cycles.
• Ability to meet or exceed quota in enterprise or mid-market environments.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience selling SaaS or technology solutions.
• Ability to multi-thread and sell to diverse stakeholder groups.
• Comfort operating in an evangelist-style sales environment, where education and vision-setting are key.
• Strong negotiation, deal structuring, and forecasting skills.
• Solid understanding of software contract terms and commercial constructs.
• Hands-on experience with CRM tools and data-driven sales management.
• Ability to manage multiple opportunities simultaneously while positioning against direct and indirect competitors.
• Strong business acumen with the ability to use data and insights to influence senior decision-makers.