Note: This position is open exclusively to candidates currently enrolled in the Hiring Our Heroes Fellows Program. Applications from individuals not participating in the program will not be considered.
Salesforce Military Fellowship: SMB AE Track
Your leadership already qualifies you. This program teaches you the platform and the process.
You've led teams, managed risk, and executed missions under uncertainty. The Salesforce Military SMB AE Fellowship translates that operational grit into a high-performing tech sales career — no prior sales or Salesforce experience required.
The Opportunity
12-Week On-the-Job Experience: Embed directly within a Salesforce Small & Medium Business (SMB) sales team.
- Direct Path to AE Conversion: Build a real track record ahead of formal mid-point and final reviews for full-time Account Executive roles.
- Structured Mentorship: Shadow seasoned AEs, work with dedicated host managers, and gain tailored 1:1 coaching.
- Sales Foundations Certification: Complete purpose-built Trailhead tracks and earn recognized Salesforce credentials during the program.
- Compensation & Transition: Upon successful conversion to a full-time Account Executive role, fellows receive a base salary of ~$75K–$90K (paid twice a month), plus On-Target Earnings (OTE) at 100% quota attainment that vary by location (Atlanta & Denver: ~$155K–$160K/year; Chicago, Irvine, New York, San Francisco: ~$175K–$180K/year), alongside uncapped commission and bonus opportunities. Note: Compensation figures are estimates and subject to final role placement and location adjustments.
A Day in the Fellowship
As an SMB AE fellow, you will carry hands-on responsibilities across deal strategy, account prospecting, and customer engagement:
- Shadowing Live Calls: Join discovery calls, solution demos, and negotiation sessions with active SMB prospects.
- Pipeline Generation: Conduct outbound research, map key decision-makers, and execute multi-channel prospecting campaigns.
- Pre-Sales Strategy: Collaborate with Solution Engineers and Product Specialists to align Salesforce solutions with customer pain points.
Program Arc & Milestones
Weeks 1–3: Onboarding & Sales Foundations: Complete core Trailhead modules, internal tooling setup, and team integration.
Weeks 4–6: Shadowing & Account Prospecting: Begin live deal shadowing, account research, and mid-point performance check-in.
What You Need Coming In
- No Salesforce certification required at entry: Certification study begins early via the Sales Foundations Trailhead track, purpose-built for AE fellows.
- No prior sales or Salesforce experience required: Built for fellows entirely new to sales and the platform.
- Comfort with a fast-paced, cohort-based environment: On-the-job training, mentor check-ins, and self-paced study.
- A sales mindset: Willingness to prospect into accounts, work opportunities through the pipeline, and support pre-sales activity under a Host Manager's guidance.
Location & Schedule Schedule: Full-time, Monday–Thursday on-site with your host team; Friday dedicated to learning and reflection.
Locations: Atlanta, Chicago, Denver, Irvine (CA), New York, and San Francisco.
Military Experience
SMB Account Executive Application
1. Mission planning & execution
Territory and pipeline planning, structured account strategy
2. Briefing commanders & senior leaders
Executive-level pitch delivery, leading with the bottom line first (BLUF)
3. Cross-functional team coordination
Working with Solution Engineers, Customer Success, and Marketing to close deals
4. Risk identification & escalation
Deal-risk identification, forecasting accuracy, knowing when to escalate
5. After Action Reviews (AARs)
Win/loss reviews, pipeline retrospectives, continuous improvement
6. Navigating chain of command
Multi-threading within customer organizations, stakeholder mapping
7. Operating under ambiguity
Prospecting into unfamiliar accounts, adapting pitch to shifting buyer needs
8. Listening & rapport-building
Discovery calls, objection handling, customer trust-building
9. Training & developing personnel
Peer coaching, knowledge transfer to newer team members
10. Leading with accountability
Owning pipeline outcomes, driving activity toward quota-readiness
Eligibility Requirements
Location Requirement: Must be located within commuting distance of a designated host city.
Commitment: Full participation in all 12 weeks of programming, mentorship, and applied sales tasks.
A note on fit: Applicants who don't yet have sales or Salesforce experience are welcome and expected — this program is built to take you from new-to-sales to AE-interview-ready in 12 weeks.
