Account Director - Italy

Job description

ACCOUNT DIRECTOR Milan, Italy | Hybrid | Full-time About Hiya Hiya was founded in 2016 by Alex Algard, a serial entrepreneur who had already built and scaled two significant internet businesses. After founding Whitepages.com http://Whitepages.com in 1996 as a Stanford student, growing it from a $900 domain purchase into a $70M revenue business, and later co-founding CarDomain Network, Alex spent two decades at the intersection of identity, data, and mobile. He launched the first caller ID app for Android in 2008, and when he stepped down as Whitepages CEO in 2016, he spun Hiya out of Whitepages to focus entirely on the problem he saw coming: the collapse of trust in the phone call. That bet has proven right. Today Hiya is the global standard for voice intelligence. Our AI-powered platform analyses more than 28 billion calls each month, protecting over 550 million users worldwide from spam, fraud, and impersonation. We partner with the world's leading telecom operators and technology companies, including Vodafone, Telenor, AT&T, Samsung, BT/EE, Rogers, MasOrange, Telefonica, Virgin Media O2, and Bell Canada, to power trusted voice experiences at scale. Backed by Balderton Capital, Hiya is growing rapidly and redefining what voice communication becomes next. How We Work • Own it: We expect team members to take real ownership and move with purpose. Observers don't thrive here. • High trust, high bar: We serve customers and partners with a standard for quality we don't compromise on. • Learn in public: Mistakes happen. What matters is that we reflect, adapt, and share what we learned. • Lead with conviction: We make calls, we back them, and we stay collaborative while doing it. • Do, don't observe: Velocity and execution are core to how we operate — across every function. What We Offer • Competitive salary and annual bonus: Structured OTE with upside tied to market performance. • Hybrid working: Based in Milan with flexibility on where and how you work. • Annual professional development budget: Dedicated investment in your growth and skills. • Home office support: We'll help you set up a productive working environment. • International collaboration: Work closely with teams across the US, UK, and EMEA, with travel to match. About the Role We are looking for an Account Director to lead carrier partnerships and commercial growth in Italy. This is a strategic, high-impact role for someone who thrives in complex, multi-stakeholder environments and wants to build something meaningful in a fast-growing market. You will own the full commercial lifecycle, from market development and executive relationship-building through to deal negotiation, execution, and long-term account growth. Working closely with our Sr. Director of Operator Sales and our VP of Sales EMEA, you will define and execute Hiya's Italian strategy and work cross-functionally with Product, Marketing, Legal, Customer Success, and Leadership to bring our voice intelligence solutions to market across the region. What You'll Own • Develop and execute Hiya's commercial strategy across Italy with our VP of Sales EMEA • Build and maintain senior relationships with telecom operators and strategic partners • Identify, develop, and close new business opportunities across the region • Lead complex commercial negotiations and long-form partnership discussions • Drive revenue growth across new and existing accounts • Represent customer and market needs internally to shape product and go-to-market strategy • Coordinate cross-functional teams to support successful launches and partner growth • Track market dynamics, competitive activity, and industry trends across Italy What We're Looking For • 7+ years in business development, strategic partnerships, enterprise sales, or operator sales • Strong experience working with telecommunications operators or large enterprise accounts • Proven track record closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals • Strong executive presence and relationship management skills • Commercially driven with sharp strategic thinking and execution capability • Comfortable operating in fast-moving, ambiguous environments • Fluent in Italian and English Nice to Have • Experience in telecom services, mobile networks, voice, fraud, or security products • Existing relationships within the Italian or broader European telecom ecosystem • Experience working with SaaS, platform, or AI-driven products • Exposure to international or multi-market commercial environments Hiya is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to building an inclusive environment for all employees.