Founding US Sales Associate - Agentic AI

Job description

ABOUT US Humaans is building the next generation of infrastructure for the workplace; software designed for companies that are scaling fast, operating globally, and pushing into new boundaries. What started as a system of record has evolved into a broader platform for operating people globally. With Athena, our agentic AI layer, Humaans moves beyond data management into intelligent orchestration, connecting workflows across HR, IT, Finance, and Operations so organisations can act faster and with greater confidence, redefining how work gets done. We work with ambitious teams across Europe and the US, from AI-native companies like Lovable, Poolside, Fyxer AI, and Tandem Health, to established, high-growth organisations scaling internationally and through acquisition, including Quantexa, Sellpy, Manychat, Gigs, Croud, and Threecolts. These teams don’t buy software for features,they buy leverage. The ability to run faster, cleaner, and with more control as complexity compounds. To date, we’ve raised $20m in venture funding from some of the most respected founders, operators, and funds in technology: Lachy Groom (Physical Intelligence), Stewart Butterfield (Slack), Tobias Lütke (Shopify), Dylan Field (Figma), Jeff Weiner (LinkedIn), Claire Johnson (Stripe), Oliver Jay (OpenAI), Jay Simmons (Bond) as well as Y Combinator, Moonfire, Frontline Ventures, Pathlight Ventures, and Exor. If you have massive ambition and want to work on a hard problem, with a small team that moves fast, at a moment when the category is genuinely up for grabs - this is it. THE ROLE After proving our product and operating model internationally, we’re expanding into the US from San Francisco. This role is about bringing Athena AI Agents there first. As a Founding Sales Associate, you’ll be responsible for opening doors and creating Athena’s first wave of high-quality opportunities in the US. You’ll be at the sharp edge of building a new category: figuring out which companies to target, what gets their attention and which messages create genuine conviction around agentic AI. You won’t be joining an established outbound machine or simply executing sequences. You’ll work closely with AEs, founders and Marketing to experiment with how we introduce Athena to HR, Finance, Operations and Transformation leaders, turning what works into a repeatable playbook as we scale. The pipeline you create, and what you learn while creating it, will help define what comes next. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Build high-quality outbound pipeline for Athena across the US market - Research target companies deeply and turn what you learn into thoughtful, highly relevant outreach - Open conversations with senior stakeholders across HR, Finance, Operations, AI and Transformation - Experiment with messaging, positioning, channels and creative approaches to find what earns attention - Test our ICP hypotheses through live conversations and help us understand where Athena resonates most strongly - Qualify opportunities rigorously, focusing on pipeline that has a genuine chance of converting rather than activity for activity’s sake - Partner closely with AEs and founders to continuously improve targeting, messaging and outbound strategy - Use AI and data as force multipliers across research, personalisation, pattern detection and your own productivity - Learn quickly from rejection, identify patterns in what works and adjust your approach - Bring what you learn from the market back to Marketing, Product and the wider GTM team to help shape how we position and sell Athena WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR - 1–4 years of experience in a BDR, SDR or other commercial role, ideally within B2B SaaS - Demonstrated ability to create outbound pipeline and turn cold accounts into genuine sales opportunities - A hunter mentality — you’re creative, persistent and comfortable earning attention rather than waiting for it - Strong written and verbal communication skills, with an instinct for what makes someone want to respond - High resilience and the ability to learn from rejection without letting it slow you down - Intellectual curiosity — you want to understand why something worked, not simply whether it did - Comfort operating with ambiguity, evolving priorities and messaging that is still being developed - A bias towards action and experimentation rather than waiting for instructions or perfect information - Genuine interest in AI, systems and automation, and a habit of using technology to increase your own leverage - Ambition and a desire to grow into greater commercial ownership over time - Strong self-management and communication across time zones YOU MAY NOT BE A GREAT FIT IF - You prefer working from established sequences, scripts and lead lists rather than researching accounts and developing your own approach - You optimise for activity volume rather than the quality and conversion potential of the pipeline you create - You rely on strong brand recognition to open doors. We’re still establishing Athena in the US, so you’ll need to enjoy creating attention and evangelising something new - You need a fully developed outbound playbook, established messaging or lots of structure before you can perform - You find frequent rejection draining rather than something you can learn from and work through - You’re not interested in experimenting with AI and new tools to make yourself more effective This is an in-person role. Our team comes together in the office Monday through Thursday, while most of the team collaborates in person on Mondays, Tuesdays, and Thursdays. PACKAGE & BENEFITS Early stage startups can be messy – we know that. We're putting effort in providing you with the best employee experience and a quality driven environment in exchange for trusting us. - Market-leading compensation that reflects your value - 25 days paid time off each year plus public holidays - Share Options with 5-year exercise window so you don’t feel pressure to exercise if you leave - Quarterly team events, and company offsites - Top tier private coverage for health, vision and dental care - A new MacBook and tools you need to do your best work - Enhanced parental leave with up to 16 weeks for primary and 4 weeks for secondary - Learning & development budget WHY JOIN HUMAANS TODAY? HR tech is having its AI moment and we’re positioned to own it. Humaans started as a next-gen HRIS taking on large incumbents in a massive market. We’ve since evolved into something even bigger: an AI platform that sits across workforce data and automates the operational layer of HR entirely; the natural progression of what we’ve been building toward. The product is highly differentiated. It’s built around a structured workforce data model that makes AI reliable in an HR context, something no one else has gotten right. Customers notice the difference immediately. We’re backed by Y Combinator, Lachy Groom, Moonfire, Frontline Ventures, and operators who’ve built some of the most consequential software companies of the last decade: the founders of Slack, Figma, and Shopify, and Asana’s former CRO and Head of OpenAI International. We’re a small team with an unapologetically high bar. It shows up in the product, in how we communicate, and in the standards we hold each other to. OUR COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY At Humaans we’re looking for genuinely good people that are transparent and emphatic. We’re committed to providing equal opportunities, a diverse and inclusive work environment, and ensuring a fair interview process for everyone. You’re welcome to apply no matter your gender, ethnicity, sexual orientation, religion, civil or family status, age, disability, or race. PRIVACY NOTICE We care about your privacy. When you apply for a role at Humaans, we’ll collect and process your personal data as part of our recruitment process. This includes things like your CV, contact details, and any other information you choose to share. We may also contact you about future opportunities. You can ask us to delete your data at any time. For more details, see our Privacy Policy https://humaans.io/privacy#h.k3wp7f8qzl9x.