Founding Technical GTM/Sales Lead

Location: Onsite in San Francisco

Compensation: Competitive Base + Aggressive Commission + Equity

UniversalAGI is building OpenAI for Physics. AI startup based in San Francisco and backed by Elad Gil (#1 Solo VC), Eric Schmidt (former Google CEO), Prith Banerjee (ANSYS CTO), Ion Stoica (Databricks Founder), Jared Kushner (former Senior Advisor to the President), David Patterson (Turing Award Winner), and Luis Videgaray (former Foreign and Finance Minister of Mexico). We're building foundation AI models for physics that enable end-to-end industrial automation from initial design through optimization, validation, and production.

We're building a high-velocity team of relentless researchers and engineers that will define the next generation of AI for industrial engineering. If you're passionate about AI, physics, or the future of industrial innovation, we want to hear from you.

As our founding Technical GTM/Sales Lead, you'll be in the arena from day one, building the commercial engine that will power UniversalAGI's market dominance. This is your chance to take everything you've learned about deep tech sales and use it to establish our foothold in the automotive and maritime industries, two sectors on the verge of AI-driven transformation.

You'll work directly with the CEO and founding team to identify target accounts, build relationships with technical decision-makers, and close deals that will define our early revenue trajectory. You're not just selling software , you're evangelizing a paradigm shift in how industrial engineering is done.

This isn't transactional sales. This is strategic business development at the highest level, identifying CFD simulation leaders who are drowning in computational bottlenecks, demonstrating how our AI models can compress weeks of simulation into hours, and closing large deals with companies like Toyota, BMW, Honda, Renault, Tesla, Ford, GM, Rivian, Lockheed Martin, Boeing, and major maritime OEMs.

• Own the entire sales cycle from prospecting through close for automotive and maritime accounts, building pipeline and consistently hitting aggressive quarterly revenue targets

• Source and qualify high-value prospects through strategic outbound campaigns, industry conferences, technical forums, and leveraging your existing network in automotive/maritime engineering communities

• Deliver compelling technical presentations to diverse stakeholders, from hands-on CFD engineers to VP of Engineering to C-suite executives, tailoring your pitch to each audience's technical depth and business priorities

• Build and maintain deep relationships with technical decision-makers (simulation engineers, computational engineering leads, R&D directors) who actually use the tools and can champion our solution internally

• Partner directly with the CEO and technical team to translate complex AI capabilities into clear value propositions that resonate with automotive aerodynamicists and maritime hydrodynamicists

• Navigate complex enterprise sales cycles involving multiple stakeholders, technical evaluations, proof-of-concept deployments, procurement processes, and contract negotiations

• Develop market intelligence on competitive landscape, pricing dynamics, customer pain points, and emerging opportunities in automotive and maritime simulation markets

• Represent UniversalAGI at industry conferences, technical symposiums, and customer sites, building our brand and expanding our network in target verticals

• Design and optimize the sales playbook from scratch—prospecting sequences, demo flows, technical evaluation processes, pricing strategies, and closing tactics that future sales hires will replicate

• Track, analyze, and forecast pipeline health, conversion rates, deal velocity, and revenue metrics with precision—you'll build the revenue operating system that scales with our growth

• This is a role for someone who speaks engineer as fluently as they speak business, who can whiteboard computational fluid dynamics with a PhD then turn around and discuss ROI with a CFO, and who's ready to build a world-class GTM engine from the ground up.

• 5+ years of technical sales or business development experience selling complex B2B software/SaaS to engineering organizations, with proven track record of consistently exceeding quota and closing $500K+ deals

• Deep industry connections in automotive and/or maritime sectors, you have existing relationships with simulation engineers, R&D leads, and technical decision-makers at OEMs, Tier 1 suppliers, or maritime companies

• Demonstrated success selling to technical buyers (engineers, engineering managers, technical directors) and navigating technical evaluation processes including POCs, benchmarks, and pilot programs

• Technical background in mathematics, physics, mechanical engineering, aerospace engineering, computer science, or related quantitative field, you understand CFD, FEA, numerical methods, and computational physics enough to have credible technical conversations

• Proven ability to source and develop your own pipeline through outbound prospecting, industry networking, conference engagement, and creative business development strategies

• Experience delivering technical presentations to audiences ranging from individual contributors to C-suite executives, with ability to adjust technical depth and business messaging accordingly

• Strong consultative selling skills, you lead with curiosity, uncover real pain points, build champions, and navigate organizational politics to get deals across the line

• Exceptional communication skills both written and verbal, capable of articulating complex technical concepts in clear, compelling business language

• Comfortable working in high-intensity, fast-paced startup environments with evolving product offerings, ambitious growth targets, and the need to build processes on the fly

• Track record of meeting aggressive sales targets in highly competitive markets, with examples of creative deal-making and relentless execution to close challenging opportunities

• Prior experience at early-stage startups (Seed to Series B) during rapid growth phases, ideally in deep tech, AI, or engineering software

• Existing network within simulation software ecosystem, relationships at ANSYS, Siemens, Dassault Systèmes, Altair, or their customer bases

• Direct experience selling simulation software, CAE tools, or HPC solutions to automotive or maritime engineering teams

• Technical sales experience in AI/ML products or other cutting-edge technologies requiring customer education and category creation

• Engineering degree (MS/PhD preferred) with hands-on experience using CFD or simulation tools in automotive/maritime applications

• Experience establishing GTM strategy and sales processes from scratch at early-stage B2B companies

• Strong presence in automotive/maritime technical communities, regular conference speaker, published technical papers, or recognized industry expert

• Enterprise sales experience navigating Fortune 500 procurement, legal review, security assessments, and complex contract negotiations

• Technical Credibility: Command respect from PhDs and engineers through genuine technical understanding and intellectual curiosity

• Intensity: Thrives in our unusually intense culture, willing to grind through long sales cycles and do whatever it takes to close critical deals

• Mission Obsession: Passionate about transforming industrial engineering through AI, not just hitting quota, you believe in what we're building

• Hunter Mentality: Relentless in pursuing new opportunities, comfortable with rejection, and energized by the challenge of opening doors

• Deep Work: Values focused time for strategic account planning and deal preparation alongside high-energy customer interactions

• High Availability: Ready to jump on calls with prospects across time zones, travel to customer sites, and be present when deals need attention

• Communication: Can seamlessly code-switch between technical depth with engineers and business value with executives

• Growth Mindset: Embraces feedback, continuously refines your pitch, and compounds expertise in AI and physics simulation domains

• Startup Mindset: Comfortable with ambiguity, wearing multiple hats (sales, marketing, customer success, product feedback), and building while you fly

• Team Player: Collaborative approach with low ego and high accountability, you win when the company wins, and you bring the team along with your wins

• Opportunity to build the commercial engine for a foundational AI company from the ground up and define an emerging category

• Work on cutting-edge GTM challenges selling truly differentiated technology to the world's most sophisticated engineering organizations

• Direct collaboration with the founder & CEO with ability to influence product strategy, pricing, and go-to-market approach

• In-person first culture, 5 days a week in office with a team that values face-to-face collaboration and rapid iteration

• Access to world-class investors and advisors who can open doors to enterprise accounts and provide strategic GTM guidance

We provide great benefits, including:

• Competitive compensation with uncapped commission potential and equity

• Competitive health, dental, vision benefits paid by the company

• 401(k) plan offering

• Flexible vacation

• Team Building & Fun Activities

• Great scope, ownership and impact

• AI tools stipend

• Monthly commute stipend

• Monthly wellness/fitness stipend

• Daily office lunch & dinner covered by the company

• Immigration support

• Travel budget for customer visits, conferences, and industry events

"The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again... who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly." - Teddy Roosevelt

At our core, we believe in being "in the arena." We are builders, problem solvers, and risk-takers who show up every day ready to put in the work: to sweat, to struggle, and to push past our limits. We know that real progress comes with missteps, iteration, and resilience. We embrace that journey fully knowing that daring greatly is the only way to create something truly meaningful.

If you're ready to join the future of physics simulation, build a commercial engine from scratch, and close deals that matter, UniversalAGI is the place for you.