Senior Account Executive - Los Angeles

About the role

Cars Commerce is building a next-generation field sales organization, and the Senior Account Executive is at the center of that vision. This is a consultative, solutions-oriented position for a seasoned seller who can walk into a dealership's GM or dealer principal office, quickly diagnose their business challenges, and architect a multi-product solution across our full portfolio. This is a high-visibility individual contributor role with significant earning potential, direct field presence, and a clear mandate: elevate how we sell, deepen how we partner, and grow revenue across your dealer portfolio. The Senior Account Executive is a level above our Field Account Executive. Candidates must demonstrate mastery of the full DRIVE framework — not just meeting criteria, but consistently modeling each dimension at a senior level.

What we're looking for: The DRIVE profile

Every successful Cars Commerce Senior AE embodies all five dimensions of DRIVE:

• Disciplined: Rigorous pipeline management, Salesforce hygiene, and forecasting accuracy — demonstrated across a large, complex territory
• Results-Proven: Multi-year track record of meeting or exceeding quota on complex, multi-product deals — not just strong individual years
• Interconnected Solution Seller: Sells across an integrated platform; connects media, digital retailing, data, and trade tools to unified dealer outcomes
• Voraciously Hungry: Grit and tenacity to win in a competitive market; intellectual curiosity to stay ahead of automotive retail trends
• Earning-Motivated: Unapologetically money-motivated — the financial upside of this role is meaningful, and the right candidate will be energized by it

What you'll do

Consultative selling & portfolio management

• Own and grow a book of dealer accounts, selling across the full Cars Commerce suite: Cars.com marketplace, Dealer Inspire digital retailing and websites, Accu-Trade, and digital media solutions
• Lead discovery conversations at the dealer principal, GM, and marketing director level to understand each dealer's operational and growth challenges
• Build tailored, multi-solution proposals that tie Cars Commerce products to measurable dealer outcomes (leads, inventory turn, digital retailing performance, trade acquisition efficiency)
• Manage complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles from initial engagement through close and expansion

Strategic account development

• Develop and execute account plans across your territory to maximize penetration and revenue per rooftop
• Identify whitespace — dealers not yet leveraging the full platform — and create pathways to deeper adoption
• Partner with Customer Success and Dealer Success Managers to ensure seamless onboarding and expansion post-sale

Market & industry expertise

• Stay current on automotive retail trends, OEM programs, inventory market conditions, and competitive landscape to advise dealers as a credible industry consultant
• Serve as a trusted advisor to dealer groups and multi-rooftop accounts, building long-term relationships that insulate against competitive pressure

Operational excellence

• Maintain rigorous pipeline, forecasting, and activity data in Salesforce — daily updates, accurate stage management, and 3–5x pipeline coverage
• Operate within a structured sales methodology (Sandler, Challenger, SPIN, MEDDIC, or equivalent) and be able to articulate how you apply it
• Provide field-level market intelligence to product, marketing, and leadership teams
• Travel regularly within your territory; this is a road-warrior role with frequent in-person dealer visits expected

Required experience

• 8+ years of B2B field sales experience with a documented, multi-year track record of meeting or exceeding quota
• Demonstrated success selling complex, multi-product or platform solutions — not single-SKU transactional sales
• SaaS, digital media, or marketing technology sales background, particularly in verticals with high SMB-to-enterprise dealer or franchisee dynamics
• Comfort operating in a high-activity, travel-intensive field role calling on business owners and senior dealership leadership
• Proven ability to run a consultative sales process: discovery, needs analysis, solution design, business case development, and close
• Working command of a named sales methodology and demonstrable Salesforce rigor

Preferred experience

• Automotive, if combined with the above required experience
• Experience selling to multi-rooftop dealer groups or large franchise accounts
• Familiarity with automotive retail metrics (VDP views, leads, conversion rates, trade funnels, digital retailing workflows)

Skills & competencies

• Executive presence — ability to build credibility quickly with dealer principals and GMs
• Strong business acumen; can translate platform capabilities into dealer P&L impact
• Natural curiosity and active listening; asks great questions before pitching
• Unapologetically money-motivated — driven by the earning upside this role provides
• Resilience and self-motivation suited to a field-based, high-volume territory model
• Proficiency with CRM tools (Salesforce required) and virtual presentation platforms

Pay

Total target compensation range: $154,200.00 – $192,750.00. Compensation structured as a 50/50 base/variable split reflecting the seniority and scope of this role. Uncapped commission potential tied to portfolio growth and new solution adoption.

Benefits

• Medical, Dental & Vision Healthcare Plans
• New Hire Stipend for Home Office Set-Up
• Generous PTO
• Paid Holidays, Floating Holiday, Volunteer Day, Recharge Day
• Car allowance or mileage reimbursement
• Access to the full Cars Commerce product portfolio as a sales professional

Schedule

This is a field-based, road-warrior role with frequent in-person dealer visits expected. Candidates must reside in the Los Angeles, CA territory.