Sales Development Director Jobs

SingleStore is seeking an accomplished strategic account executive to lead and grow some of our most important customer relationships. In this role you won’t simply manage a book of business, you will shape how leading companies use data to power their next wave of growth. As a Strategic Account Executive, you’ll become a trusted partner to your customers, developing a deep understanding of their business priorities, data environments, and growth ambitions. You’ll turn that insight into strategies that expand SingleStore’s footprint, unlock new workloads and business units, deepen executive relationships, and drive measurable customer impact. This is a role for someone who can see beyond today’s opportunity, uncover whitespace, orchestrate complex stakeholders, and connect technology to outcomes that matter. If you’re excited by the opportunity to turn strong customer relationships into transformational growth, we’d love to meet you. Role and Responsibilities Own and grow large, strategic customer accounts, navigating multi-stakeholder environments and managing complexity across decision-makers. Build and execute multi-year account plans that map business priorities, workloads, architecture, stakeholders, executive relationships, competitive presence, whitespace, and expansion pathways. Develop the expansion hypothesis, executive sponsorship plan, and commercial path for each priority account while coordinating ownership with adjacent account teams. Protect renewal quality while driving net expansion through new workloads, business units, use cases, multi-year enterprise agreements, true-ups, and other customer-aligned commercial structures. Make Aura Intelligence a standard account-plan motion by connecting customers’ existing SingleStore data to intelligent, real-time experiences through relevant proof, demos, and business cases. Build executive relationships and lead strategic business reviews that align customer priorities, adoption, measurable outcomes, and nex

SingleStore is looking for an accomplished sales professional to join our Sales Team. AI is moving from experimentation into production, and this role is an opportunity to break into AI while doing meaningful enterprise selling. As an Account Executive, AI Hunter, your job is simple: create new SingleStore customers. You will find companies building AI applications where data access, real-time context, memory, retrieval, or operational scale is becoming a constraint—and turn those challenges into new SingleStore customers. You will own a broad territory, build a majority self-sourced pipeline, create demand in an emerging category, and close greenfield enterprise opportunities. This is a true hunting role. You will engage customers before they have a defined project, develop customer-specific points of view, create urgency around business and technical problems, work with technical experts to land first production workloads, and build a measurable new-logo business with broad ownership. The ideal candidate is a measurable enterprise hunter who is competitive, curious, technically credible, resilient, and able to sell business outcomes. Direct AI sales experience is valuable, but proven selling ability and technical curiosity matter more than a narrow “AI seller” title. Role and Responsibilities Build and execute a territory strategy for net-new customer acquisition. Prospect fearlessly across a broad account universe using proactive, persistent outbound, account-based, partner, and market-education motions; stay resilient and effective through rejection and ambiguity. Form account hypotheses, map the buying center, and earn first meetings with relevant points of view tailored to the customer. Engage executive, business, technical, security, and procurement stakeholders. Lead great business-first discovery, connect AI and data challenges to fundable goals, and build quantified ROI, TCO, or operational-impact cases. Build and develop champions, multi-thread the buying

Since we opened our doors in 2009, the world of commerce has evolved immensely, and so has Square. After enabling anyone to take payments and never miss a sale, we saw sellers stymied by disparate, outmoded products and tools that wouldn’t work together. So we expanded into software and started building integrated, omnichannel solutions – to help sellers sell online, manage inventory, offer buy now, pay later functionality, book appointments, engage loyal buyers, and hire and pay staff. Across it all, we’ve embedded financial services tools at the point of sale, so merchants can access a business loan and manage their cash flow in one place. Afterpay furthers our goal to provide omnichannel tools that unlock meaningful value and growth, enabling sellers to capture the next generation shopper, increase order sizes, and compete at a larger scale. Today, we are a partner to sellers of all sizes – large, enterprise-scale businesses with complex operations, sellers just starting, as well as merchants who began selling with Square and have grown larger over time. As our sellers grow, so do our solutions. There is a massive opportunity in front of us. We’re building a significant, meaningful, and lasting business, and we are helping sellers worldwide do the same. The Role Join the Square Account Management team and help our merchants grow their business! The Account Management team helps merchants get the most out of Square through product education, business advice and introducing new features. Our team is hiring one SMB Account Manager - West Coast Remote who are passionate about helping business owners succeed. You will be responsible for nurturing relationships and finding creative ways to make Square products work for a complex array of customers. You will identify ways to expand collaboration with customers and act as an internal advocate for decision makers in your book of business. You will: Be responsible for growing and retaining a multi-million

SingleStore is looking for an accomplished sales professional to join our Sales Team. AI is moving from experimentation into production, and this role is an opportunity to break into AI while doing meaningful enterprise selling. As an Account Executive, AI Hunter, your job is simple: create new SingleStore customers. You will find companies building AI applications where data access, real-time context, memory, retrieval, or operational scale is becoming a constraint—and turn those challenges into new SingleStore customers. You will own a broad territory, build a majority self-sourced pipeline, create demand in an emerging category, and close greenfield enterprise opportunities. This is a true hunting role. You will engage customers before they have a defined project, develop customer-specific points of view, create urgency around business and technical problems, work with technical experts to land first production workloads, and build a measurable new-logo business with broad ownership. The ideal candidate is a measurable enterprise hunter who is competitive, curious, technically credible, resilient, and able to sell business outcomes. Direct AI sales experience is valuable, but proven selling ability and technical curiosity matter more than a narrow “AI seller” title. Role and Responsibilities`` Build and execute a territory strategy for net-new customer acquisition. Prospect fearlessly across a broad account universe using proactive, persistent outbound, account-based, partner, and market-education motions; stay resilient and effective through rejection and ambiguity. Form account hypotheses, map the buying center, and earn first meetings with relevant points of view tailored to the customer. Engage executive, business, technical, security, and procurement stakeholders. Lead great business-first discovery, connect AI and data challenges to fundable goals, and build quantified ROI, TCO, or operational-impact cases. Build and develop champions, multi-thread the buyi

Since we opened our doors in 2009, the world of commerce has evolved immensely, and so has Square. After enabling anyone to take payments and never miss a sale, we saw sellers stymied by disparate, outmoded products and tools that wouldn’t work together. So we expanded into software and started building integrated, omnichannel solutions – to help sellers sell online, manage inventory, offer buy now, pay later functionality, book appointments, engage loyal buyers, and hire and pay staff. Across it all, we’ve embedded financial services tools at the point of sale, so merchants can access a business loan and manage their cash flow in one place. Afterpay furthers our goal to provide omnichannel tools that unlock meaningful value and growth, enabling sellers to capture the next generation shopper, increase order sizes, and compete at a larger scale. Today, we are a partner to sellers of all sizes – large, enterprise-scale businesses with complex operations, sellers just starting, as well as merchants who began selling with Square and have grown larger over time. As our sellers grow, so do our solutions. There is a massive opportunity in front of us. We’re building a significant, meaningful, and lasting business, and we are helping sellers worldwide do the same. The Role Square is building a best-in-class, high-impact field sales organization, and we are looking for an exceptional Territory Account Executive — someone who consistently exceeds expectations, takes full ownership of their territory, and brings Square’s mission of economic empowerment directly to the businesses that need it most. This is a field-driven, execution-focused role designed for individuals who thrive in dynamic, demanding environments. You will spend most of your week out in the market — meeting businesses, conducting live demos, and closing deals with confidence. The pace is fast, the expectations are high, and your ability to operate strategically and decisively will determine your su

Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across 200+ public data centers globally and thousands of private sites at the edge, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform. We believe the future of work is Human + AI and are building an AI-native enterprise where human potential is amplified by machine intelligence to solve the world’s hardest security challenges. Driven by deep customer obsession, we are committed to the mission, outcome, and to each other. We bring these commitments to life through three core behaviors: ownership and collaboration, trust through outcomes and impact, and a challenge culture with ongoing feedback. Ready to make an impact at the company pioneering security transformation in the AI era? Join us at Zscaler. Role We are looking for an Account Executive to join our team. This is a Hybrid, Chennai role, reporting to the Regional Sales Director in the Commercial Sales department. You will join a global group of professionals passionate about delighting customers and driving a secure, cloud-enabled digital future as the world leader in cloud security. As a key member of the Sales and Go-to-Market team, you will demonstrate the power and agility of cloud transformation while nurturing trusted partnerships to achieve shared success. What you’ll do (Role Expectations) Understand and solve customer pain points through our unique value proposition while educating key decision-makers on inspiring technology Act as the GM of your business by creating strategic success plans that include coverage, target prospects, and marketing campaigns Implement world-class sales methodologies to consistently overachieve on quarterly and a

About the Team The In-Store Sales team at DoorDash is amplifying SevenRooms' mission to reshape the hospitality industry by empowering operators to take control of their guest relationships. We’re a passionate, high-performing group of go-getters who act as trusted advisors to restaurants and hospitality groups around the world. We take a consultative approach to sales—identifying business gaps, crafting thoughtful solutions, and helping operators reduce reliance on third-party networks. We believe in the power of hospitality, and we’re proud to partner with businesses to streamline operations and deliver magical guest experiences every day. About the Role As an Account Executive, you’ll work directly with restaurants and hospitality groups to understand their business needs and recommend the best-fit solutions to enhance a holistic customer journey—from reservations and table management to online ordering and marketing automation—with Doordash and SevenRooms, you'll now have unlimited possibilities to transform the hospitality industry. You’ll drive new business by adding operators to the platform and working closely with our onboarding and account teams to ensure a smooth and enthusiastic transition. This role plays a key part in helping hospitality operators thrive, combining strategic thinking, relationship-building, and product knowledge to deliver real impact. You’re excited about this opportunity because you will… Build and Manage a Sales Pipeline. Identify and engage prospective restaurants and hospitality groups to grow your book of business. Showcase the Platform. Present the value of SevenRooms through compelling demos and conversations that help operators understand how we can support their success. Lead Sales from Start to Finish. Own the full sales cycle—from prospecting and pitching to negotiation, contracting, and go-live support. Deliver Live Product Demos. Conduct live, engaging product walkthroughs both virtually and in person when needed. B

About Pinterest: Millions of people around the world come to our platform to find creative ideas, dream about new possibilities and plan for memories that will last a lifetime. At Pinterest, we’re on a mission to bring everyone the inspiration to create a life they love, and that starts with the people behind the product. Discover a career where you ignite innovation for millions, transform passion into growth opportunities, celebrate each other’s unique experiences and embrace the flexibility to do your best work. Creating a career you love? It’s Possible. At Pinterest, AI isn't just a feature, it's a powerful partner that augments our creativity and amplifies our impact, and we’re looking for candidates who are excited to be a part of that. To get a complete picture of your experience and abilities, we’ll explore your foundational skills and how you collaborate with AI. Through our interview process, what matters most is that you can always explain your approach, showing us not just what you know, but how you think. You can read more about our AI interview philosophy and how we use AI in our recruiting process here . Great brands help make Pinner’s inspirations a reality, and we’re looking for an experienced Client Partner to help lead the way. This is a fixed term contract. You’ll help spread awareness and comprehension of Pinterest Business tools in Brazil. You’ll develop strong brand relationships and work closely to help them get the most out of Pinterest's solutions and meet their business goals. What you’ll do: Retain, grow and diversify the value delivered to our partners, ultimately growing Pinterest revenue as a result in Brazil. Coordinate negotiations with partners to create joint business plans, learning agendas and have deep understanding of partners' business and media objectives. Responsible for stakeholder management, decision maker relationships. Arrange regular meetings with partners to discuss their requirements, learn about their objectiv

Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across 200+ public data centers globally and thousands of private sites at the edge, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform. We believe the future of work is Human + AI and are building an AI-native enterprise where human potential is amplified by machine intelligence to solve the world’s hardest security challenges. Driven by deep customer obsession, we are committed to the mission, outcome, and to each other. We bring these commitments to life through three core behaviors: ownership and collaboration, trust through outcomes and impact, and a challenge culture with ongoing feedback. Ready to make an impact at the company pioneering security transformation in the AI era? Join us at Zscaler. Role We are looking for an Account Executive to join our South Africa GTM team. This is a Hybrid role reporting to the Sales Director. You will join a global group of professionals passionate about cloud security and driving a secure, cloud-enabled digital future. In this role, you will demonstrate the power and agility of Zscaler cloud transformation by managing a territory focused on net new logos and up-sell opportunities. What you’ll do (Role Expectations) Take ownership of East & West Africa + SADC countries (Exc South Africa) focused on net new logo and up-sell opportunities within commercial accounts. Demonstrate expertise in building business cases that clearly show value and differentiation at all levels of customer and prospect organizations Partner effectively with Sales Engineering, Solution Architecture, Value Consulting, and Transformation teams throughout your sales cycles Drive consist

Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across 200+ public data centers globally and thousands of private sites at the edge, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform. We believe the future of work is Human + AI and are building an AI-native enterprise where human potential is amplified by machine intelligence to solve the world’s hardest security challenges. Driven by deep customer obsession, we are committed to the mission, outcome, and to each other. We bring these commitments to life through three core behaviors: ownership and collaboration, trust through outcomes and impact, and a challenge culture with ongoing feedback. Ready to make an impact at the company pioneering security transformation in the AI era? Join us at Zscaler. Role We are looking for an Account Executive, Commercial to join our team in Frankfurt reporting to the Sales Director in the Sales and Go-to-Market department. You will drive a secure, cloud-enabled digital future by managing a territory focused on net new logo and up-sell opportunities for accounts with 750 to 5,000 users. Your focus is on building high-impact business cases that demonstrate clear value and differentiation across all levels of prospect organizations. What you’ll do (Role Expectations) Own an assigned territory with a focus on capturing net new logos and driving up-sell opportunities within the 750 to 5,000 user segment Develop and present comprehensive business cases that articulate clear value and differentiation to stakeholders at all levels Collaborate cross-functionally with Sales Engineering, Solution Architecture, and Transformation teams to navigate complex sales cycles Drive consistent pipe

SLSQ427R821 While candidates in the listed location(s) are encouraged for this role, candidates in other locations will be considered. As we continue our rapid expansion, we are seeking a dynamic, results-oriented Strategic Hunter Account Executive to join our DoW team supporting Space Force. In this pivotal role, you will own the account. This is a high-visibility opportunity to deepen relationships, explore new mission avenues, and deliver transformative outcomes within the accounts. Reporting to our Senior Director of Enterprise Sales, as a Strategic Hunter Account Executive at Databricks, you will focus on identifying, engaging, and securing new opportunities within the accounts. You are a true hunter — establishing executive-level connections, uncovering untapped potential, and positioning Databricks as the premier platform for data, analytics, and AI innovation. You will be leveraging your extensive hunting expertise, along with your solutions sales experience in selling technical solutions in data/AI, advanced Analytics to inspire the client’s vision and help shape how they leverage these technologies to drive business outcomes. Your success will be measured by your ability to generate demand, close high-value deals, and expand Databricks’ footprint within the accounts. The impact you'll have: Leverage your expertise to identify new opportunities and create use cases that demonstrate Databricks’ value and impact. Use your network and strong relationship skills to broaden our presence within complex organizations—engaging key decision-makers and trusted partners to drive growth. Develop structured account plans that address your client’s business priorities and position Databricks as a long-term digital transformation partner. Draw on your experience selling cloud-based solutions to navigate enterprise cycles, secure executive sponsorship, and deliver beyond customer expectations. Work closely with Databricks teams and selected partners to deliver tailor

Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across 200+ public data centers globally and thousands of private sites at the edge, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform. We believe the future of work is Human + AI and are building an AI-native enterprise where human potential is amplified by machine intelligence to solve the world’s hardest security challenges. Driven by deep customer obsession, we are committed to the mission, outcome, and to each other. We bring these commitments to life through three core behaviors: ownership and collaboration, trust through outcomes and impact, and a challenge culture with ongoing feedback. Ready to make an impact at the company pioneering security transformation in the AI era? Join us at Zscaler. Role We are looking for a Specialty Sales Account Executive to join our team. This is a hybrid role based in Japan, reporting to the Regional Vice President - Zscaler Sec Ops in the Sales and Go-to-Market department. You will be part of a global group of professionals dedicated to demonstrating the power and agility of cloud transformation while cementing our position as the world leader in cloud security. Your mission is to nurture trusted partnerships and share expertise to lead customers toward a secure, cloud‑enabled digital future. What you’ll do (Role Expectations) Serve as the primary expert for customers, partners, and internal sales teams to drive revenue growth within the Zscaler Sec Ops product portfolio Partner with domain expert solution engineers to gather customer requirements, create compelling value propositions, and close business alongside the primary account team Own the Zscaler Sec Ops quota for your as

Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across 200+ public data centers globally and thousands of private sites at the edge, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform. We believe the future of work is Human + AI and are building an AI-native enterprise where human potential is amplified by machine intelligence to solve the world’s hardest security challenges. Driven by deep customer obsession, we are committed to the mission, outcome, and to each other. We bring these commitments to life through three core behaviors: ownership and collaboration, trust through outcomes and impact, and a challenge culture with ongoing feedback. Ready to make an impact at the company pioneering security transformation in the AI era? Join us at Zscaler. 役割 セールスと市場開拓（Go-to-Market）部門の一員としてご活躍いただける、アカウント エグゼクティブを募集しています。この職務は日本を拠点とし、リージョナルディレクター直属となります。 世界中のプロフェッショナルと連携しながら、お客様の期待を超える価値提供を実現し、安全でクラウドを前提としたデジタルの未来を推進していくポジションです。 また、Customer Success／Enablement／Architecture各チームと密に協働し、Zscalerが実現するクラウド・トランスフォーメーションの力を提案・体現することで、クラウドセキュリティ分野のグローバルリーダーとしての当社のポジションをさらに強固なものにしていただきます。 業務内容 (役割と期待されること) ・顧客の経営幹部を含む主要な関係者との信頼関係を構築すること。 ・顧客の目標に基づく長期的なアカウント戦略を設計すること。 ・社内関係者との連携による顧客ニーズを反映したアカウント計画を策定すること。 ・ 顧客のビジネスを理解し、具体的な目標を掲げ、Zscalerソリューションを提案し、信頼できるパートナーとしての役割を発揮すること。 求める人物像 (成功のための資質) 不確実さを力に変えられる人 ：正解が見えない状況でも前に進むことが出来る方。歩きながら道をつくることに前向きで、曖昧さを「障害」ではなく、価値あるものを生み出すための素材として捉えられる方。 オーナーシップを持って動ける人 ：ミッションへの熱意が行動力につながり、自ら意思決定し、最後までやり切ることが出来る方。成果に本気で向き合うからこそ誠実にふるまい、戦略の議論から現場の実行まで、必要に応じて自在に行き来できる方。 課題解決を楽しめる人 ：難しい課題ほど熱意をもって取り組める方。課題に集中し、解決までやり抜くことで最大のインパクトを生み出せると知っている方。 信頼をつくるコラボレーター ：自分の成功だけでなく、チームの成功にコミットできる方。明確さと敬意のある率直さを大切にし、フィードバックを「与える・受け取る」を継続できる方。これこそが最高のチームワークであり、信頼を最速で築く方法だと理解している

Zscaler (NASDAQ: ZS) accelerates digital transformation so customers can be more agile, efficient, resilient, and secure. The Zscaler Zero Trust Exchange platform protects thousands of customers from cyberattacks and data loss by securely connecting users, devices, and applications in any location. Distributed across 200+ public data centers globally and thousands of private sites at the edge, the SASE-based Zero Trust Exchange is the world’s largest in-line cloud security platform. We believe the future of work is Human + AI and are building an AI-native enterprise where human potential is amplified by machine intelligence to solve the world’s hardest security challenges. Driven by deep customer obsession, we are committed to the mission, outcome, and to each other. We bring these commitments to life through three core behaviors: ownership and collaboration, trust through outcomes and impact, and a challenge culture with ongoing feedback. Ready to make an impact at the company pioneering security transformation in the AI era? Join us at Zscaler. 役割 セールスと市場開拓（Go-to-Market）部門の一員としてご活躍いただける、アカウント エグゼクティブを募集しています。この職務は日本を拠点とし、リージョナルディレクター直属となります。 世界中のプロフェッショナルと連携しながら、お客様の期待を超える価値提供を実現し、安全でクラウドを前提としたデジタルの未来を推進していくポジションです。 また、Customer Success／Enablement／Architecture各チームと密に協働し、Zscalerが実現するクラウド・トランスフォーメーションの力を提案・体現することで、クラウドセキュリティ分野のグローバルリーダーとしての当社のポジションをさらに強固なものにしていただきます。 業務内容 (役割と期待されること) ・顧客の経営幹部を含む主要な関係者との信頼関係を構築すること。 ・顧客の目標に基づく長期的なアカウント戦略を設計すること。 ・社内関係者との連携による顧客ニーズを反映したアカウント計画を策定すること。 ・ 顧客のビジネスを理解し、具体的な目標を掲げ、Zscalerソリューションを提案し、信頼できるパートナーとしての役割を発揮すること。 求める人物像 (成功のための資質) 不確実さを力に変えられる人 ：正解が見えない状況でも前に進むことが出来る方。歩きながら道をつくることに前向きで、曖昧さを「障害」ではなく、価値あるものを生み出すための素材として捉えられる方。 オーナーシップを持って動ける人 ：ミッションへの熱意が行動力につながり、自ら意思決定し、最後までやり切ることが出来る方。成果に本気で向き合うからこそ誠実にふるまい、戦略の議論から現場の実行まで、必要に応じて自在に行き来できる方。 課題解決を楽しめる人 ：難しい課題ほど熱意をもって取り組める方。課題に集中し、解決までやり抜くことで最大のインパクトを生み出せると知っている方。 信頼をつくるコラボレーター ：自分の成功だけでなく、チームの成功にコミットできる方。明確さと敬意のある率直さを大切にし、フィードバックを「与える・受け取る」を継続できる方。これこそが最高のチームワークであり、信頼を最速で築く方法だと理解している

Since we opened our doors in 2009, the world of commerce has evolved immensely, and so has Square. After enabling anyone to take payments and never miss a sale, we saw sellers stymied by disparate, outmoded products and tools that wouldn’t work together. So we expanded into software and started building integrated, omnichannel solutions – to help sellers sell online, manage inventory, offer buy now, pay later functionality, book appointments, engage loyal buyers, and hire and pay staff. Across it all, we’ve embedded financial services tools at the point of sale, so merchants can access a business loan and manage their cash flow in one place. Afterpay furthers our goal to provide omnichannel tools that unlock meaningful value and growth, enabling sellers to capture the next generation shopper, increase order sizes, and compete at a larger scale. Today, we are a partner to sellers of all sizes – large, enterprise-scale businesses with complex operations, sellers just starting, as well as merchants who began selling with Square and have grown larger over time. As our sellers grow, so do our solutions. There is a massive opportunity in front of us. We’re building a significant, meaningful, and lasting business, and we are helping sellers worldwide do the same. About the Role Square is looking for a senior operations leader to own US seller onboarding operations across first-party and vendor-supported delivery motions. Reporting to the Head of Global Onboarding Operations, this leader will translate global onboarding strategy into US operating plans, manage multiple teams and workstreams, and drive measurable improvements in seller activation, time-to-value, service quality, workforce productivity, and cost-to-serve. This role requires broad operational expertise, strong cross-functional influence, and the ability to make high-quality decisions in ambiguous situations. The right candidate can operate independently on significant assignments, build scalable operating mech