Location: Williston, VT

Travel: Regular travel to customer sites and industry events.

Salary Range: $75,000 – $150,000 per year (base salary + performance bonus/commissions)

About Rigorous

Rigorous Technology is a fast-growing robotics company with a mission to automate non-creative tasks, helping manufacturers streamline operations and improve efficiency. We design, prototype, build, and install industrial robotic systems that support small to medium-sized manufacturers across the U.S. Our proprietary RGS software library enables advanced manipulation and control, continually pushing the boundaries of automation.

As a startup experiencing rapid growth, we have doubled revenue year over year while developing the foundation of our core products and technologies. Every new hire at Rigorous plays a critical role in shaping our future, and we are actively expanding into remote diagnostics, maintenance, and service programs to make cutting-edge robotics accessible to all manufacturers.

We are looking for driven, high-performing individuals who thrive in a fast-moving environment and are motivated by solving real problems. In this role, you will help grow revenue, shape our sales process, and build lasting relationships with customers. If you’re skilled in technical sales, motivated by real results, and ready to make an impact at a growing company, we’d love to hear from you.

Rigorous Account Executive
Reports to: Director of Product

Close deals that matter. Sell intelligent robots and software platforms to manufacturers who need automation. You will own the full sales cycle, from prospecting and discovery through demos, proposals, and close. You will build relationships with everyone from plant managers to company owners who are ready for automation that delivers.

This role is about more than hitting quota. You will help shape how we sell. Rigorous knows where we create value, and our sales process is evolving as we scale. You will bring real sales experience that helps refine and strengthen it as we grow.

We are not looking for someone who relies on a script. We are looking for someone who knows how to find opportunity, read a room, and move a complex sale forward through skill, persistence, and genuine client relationships built on trust and understanding. 

We want someone ready to set the standard for how modern manufacturers buy automation.

You own your numbers: quota attainment, pipeline health, and deal velocity. You’re the sales expert who understands manufacturing pain points, can demo technical products confidently, and knows how to navigate long sales cycles. You should be confident enough to sell a technical product and thoughtful enough to refine our approach as you sell. You prospect relentlessly, close consistently, and build a book of business that compounds over time.

Why Now:
This year marks an inflection point for Rigorous. We’re expanding robot deployments and launching our software platform as a standalone product. We need a driven Account Executive to help accelerate that growth and bring our technology to more manufacturers.

Responsibilities

Own the Sales Cycle

  • Prospect and qualify leads: outbound calls, emails, LinkedIn, networking.
  • Run discovery calls to understand customer pain points and fit.
  • Create and deliver compelling product demos for both robots and software. 
  • Work with the Director of Product/Sales Engineering to scope and develop proposals. 
  • Maintain pipeline accuracy and momentum from first contact to close.
  • Drive $1.5M+ in annual closed revenue through disciplined pipeline management and follow-up.

Build Your Territory

  • Develop pipeline in target verticals, such as packaging, food and beverage and logistics.
  • Identify key accounts and build relationships with decision-makers from the Plant Manager to the CEO.
  • Manage long, complex sales cycles (6+ months) with multiple stakeholders.

Collaborate & Improve

  • Work with the Director of Product to refine the sales process and customer experience.
  • Share insights from your experience to strengthen qualification, follow-up, and proposal structure.
  • Work with Marketing on lead quality and campaign effectiveness.
  • Partner with the Director of Product to ensure customer outcomes drive referrals.
  • Provide product feedback to Engineering based on customer conversations.
  • Document what works and help inform the playbook that scales with our growth.
  • Help train and mentor future AEs as the team grows.

Requirements

  • Strong prospecting skills and comfort owning the top of the funnel.
  • 5+ years B2B sales experience; manufacturing, industrial, robotics, or hardware preferred.
  • Proven track record of consistent quota attainment or revenue growth.
  • Ability to create and deliver persuasive presentations to both individuals and groups.
  • Comfortable with complex, technical sales (capital equipment or enterprise software)
  • Experience managing long sales cycles (6+ months) with multiple decision-makers
  • Ability to connect technical solutions to real operational pain points.
  • Excellent communicator who can adjust tone and depth based on audience, think explaining technical concepts to non-technical buyers
  • Self-starter who drives their own pipeline, prospect relentlessly, and doesn’t wait for leads.
  • Strong CRM proficiency for managing and forecasting pipeline effectively.