Head of Sales, SME, US

About Airwallex Airwallex is the AI-native financial operating system for a real-time, intelligent economy. More than 676,000 businesses, including McLaren Racing, Qantas, SHEIN, and TikTok, use us, directly or through our platform partners, to run their financial operations or build and monetize financial products of their own. We started in Melbourne in 2015 to build the infrastructure global commerce runs on. We're the regulated backbone behind global payments: not by accident, but by design. A decade plus, 85+ licenses, and a financial infrastructure spanning North America, Europe, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific. We're co-headquartered in San Francisco and Singapore, with more than 2,300 people across 27 offices. We hire builders with founder-level energy, people who move fast with good judgment, dig in with real curiosity, and make calls from first principles rather than waiting to be told what to do. Read our operating principles to see it in full. The Role We’re hiring a Head of Sales, SME, US to build and lead a world‑class, high‑growth commercial engine across the region. You will own new business, account expansion, and GTM partnerships, with a mandate to scale a high‑performing sales organization and crack product–market fit in new verticals, including eCommerce, software & technology, trading, import & export, and manufacturing . This is a hands‑on leadership role for a high‑energy, commercially obsessed builder who loves being in the field with customers as much as they enjoy designing the systems, processes, and talent strategy behind a top‑tier sales organization. Location: Based in San Francisco/ New York , with the ability to travel across the US and occasionally internationally as needed. What You’ll Do Own the US commercial engine Own new business revenue, expansion, and retention targets across the US. Lead and scale our AEs and sales managers to drive high‑quality pipeline and consistent new customer acquisition. Build a world‑class sales organization Design and implement the sales operating model across segments, territories, and verticals (including eCommerce, software/tech, trading, import/export, and manufacturing). Establish and continuously improve sales processes and methodologies – from discovery, qualification, and value articulation through to negotiation and closing. Build the recruiting framework for sales: define profiles, interview loops, and assessment criteria; partner with Talent Acquisition to hire and onboard top‑tier sales and AM leaders and ICs. Implement best practices in forecasting, pipeline hygiene, territory planning, and quota setting , in close partnership with RevOps and Finance. Lead from the front with customers Personally lead executive‑level discovery, solutioning, and deal execution with strategic prospects and customers. Act as a trusted advisor to C‑level and VP‑level stakeholders across our target industries, bringing a deep understanding of payments, FX, and financial operations. Champion Airwallex in the market through customer meetings, events, and partner engagements , setting the bar for what great looks like in senior client interaction. Coach, develop, and inspire the team Be a culture‑builder who sets a high‑energy, high‑ownership tone for the US sales organization. Coach and develop managers and ICs through structured 1:1s, deal reviews, and regular training on discovery, objection handling, and closing. Instill a learning and experimentation mindset – continuously test new approaches, share learnings, and raise the bar on performance and craftsmanship. Shape strategy and product–market fit Partner closely with Product, Marketing, and Risk to identify and validate product–market fit in new verticals and segments. Bring structured market, customer, and competitive insights back into product roadmaps and GTM strategy. Define and refine our ideal customer profiles, use cases, and value propositions across eCommerce, software/tech, trading, import & export, and