Enterprise GTM Hiring Playbook: Job Descriptions & Hiring Framework

Building an enterprise GTM team is different from building a startup sales team. The roles, skills, and processes are fundamentally different.

At Hortonworks, we hired 50+ enterprise sales professionals in 18 months. At Cockroach Labs, we built a team that scaled from $0 to $50M ARR. Here's the complete hiring playbook.

The Enterprise GTM Team Structure

Early Stage ($0-$10M ARR):

• Founder-led sales
• 1-2 Enterprise AEs
• 1 SDR
• Part-time Sales Ops

Growth Stage ($10M-$50M ARR):

• VP Sales
• 5-10 Enterprise AEs
• 3-5 SDRs
• Sales Ops Manager
• Sales Enablement

Scale Stage ($50M-$100M+ ARR):

• CRO
• Regional Sales Directors
• 20+ Enterprise AEs
• 10+ SDRs
• Full Sales Ops team
• Sales Enablement team
• Revenue Operations

Job Description: VP of Enterprise Sales

Role Overview:

The VP of Enterprise Sales is responsible for building and scaling the enterprise sales organization. This role reports to the CRO and is critical for scaling from $10M to $100M+ ARR.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Build the Team

   • Hire and develop enterprise AEs
   • Establish hiring criteria and interview processes
   • Create onboarding programs
   • Build sales management structure

2. Drive Revenue

   • Own enterprise revenue targets ($10M-$50M+)
   • Forecast accurately (85%+ accuracy)
   • Manage enterprise pipeline
   • Close $500K-$5M+ deals

3. Establish Process

   • Implement sales methodologies (HUNT, MEDDIC)
   • Create deal review processes
   • Build forecasting systems
   • Establish sales metrics and KPIs

4. Enable the Team

   • Create sales playbooks
   • Develop training programs
   • Provide deal coaching
   • Remove blockers

Required Experience:

• 10+ years in enterprise sales
• 5+ years managing enterprise sales teams
• Track record of scaling teams from $10M to $50M+ ARR
• Experience with complex, multi-stakeholder deals
• Strong understanding of MEDDIC, Challenger Sale, or similar methodologies

Key Metrics:

• Team quota attainment: 85%+
• Forecast accuracy: 85%+
• Average deal size: $500K+
• Sales cycle: 6-12 months
• Win rate: 30%+

Interview Process:

1. Phone Screen (30 min)

   • Background and experience
   • Why interested in role
   • Basic qualification

2. Hiring Manager Interview (60 min)

   • Deep dive into experience
   • Sales methodology discussion
   • Team building examples
   • Deal review walkthrough

3. Case Study (90 min)

   • Present a deal review framework
   • Build a 30-60-90 day plan
   • Design a hiring process

4. Team Interview (60 min)

   • Meet with current AEs
   • Culture fit assessment
   • Leadership style discussion

5. Executive Interview (45 min)

   • Meet with CRO/CEO
   • Strategic vision alignment
   • Final assessment

Red Flags:

• No experience scaling teams
• Can't articulate sales methodology
• Poor forecast accuracy history
• High team turnover
• No enterprise deal experience

Job Description: Enterprise Account Executive

Role Overview:

Enterprise AEs own the full sales cycle for $500K-$5M+ deals. They work with Fortune 500 companies, navigate complex buying committees, and close enterprise deals.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Prospect & Qualify

   • Identify target accounts using ICP
   • Uncover champions
   • Map buying committees
   • Qualify using MEDDIC

2. Navigate Deals

   • Build relationships with stakeholders
   • Navigate procurement and legal
   • Manage POCs and evaluations
   • Overcome objections

3. Close Deals

   • Negotiate contracts
   • Navigate procurement processes
   • Close $500K-$5M+ deals
   • Ensure smooth handoff to customer success

Required Experience:

• 5+ years in enterprise sales
• Track record of closing $500K+ deals
• Experience with Fortune 500 companies
• Strong MEDDIC qualification skills
• Experience with 6-12 month sales cycles

Key Metrics:

• Annual quota: $2M-$5M+
• Average deal size: $500K+
• Sales cycle: 6-12 months
• Win rate: 30%+
• Pipeline coverage: 3x quota

Interview Process:

1. Phone Screen (30 min)

   • Background and experience
   • Deal examples
   • Basic qualification

2. Hiring Manager Interview (60 min)

   • Deep dive into deals
   • MEDDIC qualification walkthrough
   • Committee navigation examples
   • Objection handling

3. Role Play (60 min)

   • Mock discovery call
   • Mock executive presentation
   • Mock objection handling

4. Team Interview (45 min)

   • Meet with current AEs
   • Culture fit
   • Deal collaboration examples

Red Flags:

• No enterprise deal experience
• Can't articulate MEDDIC
• Poor qualification skills
• Short average tenure
• No Fortune 500 experience

Job Description: Enterprise SDR

Role Overview:

Enterprise SDRs generate qualified opportunities for Enterprise AEs. They prospect into Fortune 500 accounts, identify champions, and book qualified meetings.

Key Responsibilities:

1. Prospect

   • Research target accounts
   • Identify decision makers
   • Build account maps
   • Create prospect lists

2. Outreach

   • Multi-channel outreach (email, LinkedIn, phone)
   • Personalize messaging
   • Follow up consistently
   • Book qualified meetings

3. Qualify

   • Initial qualification using BANT
   • Identify champions
   • Uncover pain points
   • Hand off to AEs

Required Experience:

• 1-3 years in SDR/BDR role
• Experience with enterprise accounts
• Strong written and verbal communication
• Resilience and persistence
• CRM experience (Salesforce, HubSpot)

Key Metrics:

• Qualified meetings: 15-25/month
• Meeting show rate: 60%+
• SQL conversion: 30%+
• Email response rate: 5%+
• LinkedIn connection rate: 20%+

Interview Process:

1. Phone Screen (30 min)

   • Background and experience
   • Why interested in SDR role
   • Basic qualification

2. Hiring Manager Interview (45 min)

   • Experience with outreach
   • Examples of successful campaigns
   • Resilience and persistence
   • Career goals

3. Role Play (30 min)

   • Mock cold call
   • Mock email outreach
   • Objection handling

Red Flags:

• No enterprise prospecting experience
• Poor communication skills
• Low activity metrics
• Short tenure in previous roles
• No CRM experience

Job Description: Sales Operations Manager

Role Overview:

Sales Ops ensures the sales team has the systems, processes, and data they need to succeed. This role is critical for scaling from $10M to $100M+ ARR.

Key Responsibilities:

1. CRM Management

   • Configure and maintain Salesforce
   • Create reports and dashboards
   • Manage data quality
   • Automate processes

2. Forecasting

   • Build forecasting models
   • Manage pipeline reporting
   • Track leading indicators
   • Provide insights to leadership

3. Sales Process

   • Document sales processes
   • Create deal review frameworks
   • Build qualification criteria
   • Optimize sales workflows

Required Experience:

• 3+ years in Sales Ops
• Strong Salesforce experience
• Experience with sales forecasting
• Analytical mindset
• Process improvement experience

Key Metrics:

• Forecast accuracy: 85%+
• Data quality: 95%+
• Report adoption: 80%+
• Process efficiency improvements

Interview Process:

1. Phone Screen (30 min)

   • Background and experience
   • Salesforce experience
   • Basic qualification

2. Technical Interview (60 min)

   • Salesforce configuration
   • Reporting and analytics
   • Forecasting models
   • Process improvement examples

3. Case Study (90 min)

   • Design a forecasting system
   • Build a sales dashboard
   • Create a deal review process

The Hiring Framework

Step 1: Define the Role

Before posting a job, define:

• What success looks like (metrics)
• Required experience
• Key responsibilities
• Team structure and reporting

Step 2: Source Candidates

Channels:

• LinkedIn (premium recruiter)
• Referrals (best source)
• Recruiters (for senior roles)
• Industry events
• Community engagement

Sourcing Best Practices:

• Target companies that have scaled (Hortonworks, Cockroach Labs, MongoDB, etc.)
• Look for MEDDIC experience
• Find people who've sold similar products
• Target companies in your ICP

Step 3: Screen Candidates

Phone Screen Checklist:

• Experience matches requirements
• Can articulate sales methodology
• Has relevant deal experience
• Shows interest in role
• Basic qualification passed

Interview Scorecard:

Rate each candidate on:

• Experience (1-5)
• Skills (1-5)
• Culture fit (1-5)
• Potential (1-5)

Qualification Threshold:

• Minimum score: 16/20
• Must score 4+ on Experience
• Must score 4+ on Skills

Step 4: Interview Process

Standard Process:

1. Phone screen (30 min)
2. Hiring manager interview (60 min)
3. Case study or role play (60-90 min)
4. Team interview (45 min)
5. Executive interview (45 min)

Interview Best Practices:

• Use structured interviews
• Ask behavioral questions
• Include role plays
• Check references
• Move fast (1-2 weeks)

Step 5: Make the Offer

Offer Components:

• Base salary (competitive)
• Commission structure (uncapped)
• Equity (for early stage)
• Benefits
• Onboarding timeline

Negotiation:

• Be prepared to negotiate
• Know your budget
• Don't overpay
• Consider total comp, not just base

Onboarding Framework

Week 1: Foundation

• Company and product training
• Sales methodology training (HUNT, MEDDIC)
• CRM and tools setup
• Shadow current AEs

Week 2-4: Ramp

• Start prospecting (SDRs)
• Take on deals (AEs)
• Regular coaching sessions
• Deal reviews

Month 2-3: Independence

• Own full pipeline
• Regular 1:1s
• Performance reviews
• Continued training

Ramp Timeline:

• SDR: 1-2 months
• Enterprise AE: 3-6 months
• VP Sales: 6-12 months

Red Flags to Avoid

For All Roles:

• Short tenure (<1 year average)
• Can't articulate methodology
• Poor communication skills
• No relevant experience
• Bad references

For Enterprise AEs:

• No Fortune 500 experience
• Can't walk through a deal
• Poor qualification skills
• No MEDDIC experience

For Sales Leaders:

• No scaling experience
• Poor forecast accuracy
• High team turnover
• Can't build process

The Bottom Line

Hiring the right enterprise GTM team is critical for scaling from $0 to $100M+ ARR.

Define roles clearly. Source from the right places. Interview rigorously. Onboard effectively.

That's how you build a revenue machine.

Related: Learn about building repeatable sales processes and scaling past $100M ARR.