Founding Head of Sales

Company: ChipStack
Location: San Jose
Posted on: February 16, 2026

Job Description:

Job Description Job Description Overview We help build chips, faster. ChipStack is building AI “co-engineers” for chip design and verification. Our mission: compress multi-year silicon programs into months—slashing cost, time, and engineering effort for the world’s top hardware teams. We’re a small, deeply technical group with roots at Qualcomm, NVIDIA, Google, Meta, and the Allen Institute for AI. Backed by Khosla Ventures, Cerberus, and Clear Ventures, ChipStack is already deployed at 10 customers ranging from Fortune 100s to bleeding-edge AI-silicon startups. Building the ChipStack platform is just the beginning. We’re tackling some of the hardest problems in silicon—and we’re hiring. If you want to transform how chips are built and own the commercial engine that makes it happen, read on. About the Role: Lead Sales As ChipStack’s first dedicated Sales leader, you’ll own the entire revenue cycle—from outbound prospecting and technical discovery through negotiation, close, and expansion. You’ll partner with founders, GTM engineers, and product to craft a repeatable, founder-quality sales motion and turn early traction into exponential growth. This is a high-impact, zero-bureaucracy role for a scrappy closer who loves deep tech and thrives on winning with customers. What You’ll Do Build and manage a qualified pipeline of enterprise and startup semiconductor accounts Run full-cycle deals: prospect, demo with GTM engineers, scope pilots, negotiate, and close contracts Develop a repeatable sales playbook—including messaging, qualification criteria, and win/loss insights Collaborate with product & engineering to translate market feedback into features and roadmap priorities Own forecasts and KPIs; report directly to the CEO and help shape revenue strategy Lay the groundwork for future sales hires and lead by example in culture and execution Requirements 5 years selling complex, technical B2B or enterprise software (EDA, infrastructure, or AI/ML a plus) Proven record of beating quota in new-logo, high-ACV deals Ability to translate deep technical value into clear business outcomes for exec stakeholders Comfortable navigating ambiguous, fast-moving startup environments Strong written & verbal communication; persuasive storyteller and rigorous negotiator U.S. work authorization and willingness to work on-site in San Jose You Will Excel If You… Have been a founding or very early sales hire at a high-growth startup Enjoy technical deep dives and can hold your own with engineers Obsess over customer success and long-term partnerships, not transactional wins Love building playbooks from scratch and iterating quickly on data Are ultra-competitive, goal-oriented, and energized by outsized impact

Keywords: ChipStack, Vallejo , Founding Head of Sales, Engineering , San Jose, California