Manager, SMB Sales (Remote, US)

Newsela is a company dedicated to transforming K-12 education through accessible content. The Manager of SMB Sales will lead a team of Account Executives to drive sales in the K-12 market, focusing on building relationships with schools and districts while enhancing sales performance through strategic initiatives and coaching.

Responsibilities:

• Manage the sales team and all associated elements of sales execution for the SMB market segment, including schools and small-to-mid-sized districts
• Drive overall pipeline and stage management to meet or exceed revenue targets; ensure effective team onboarding and training, develop national and regional/state growth strategies, and cultivate high-level relationships with key schools and districts
• Provide daily, hands-on leadership and strategic deal reviews using Gong, Salesforce, and AI tools to identify pipeline trends and anticipate team needs
• Model sales excellence and provide continuous coaching to support an already strong team consistently achieve or exceed quarterly and annual revenue targets
• Drive a proactive "hunter" culture and empower your team of Account Executives to self-generate pipeline, in addition to collaborating closely with their SDR partner
• Partner with our Learning & Enablement team to hire, mentor, coach, develop, and retain top talent to achieve individual quotas
• Develop and manage an overall action plan to achieve quota, serving as a strategic "project manager" for the segment to ensure operational scalability and quality control
• Partner with sales leadership in defining, planning, and executing initiatives that drive operational scalability, including implementing value-based controls (e.g. pricing, contract terms, etc.), optimizing processes to compress sales cycles, and maximizing trial conversion rates
• Leverage our tech stack, including a variety of AI tools, to drive greater efficiency & productivity

Requirements:

• 3+ years of sales management experience, specifically within the K-12 EdTech space
• Proven track record as a top performer in K-12 EdTech sales as an individual contributor with experience consistently meeting (or exceeding) sales quotas, prior to becoming an EdTech sales leader
• Experience working in a high-velocity role with small-to-mid-sized schools and districts a plus
• Deep understanding of the K-12 education landscape, including funding, state initiatives, demographics, standards of adoption, and school/district decision-making processes
• Experience cultivating a culture of high performance by supporting and training a team, while holding them accountable to sales targets. Comfortable operating in a performance management focused sales culture
• Strong ability to build trust with direct reports, and the broader Newsela team, understanding the importance and benefits of cross-departmental collaboration
• Strong follow-up skills and a project management mindset to keep a high-volume 'sales machine' running smoothly
• Well-versed in Salesforce, Gong, Salesloft, and Slack (or similar tools), using data and deal reviews to inform team strategy and identify growth trends
• Comfortable using AI tools for account intelligence, prospecting, and outbound sales communication
• Skillful at creating regional and state-specific sales strategies, and successful in implementing them across a team
• Open to up to 30% travel (may be less, depending on business needs)
• Fluent in English (written and verbal) required; proficiency in Spanish is a strong plus
• Legally authorized to work in the United States