Sales Manager, K12 (Strategic and Key Accounts) (Remote, US)

Newsela is a leading education technology company dedicated to meaningful classroom learning for every student. They are seeking an experienced and dynamic Sales Manager to lead a team of Strategic Account Executives focused on the K12 education market, driving strategic growth and exceeding sales targets.

Responsibilities:

• Achieve Sales Goals: Consistently meet or exceed monthly and quarterly team sales revenue targets
• Pipeline Generation & Management: Drive the team to proactively build and maintain a robust sales pipeline, ensuring a minimum of 2.5x pipeline to quota coverage at all times
• Strategic Deal Coaching: Conduct regular pipeline reviews and provide in-depth coaching to the team through deal reviews, leveraging methodologies like MEDDPICC and insights from sales enablement tools such as Gong
• Accurate Forecasting: Deliver precise and reliable monthly and quarterly team sales forecasts
• Cultivate a High-Performance Culture: Maintain and champion a positive, 'people-first' culture that motivates and empowers the team to perform at their highest capabilities, celebrating successes and replicating best practices across the team
• Continuous Sales Coaching: Continually coach and develop the sales team on advanced sales methodologies, prospecting skills, negotiation tactics, and effective presentation techniques tailored to the K12 market
• Performance Management: Consistently manage individual and team performance on a weekly, monthly, and quarterly basis, providing constructive feedback and implementing performance improvement or gap-to-goal plans when necessary
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Coordinate and collaborate effectively with cross-functional leaders and teams (including SDR, CSM, Field Marketing, People/HR, Product, Finance, Enablement, and Operations teams) to support overall sales priorities and functions
• Territory Planning & Strategy: Guide reps in developing and executing comprehensive territory plans to maximize market penetration and achieve sales objectives within their assigned territory regions
• Recruitment & Onboarding: Actively participate in the recruitment, interviewing, and onboarding of new sales talent to expand and strengthen the team
• Market Feedback: Serve as a conduit for market and customer feedback to product and marketing teams to inform future product development and go-to-market strategies
• CRM Management: Ensure consistent and accurate usage of CRM (e.g., Salesforce) for pipeline management, forecasting, and activity tracking

Requirements:

• Minimum of 5+ years of direct sales experience within the K12 education market
• Minimum of 2+ years of experience leading a sales team, with a proven track record of managing teams to a collective quota of $5M+ annually
• Minimum of 4+ years of experience selling and/or leading teams to sell into large Enterprise accounts (e.g., school districts with 30,000+ students or complex state-level deals)
• Demonstrated proficiency in sales methodologies such as MEDDPICC, Challenger Sale, or similar structured approaches
• Exceptional leadership, coaching, and mentoring abilities, with a passion for developing sales professionals
• Superior verbal and written communication, presentation, and interpersonal skills
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret sales data, forecast accurately, and make data-driven decisions
• Proficient in using CRM software (e.g., Salesforce) and other sales enablement tools (e.g., Gong, Salesloft)
• Understanding of K12 procurement processes, funding cycles, and decision-making structures
• Bachelor's degree in Business, Education, or a related field; or equivalent practical experience
• Experience selling SaaS solutions into the K12 market
• Proven ability to navigate complex sales cycles with multiple stakeholders
• Familiarity with EdTech industry trends and competitive landscape
• Experience working in a fast-paced, high-growth environment