Why You'll Love This Role
As the Manager of SMB Sales, you will have the opportunity to further develop and empower a high-velocity team of nine Account Executives that drive meaningful impact in K-12 schools and districts selling the Newsela product suite. You will be a key driver of our mission, strengthening our footprint, modeling excellence, and supporting your team to continue to grow as consultative partners for educators nationwide. In addition to contributing to an incredible mission, you will have the opportunity to collaborate with our Sales organization to build strategy and processes that enhance sales performance. This role reports directly to the Director of Sales.
What You'll Be Doing
- 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.
About You
- 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.
Why You’ll Love Working At Newsela
- Health & Wellness: Comprehensive medical benefits with employer contribution to premiums and to HSA accounts. Additional benefits such as gym reimbursement, pet insurance, free access to the Calm app, Rocket Lawyer and more to help you stay healthy: mind, body, and soul.
- Work From Home: We are a fully remote company. We provide a monthly tech stipend to support your WFH needs!
- Supporting ALL Families: Inclusive benefits to support you and your family, including parental leave, fertility support, adoption, and more!
- Financial Wellbeing: Invest in your future with our 401(k) plan, which includes a employer match to help you build long-term financial security.
- Time Off: Flexible PTO, paid sick time off, company holidays plus winter break (Dec 24th - Jan 1st).
- Professional Development: Newsela offers an annual learning and development allowance to employees to attend external training sessions, classes, workshops, conferences, and educational materials to foster professional growth within their current role and career aspirations at Newsela.
- Make A Difference: No matter your role or department, the work you do each day helps share the future of education and improves the lives of students and teachers.
About Newsela
Newsela is a leading education technology company dedicated to meaningful classroom learning for every student. We deliver integrated, AI-powered solutions designed to unlock student engagement, empower teachers, and drive meaningful learning outcomes. Our suite of products supports knowledge and skill development, writing practice, daily instruction, assessment, and data-informed decision-making across K–12 classrooms. Grounded in learning science research, Newsela’s solutions integrate content, assessment, and analytics to help educators track progress, understand student outcomes, and deliver high-impact instruction that supports every learner.
Compensation Breakdown
- Base salary: $100,000 - $120,000 (depending on experience)
- Variable (On-Target Commission): $75,000
- On-Target Earnings: $175,000 - $195,000
Final compensation will be determined based on the candidate’s individual skills, qualifications, and experience. Total compensation for this role also includes incentive stock options and benefits. This role will also will also be eligible for variable compensation.
On-Target Earnings (OTE) Range
$175,000—$195,000 USD