Role Summary
The Sales Development Manager is responsible for, but may not be limited to, the management of all of Sophos’ UK based Sales Development Representatives. This comprises a team of 8 SDRs that, between them, cover both the UKI and Nordics (UKIN) regions. Within this team are two specialist inbound and six specialist outbound reps.
Key to this role is the ability to develop new sales skills and thinking across the team, oversee change programmes and build strong partnerships with other leaders in Sales, Marketing, Operations Team and the wider global SDR community.
It will also require assisting the Senior EMEA SDR Manager to drive innovation, bring a new strategic focus to the function and increase the quality and productivity of the work performed by the wider EMEA SDR Team. As part of this, support for SDRs outside of the UK will be required.
The aim of this role is to build and manage a team of highly adaptable, energised and productive SDRs, capable of consistently delivering a high volume of quality sales opportunities for the Sophos Sales teams and its Channel Partners to successfully progress to order. It is also to increase the levels of communication with senior stakeholders and, through working with them, create new synergies, stronger working practices, and new levels of value for those on both the Sales and Marketing sides of the SDR team.
They must also take responsibility for integrating the team into the wider Sales & Marketing communities, increasing collaboration across the UKIN SDR function, and delivering continued improvement at both a team and individual level. Within this, their skills and past experience as a coach or mentor will be essential.
With ambitious plans to innovate and redefine how the UKIN SDR team is seen, performs and defines its success. The job holder must be unafraid of change, able to build a collective purpose and passionately believe in the importance of Sales Development as a key driver of business growth.
The role requires office attendence in Manchster (3 days per week).
What You Will Do:
1. Team Management: Is accountable for the performance and results of the team. Monitors, tracks and reports on KPIs. Performs regular team meetings and 1-1s. Promotes success, but also addresses underperformance. Uses all of this, in combination, to ensure team targets are hit
2. Team Development: Sets performance standards and, within wider (EMEA) context, targets for team. Develops new skills and awareness, unlocks potential, enables progression and delivers, as part of a wider coaching culture, regular coaching sessions
3. Peer Engagement: Engages positively with other Sales and Marketing leaders. Invites their feedback and shapes their thinking to improve the performance and financial contribution of the SDR team. Presents regular performance updates, new ideas and future plans as part of the Sales and Marketing Management meeting cycles. Able to learn from, raise debate with and positively influence the way this group views and works with the SDR team
4. Sales Methods and Mindset: Builds a sales mentality and methodology throughout. Readies team members for Sales roles. Works with enablement team to design and deliver training programmes that are fit for a modern, progressive and future facing SDR team
5. Maintains Motivation: Sustains energy and purpose across the team through positive leadership, spotting and celebrating good performance, setting meaningful goals, maintaining a strong supportive presence, and providing attractive incentives/SPIFFs
6. Collaborates: Works in tandem with the EMEA SDR Manager to enable and create more time for strategic development of the SDR function. Forms partnerships with colleagues in Marketing and Sales to ensure campaigns are successful (ROI targets are hit), hand offs are seamless (Sales Acceptance Rates are high), and the UKIN SDR team is helping drive revenue growth (high Closed Won rates are sustained). Builds close and productive working relationships with others across the Global SDR Leadership team. Communicates frequently with own team and establishes a strong team ethos across the group.
7. Enable Innovation: To achieve higher standards, new levels of success and greater collaboration, is willing to experiment, benchmark and take risks. Is unafraid to break with traditional models of acting and thinking. Regularly creates, shares and, after getting buy in, implements own ideas for improvement
8. Selection and Onboarding: Successfully recruits high calibre and high potential candidates. Designs and arranges extended induction programmes that enable new recruits to add value from early in their Sophos careers
9. Inspire Success: Leads from the front, brings energy, maintains credibility, ensures professionalism and gets people to see new possibilities
What You Will Bring:
10. Has had or has a strong desire to perform a Management role
11. 3 or more years experience within a sales environment.
12. Successful track record in delivering targets
13. Has collaborated with, influenced and achieved productive working relationships with Senior Stakeholders
14. Defined, measured, interpreted and presented performance goals
15. Has successfully overseen change projects
16. Has used coaching to drive positive change and realise potential in others
17. Used to managing mixed priorities and activities
18. Lead, create purpose, maintain motivation
19. Manage/maximise performance and results
20. Collaboration
21. Recruit, develop and retain talent
22. Communication – individual, team and stakeholder
23. Emotional intelligence
24. Uses data to inform decision making
25. Prioritise, delegate and empower
26. Adapt, innovate, create
27. Define and raise standards of performance
#B2#LI_MT1 Ready to Join Us? At Sophos, we believe in the power of diverse perspectives to fuel innovation. Research shows that candidates sometimes hesitate to apply if they don't check every box in a job description. We challenge that notion. Your unique experiences and skills might be exactly what we need to enhance our team. Don't let a checklist hold you back – we encourage you to apply. What's Great About Sophos? · Sophos operates a remote-first working model, making remote work the primary option for most employees. However, some roles may necessitate a hybrid approach. Please refer to the location details in our job postings for further information.· Our people – we innovate and create, all of which are accompanied by a great sense of fun and team spirit· Employee-led diversity and inclusion networks that build community and provide education and advocacy· Annual charity and fundraising initiatives and volunteer days for employees to support local communities· Global employee sustainability initiatives to reduce our environmental footprint· Global fitness and trivia competitions to keep our bodies and minds sharp· Global wellbeing days for employees to relax and recharge · Monthly wellbeing webinars and training to support employee health and wellbeing