Sales Lead

We're expanding fast and looking for a senior sales professional who is exceptional on the phone and confident converting high-intent leads into enrolled learners. Own the sales function at a pivotal growth moment. Next Gen Learning Remote | Full-time | US Hours | Start Date: Feb 2026 (or as soon as available) About Next Gen Learning (NGL) NGL partners with Harvard Data Science Initiative and other leading institutions to deliver executive-level programmes in AI and emerging technologies. We're an AI-native organisation: we don't just teach AI, we use it across everything we do, from how we build to how we sell. Why This Role We're expanding fast and looking for a senior sales professional who is exceptional on the phone and confident converting high-intent leads into enrolled learners. But this isn't just a closing role. You'll be owning the sales function. That means shaping how we sell, not just what we sell. You'll be joining at a pivotal growth moment where the systems are evolving but strong, demand is high, and there's real room for ownership, experimentation, and career growth. This role has a clear trajectory for the right person as we scale. What You'll Do Conduct structured, consultative phone conversations with prospects and applicants. Close high-ticket programme sales (~$1,500–$8,000+) with professionalism and care. Manage a healthy mix of inbound leads and a strong outbound follow-up cadence (callbacks, warm leads, applicants, lapsed leads). Engage with institutional partners, programme leadership, and senior stakeholders as a credible, confident representative of NGL. Keep our CRM (HubSpot) accurate and up to date: notes, tasks, deal stages, and communication logs. Provide visibility into pipeline health through clean tracking and reliable follow-through. Help shape and refine the sales playbook (scripts, messaging, qualification frameworks, and the overall learner journey) as we scale. Represent our programmes with clarity, professionalism, and a learner-first approach. Leverage AI tools in your own workflows. As an AI-native organisation, you'll have the opportunity (and expectation) to use AI to work smarter and stay close to the technology you're selling. What You Bring Proven experience closing on the phone; comfortable, confident, and effective. Success selling higher-education programmes, EdTech, coaching, or other high-consideration products (preferred, not required). Experience engaging with high-intent, fast-decision buyers, ideally including environments where prospects convert quickly after submitting a form (e.g., high-value e-commerce, online programmes, coaching, or similarly time-sensitive products). Comfort engaging at multiple levels, from a prospective learner on the phone to a CEO or institutional partner in a meeting. Strong communication skills and the ability to build trust quickly. High personal organisation and CRM discipline (HubSpot experience a plus). Comfort working independently in a fast-moving, evolving startup environment. Curiosity about AI and a willingness to integrate AI tools into your day-to-day work. Availability to work US hours, when and if needed. You close with confidence, not pressure. After qualifying a prospect and addressing their concerns, you're comfortable saying "Based on what you've told me, this is a strong fit. I recommend you enroll. What would you need to feel confident about that?" You don't wait for permission to recommend. You move conversations forward. Every call ends with a clear next step: booked, decided, or disqualified. You don't leave qualified prospects floating. You use real urgency without manufacturing it. Early bird deadlines, cohort capacity, and timing alignment are facts. You state them clearly and help prospects decide within real windows, not artificial pressure, but honest clarity about timing. What Success Looks Like (First 90 Days) Your Own Pipeline High-quality, consultative conversations that help the right learners move confidently from interest to application and enrolment. Consistent, professional outreach and follow-up, ensuring every qualified prospect feels supported and informed. Reliable CRM hygiene, with clear visibility into your pipeline and timely documentation of all interactions. Steady outbound rhythm to reach warm leads, applicants, and high-intent prospects. Early insights and actionable recommendations that help improve scripts, messaging, and the overall sales playbook. Evidence of AI tools being used in your own workflows, whether prospecting, follow-up, pipeline management, or process improvement. A group sales system is built out and actively generating group enrolments onto our programmes. Visibility into the full team's pipeline. You know where every rep's deals stand and can speak to overall sales health at any point. Consistent standards across the team for call quality, follow-up cadence, and CRM discipline. Not just your own pipeline, but raising the bar for everyone. Regular call reviews and coaching moments that help team members improve their close rates, objection handling, and time-to-decision. A shared sales playbook that the team is actively using. Not a static document, but a living resource shaped by what's working on real calls. Early identification of underperformance or skill gaps, with a clear plan to address them through coaching, process changes, or escalation. Team conversion metrics trending upward. Not just your own numbers, but a measurable lift in the performance of the people around you. What Good Looks Like Across the Board Conversion rates that reflect consultative confidence: High close rates among qualified prospects because you've built trust, addressed objections, and asked for the decision. Low close rates suggest either poor qualification or hesitation to recommend. Short time-to-decision: Qualified prospects shouldn't sit in your pipeline for weeks. You help them gain clarity quickly, either enrolling confidently or deciding it's not right for them. Few "maybes" in limbo: Your pipeline is clean; enrolled, disqualified, or scheduled for a specific next conversation. "Thinking about it" without a clear path forward is a red flag, not a holding pattern. Does this sound like you? If yes, we'd love to hear from you. #J-18808-Ljbffr Nxgl