Sales Operations Manager Chicago, IL

NextGen Growth Partners (NGP) is a Chicago-based private equity firm specializing in the lower middle market. Founded in 2016, NGP was built on the belief that tremendous value can be unlocked in small businesses through entrepreneurial leadership and disciplined execution. Now investing from its third fund at the $165M hard cap, NGP continues to build on a strong track record of identifying, acquiring, and scaling essential service businesses across the U.S. The firm’s distinctive “talent-first” model pairs exceptional CEOs-in-Residence (CIRs) with a proven process and dedicated support to identify, acquire, and grow enduring companies. At NGP, three core values guide everything we do: Relationships – Building deep, trust-based partnerships with CEOs, business owners, investors, and the NGP team. Rigor – Applying disciplined diligence, structured execution, and operational excellence to every investment. Results – Committing to delivering measurable, long-term value for all stakeholders. Overview NGP is seeking a Sales Operations Manager to manage and execute the operational infrastructure behind the firm’s proprietary deal sourcing engine. While NGP’s CEOs-in-Residence (CIRs) and Investments Team focus on strategy, due diligence, and execution this role ensures the underlying systems, processes, and communications that power those efforts run flawlessly. The Sales Operations Manager maintains the firmwide pulse of business development activity—tracking pipeline health, managing CRM systems, coordinating CIR sourcing efforts, and ensuring prospective sellers receive thoughtful, compelling engagement throughout the funnel. This individual is proactive, highly organized, execution-focused, and detail-oriented. They excel at follow-through, communication, and building the tools and materials that support consistent outreach and relationship development across the firm. Reporting to our Managing Director of Investments and working closely with the Investments team and CIRs, this role is critical to maintaining visibility, discipline, and momentum across NGP’s proprietary sourcing efforts. Title and compensation to be determined based on experience level. Responsibilities Own and maintain NGP’s CRM system (Salesforce), ensuring all deal sourcing activity is accurately tracked and updated across CIRs, advisors, and the BD team. Maintain clear visibility into the firm’s proprietary pipeline, including stage tracking, engagement history, and next actions. Monitor pipeline health and activity levels, flagging opportunities requiring follow-up or additional engagement. Produce regular reporting on sourcing activity, conversion metrics, and outreach performance. CIR Enablement & Execution Support Serve as a support resource for NGP’s CEOs-in-Residence as they execute their individual proprietary searches. Ensure CIRs have the materials, research, target lists, and CRM support needed to run efficient sourcing campaigns. Track progress across each CIR’s sourcing funnel and help maintain momentum through consistent follow-up and coordination. Help organize outreach campaigns, meeting preparation, and follow-up communication with prospective sellers. Develop and maintain compelling materials for prospective sellers, including outreach templates, firm overviews, and educational content about partnering with NGP. Continuously refine messaging that communicates NGP’s differentiated approach to founder-led business transitions. Collaborate with CIRs to tailor materials for specific industries and seller audiences. Advisory Network Coordination Maintain awareness of NGP’s Advisory Board members and their industry expertise. Identify when and how to involve advisors in conversations with prospective sellers or sourcing initiatives. Coordinate introductions, meeting logistics, and follow-up when advisors participate in sourcing discussions. Qualifications & Experience 4–8 years of experience in sales operations, business development operations, private equity origination support, or a similar operational role. Strong experience managing CRM systems (Salesforce strongly preferred). Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex pipelines and maintain disciplined follow-through across multiple stakeholders. Strong written communication and content development skills for creating outreach materials and seller-facing communications. Highly organized with exceptional attention to detail and project management capability. Comfort working in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment supporting multiple CIRs simultaneously. Chicago-based or willing to relocate; this is an in-office role to foster collaboration and responsiveness. Intangibles Exceptional follow-through and reliability. Structured thinker who brings clarity and organization to complex processes. Service-oriented mindset with a strong desire to help others succeed. Strong interpersonal awareness and judgment in managing sensitive founder relationships. Curious and proactive: constantly looking for ways to improve the firm’s sourcing systems and materials. Embodies NGP’s core values: Relationships, Rigor, Results. Note: This refinement removes unrelated application form boilerplate while preserving the core responsibilities, qualifications, and company context. #J-18808-Ljbffr NextGen Growth Partners