The role
The Sales Operations Manager owns the processes, systems and commercial rigor that let Sales & Marketing run at scale. Rather than performing the day-to-day SQL, modelling and dashboard work, this role sets the standards for how pipeline, revenue and forecasting data are governed, defines what good looks like for reporting and forecasting, and translates commercial priorities from sales leadership into a clear analytical and operational agenda. The Sales Operations Manager leads and develops the Sales Operations Analyst team, manages the relationship between Sales and cross-functional partners (Finance, IT, RevOps/BI, Marketing), and is accountable for the accuracy, timeliness and trustworthiness of the numbers the business runs on.
Key Responsibilities
- Own the sales operations agenda: pipeline hygiene, funnel governance, forecasting discipline and quota/territory processes across the sales organization.
- Lead, coach and prioritize the work of Sales Operations Analyst(s), reviewing outputs for accuracy, rigor and business relevance before they reach leadership.
- Translate sales leadership priorities into structured analytical requirements, KPI definitions and reporting roadmaps for the team to deliver against.
- Act as the primary point of accountability for forecast accuracy and commercial reporting, presenting pipeline, revenue, renewals and performance insights to senior stakeholders.
- Set and enforce data governance standards across CRM and commercial systems, including metric definitions, ownership, lineage and change control.
- Partner with Finance, IT/BI, Marketing and Customer teams to align commercial data definitions, close reporting gaps and resolve systemic data quality issues.
- Drive the design of scalable processes and automation (including approved AI-assisted workflows) that reduce manual effort across the sales operations function.
- Manage CRM and sales tooling roadmap decisions in partnership with IT/RevOps, prioritizing enhancements against commercial impact.
- Own budget, vendor and tooling decisions relevant to sales operations systems and reporting infrastructure.
- Identify performance drivers, risks and opportunities across the sales funnel, and turn analysis into concrete recommendations and action plans for sales leadership.
- Build the team's capability over time: hiring, onboarding, upskilling and succession planning for the Sales Operations function.
Qualifications
- 5 - 7 years of experience across sales operations, revenue operations, commercial analytics or business/financial analysis, including experience managing or mentoring analysts.
- Strong working knowledge of CRM systems, sales processes and forecasting methodologies, with the judgment to know what good pipeline and forecast data looks like.
- Comfortable reading and challenging SQL, PowerBI/DAX models and reporting logic, even if not building them day-to-day.
- Strong commercial and financial acumen: able to connect data to revenue outcomes, trade-offs and business decisions.
- Proven ability to manage stakeholders across Sales, Finance, Marketing and IT, including senior leadership.
- Track record of designing and scaling processes, governance frameworks or reporting standards across a growing organization.
- Excellent communication skills, with the ability to translate technical and analytical detail into clear business narratives.
- People management experience or strong readiness for a first/second management role, with a coaching-oriented style.
- Experience in a global, matrixed organization familiarity with the energy, research or B2B subscription sector is a plus.
- Sound judgment on responsible use of AI tools, data access control and handling of sensitive commercial data.
