About this Regional Sales Manager, California role at Ellevationeducation
About the role
The Regional Sales Manager (RSM), California renews, expands, and grows Ellevation's partnerships with California districts and wins new business across the state. The role helps educators use Ellevation ELD solutions to support multilingual learners and improve student outcomes. Revenue results come from deepening district adoption, building trusted relationships with district leaders, and closing new and renewal contracts.
This role has two phases. For at least the first six months, the RSM works as an individual contributor with an Account Manager scope for California, and onboarding is led by the Regional Sales Manager of the West Region. After month 6, once the promotion criteria below are met, the role becomes a people manager position. The RSM then leads a California sales team and reports to the Regional Sales Director.
Essential Duties and Responsibilities
Renew and expand contracts with existing California district and school partners to meet the assigned sales quota and sustain partner relationships.
Close new business from first meeting through signature to grow Ellevation's share of the California market.
Build and manage a sales pipeline in Salesforce and related business systems so that pipeline coverage supports the revenue goal and forecasts are accurate.
Deliver product demonstrations and presentations of Ellevation products to district leaders and educators so they understand how the products support multilingual learners.
Develop and carry out a strategic California territory plan with Partner Development, Partner Success, and Marketing colleagues to focus outreach and engagement where it will have the most effect.
Monitor district and educator engagement and product adoption across assigned accounts, and act on risks and opportunities to protect renewals and identify expansion.
Travel up to 50% of working time to visit partners in the field, and set up and staff Ellevation at California conferences and events, to build relationships with stakeholders in key districts.
Research California English learner policy and funding, such as the California English Learner Roadmap, ELPAC, and LCFF/LCAP, along with federal requirements and local district initiatives, and apply it to partner conversations and pricing so recommendations fit each district's needs.
Share field insights with Product, Marketing, and sales leadership to inform product feedback, competitive intelligence, and sales strategy.
Upon promotion: hire, coach, and manage California sales team members, set their short-term goals, lead 1:1s, pipeline reviews, and quarterly business reviews, and manage team priorities to meet the team quota.
Within 1 month, you will:
Onboard with the West Region RSM and learn Ellevation's ELD solutions and how they improve outcomes for English learners.
Complete sales training and get up to speed on our business systems and sales enablement tools.
Learn your California territory and start a strategic territory plan.
Within 3 months, you will:
Independently present all Ellevation products to district audiences.
Finalize your territory plan, informed by California policy, funding, and pricing nuances, and align with Partner Success on district engagement.
Introduce yourself to all assigned accounts and begin demos and renewal conversations.
Track all activity in Salesforce and represent Ellevation at California conferences.
Within 6 months, you will:
Fully own the Account Manager scope for California, including closing renewals.
Build a renewal, expansion, and new business pipeline on track to goal.
Become a go-to resource on value proposition, policy, and product use in California.
Partner with Partner Development and Partner Success to engage your region, and visit partners in the field independently.
Be considered for promotion to Sales Manager (RSM), California based on quota attainment, product knowledge, territory strategy, readiness to coach, and communication and problem solving.
Within 12 months, you will:
Lead a California sales team as a player/coach: hire, set goals, and run weekly 1:1s, pipeline reviews, and QBRs.
Build relationships with key stakeholders in top prospective districts and strategic accounts.
Share field insights with Product, Marketing, and sales leadership to grow our California footprint.
Meet or exceed your individual and team quotas.
What you'll need:
Bachelor's degree.
5+ years of sales experience, including 2+ years coaching or leading a sales team.
California residency and the ability to travel up to 50%, including overnight stays.
A track record of meeting quota in a competitive environment while managing a large account portfolio.
Strong presentation and communication skills with audiences from classroom educators to district executives.
Comfort using account, pipeline, and usage data to prioritize work and forecast results.
Experience with Salesforce or a comparable CRM; Gong, Concur, Google, and Microsoft tools a plus.
K-12 sales experience and familiarity with English learner programs preferred.
What makes you successful:
Relationship building: You earn the trust of district leaders and turn it into long-term partnerships.
Ownership: You hold yourself accountable to quota and pipeline goals.
Strategic thinking: You know your territory's strengths and gaps and plan accordingly.
Coaching mindset: You use observation and data to help others grow and hit targets.
Problem solving: You address issues quickly and work with colleagues to find solutions.
In addition to the above, we look for alignment with Ellevation's mission and values.
Working environment: Home office in California plus in-person work at district sites, conferences, and company events, including moving booth materials up to 25 lbs, with or without reasonable accommodation. 40+ hours per week on average. A background check is required.
