Senior Director, Sales (HELP)

Mission Statement & Values: Our mission is bold: To design and deliver research and evidence-based approaches to eliminate the gaps between young children's inherent potential and their achievement in school and life. With our partners, we accelerate child and family outcomes that honor all of the aspirations and cultures of the communities we serve.   Our values: Data-Informed Learning; Transparent & Open Communication; Growth Mindset; Championing Equality; Caring Teams & Communities. Job Summary: As the Senior Director of Sales, HELP at Shine Early Learning, you will own both the management and growth of our existing customer base and new business development across our standalone product portfolio. Our products include the Hawaii Early Learning Profile (HELP) — a comprehensive birth-to-3 developmental assessment suite encompassing print materials, HELP Connect (our digital assessment platform), and associated training and certification offerings. In the near term, this role will be responsible for account management: deepening relationships with our established HELP customer base, migrating print customers to HELP Connect, and expanding accounts to include training, certification, and Shine Insight. Over time, as the product portfolio scales and our SaaS model matures, new business development will grow as a proportionally larger part of the role. This role reports to the Chief Growth Officer and operates as an individual contributor, with the potential to build and lead a larger team as the business scales.  Essential Duties & Responsibilities: Account Management & Customer Growth: Serve as the primary commercial owner of Shine Early Learning's existing HELP customer base, managing relationships with Early Intervention programs, Early Head Start, and other customer segments Develop and execute account plans to drive retention, expansion, and upsell across the HELP suite Lead conversion of print-based HELP customers to HELP Connect, with structured migration and onboarding support Identify and pursue upsell opportunities to HELP training, certification, and professional development offerings Track and report on account health metrics, renewal rates, and expansion pipeline Serve as a trusted partner and resource to existing customers navigating the transition from print to digital New Business Development: Develop and execute annual sales plans to grow the HELP customer base with new logos Own the new business sales funnel — from lead generation and pipeline development through close Drive adoption of HELP Connect as a standalone digital/SaaS offering in new markets Identify new market segments, distribution channels, and partnership opportunities to expand reach Represent Shine Early Learning at key sector conferences, coalitions, and stakeholder convenings Cross-Functional Collaboration: Partner with Product to provide market and customer feedback that informs the HELP Connect, print, and training roadmaps Collaborate with Marketing on go-to-market strategies, sales enablement materials, and demand generation Work with the Learning & Impact Team to bundle and position professional development offerings alongside HELP Partner with Shine Early Learning's broader sales and marketing teams to create coordinated go-to-market strategies where services and products intersect As the product business scales, define and build the sales team structure to support growth Forecasting & Operations: Maintain accurate pipeline reporting and revenue forecasting in CRM Analyze sales data to identify trends, risks, and opportunities; report to CGO on a regular cadence Contribute to Acelero, Inc. community of practice by: Demonstrating leadership in alignment of work and approach to company vision, mission, core values and the advancement of diversity, equity, inclusion and belonging Serving as an active member of the Acelero Shine Senior Director Leadership Team (SDLT) Communicating department goals and progress frequently and effectively with Acelero, Inc. executive leadership, business unit leaders, and other appropriate internal and external stakeholders Partnering in cross-network communications and development activities to advance Acelero's strategic priorities Ensuring that sales strategies align with Acelero's organizational culture, values, and commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion Promoting a culture of shared purpose and collaboration Job Specifications: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to carry out each essential duty in a satisfactory manner. The job specifications listed are representative of the education and experience, the physical requirements, as well as the knowledge, skill and/or ability (KSAs) that are generally necessary for the role. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.   Job Requirements & Qualifications: Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Sales, or related field required Experience: 8+ years of sales experience, with at least 3 years in a senior sales role Account Management: Demonstrated experience managing an existing customer base with a focus on retention, expansion, and upsell — not solely new logo acquisition Revenue Performance: Proven track record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets across both transactional and subscription-based sales motions Industry Knowledge: Experience selling to education, early childhood, or government-funded programs (Head Start, Early Intervention, Title I, etc.)  SaaS Sales Expertise: Strong understanding of SaaS sales motions — including demo, trial, and subscription conversion — alongside consultative and transactional sales approaches Technology: Proficiency with CRM systems (HubSpot or equivalent) Preferred Qualifications: Experience driving digital transformation / print-to-digital migrat