Sales Operation Manager

Advanced Navigation; Newcastle upon Tyne; On-site; GBP 60,000 - 90,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

None

Job summary

Advanced Navigation is seeking a Sales Operations Manager for the EMEA region. You will lead a cross-functional team supporting revenue operations, bid management, and sales enablement, with a focus on CRM integrity, forecasting, and deal governance.

You will partner with senior leadership to translate sales strategy into scalable processes, manage a growing team, and optimize tools and content to accelerate revenue growth across land, air, sea and space applications.

Qualifications

• Experience leading or coordinating a cross-functional team in a B2B technology or hardware environment.
• Proven Salesforce CRM administration and reporting skills.
• Strong process design, continuous improvement mindset, and stakeholder management.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a cross-functional team across RevOps, Bid Management, and Enablement.
• Translate sales strategy into operational plans, processes, and tooling.
• Own Salesforce CRM administration, data integrity, and reporting across EMEA.
• Oversee forecasting cadence, pipeline data, and deal desk governance.
• Collaborate with Finance/HR on compensation planning and commissions.

Skills

Salesforce administration

Process design

Cross-functional leadership

Data analysis

Project management

Communication skills

Organisation & delivery

Ambiguity tolerance

Job description

Advanced Navigation is the world’s most determined innovator in AI robotics and navigation technologies across land, air, sea and space applications. Founded on a culture of research and discovery, Advanced Navigation's mission is to be the catalyst of the autonomy revolution. Fields of expertise include artificial intelligence, underwater sonar, GNSS, radio frequency systems, inertial sensors, robotics, quantum sensors and photonics.

Today, Advanced Navigation is a supplier to some of the world's largest companies, including Airbus, Boeing, Google, Tesla, NASA, Apple, and General Motors. Discover it for yourself: https://youtu.be/F7uAqs1gtuk

OVERVIEW OF ROLE

The Sales Operations Manager – EMEA leads and develops the cross-functional team that underpins the effectiveness of the EMEA Sales organisation, spanning Revenue Operations, Bid Management and Sales Enablement/Marketing Operations, together with the Forward Deployed Engineering function. Reporting to the Managing Director and working in close partnership with the Sales Director, EMEA, this role ensures the sales organisation has the systems, processes, content, deal support and deployment capability required to scale efficiently and deliver against its revenue targets. On an interim basis, this role holds full-line management of the Forward Deployed Engineers, including technical direction, pending the hire of a Navigation Solutions Architect (anticipated late 2026/early 2027), at which point technical direction will transition to a matrix relationship with that role.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead, coach and develop a cross-functional team spanning Revenue Operations, Bid Management, Sales Enablement/Marketing Operations and Forward Deployed Engineers
• Partner closely with the Sales Director, EMEA to translate sales strategy into operational plans, processes and tooling that support the team's growth
• Own end-to-end Salesforce CRM administration, data integrity, and reporting/dashboarding for the EMEA sales organisation
• Own the sales forecasting cadence and process, ensuring accurate, timely roll-up of pipeline and forecast data to the Sales Director and Managing Director
• Oversee the Bid Management function, ensuring high-quality, compliant and timely responses to RFPs, RFQs and tenders across the region
• Oversee Sales Enablement/Marketing Operations, ensuring the sales team has up-to-date collateral, playbooks, competitive intelligence and campaign support materials
• Provide full-line management of the Forward Deployed Engineers, including technical direction, on an interim basis until the Navigation Solutions Architect role is hired (anticipated late 2026/early 2027); thereafter, transition technical direction to a matrix relationship with the Navigation Solutions Architect while retaining commercial and operational line management
• Define and drive adoption of sales processes and methodology (e.g. MEDDIC/MEDDPICC) and stage-gate discipline across the funnel, working closely with the global Sales Enablement team (Sydney, Australia)
• Own deal desk governance – approvals workflow, pricing/discount governance and contract routing – in partnership with the Head of Revenue Operations (Sydney, Australia)
• Partner with Finance/HR on sales compensation plan administration and commission calculation processes
• Identify, evaluate and implement tools and technology to improve sales productivity (CRM, CPQ, forecasting and sales engagement platforms)
• Establish and run key operating cadences – pipeline reviews, QBRs, forecast calls and deal desk reviews
• Provide the Managing Director and Sales Director, EMEA with regular reporting and insight on team performance, pipeline health and operational KPIs
• Work openly with other Advanced Navigation teams (e.g. global Marketing, Finance, Products Group) to improve go-to-market execution and acceleration of growth

Growth

• Growing & developing with the Company as Advanced Navigation continues to evolve;
• Taking on additional duties & tasks, as directed, as the position evolves.

• Develop a solid operational understanding of all aspects within the Company:

• Immersing yourself into the team & wider organisation to develop an understanding of how each role & team all contribute to our strategic vision.

Live by our values:

• Set quantifiable targets that demonstrate your commitment to our values.

Safety:

• Live & breathe a safety culture;
• Be an advocate for safety within the workplace;
• Remain compliant with all HSE requirements & obligations.

KEY MEASURABLES

• Forecast accuracy against actuals
• CRM data quality and hygiene
• Bid win rate and on-time bid submission rate
• Time-to-productivity for new sales hires / enablement content adoption
• Process and tooling adoption across the team
• Team development, retention and cross-functional collaboration

KEY RELATIONSHIPS

• Managing Director
• Sales Director, EMEA
• Navigation Solutions Architect (future technical matrix for Forward Deployed Engineers, role expected to be hired late 2026/early 2027)
• Direct reports: Revenue Operations, Bid Management, Sales Enablement/Marketing Operations, Forward Deployed Engineers
• Finance
• Global Marketing
• Head of Revenue Operations (Sydney, Australia)
• Global Sales Enablement Team (Sydney, Australia)

BEHAVIOURAL ATTRIBUTES FOR SUCCESS

• Leading & Developing Others
  • Building the capability of the team through coaching, feedback and development planning; creating an environment where team members are motivated to perform, collaborate across functions and grow
• Organising Self
  • Effectively managing own time and resources to ensure that work is prioritised effectively and delivered on time in line with the requirements of the team and business
• Maintaining Positive Energy
  • Being relentless. Operating with a positive attitude, vigour and determination in the face of challenging situations, consistently maintaining high levels of effectiveness and productivity throughout
• Delivering Excellence
  • Setting high standards of performance for self and others; assuming responsibility and accountability for successfully completing assignments or tasks; self-imposing standards and expectations of excellence rather than having standards imposed
• Communication
  • Conducting positive and open interactions with others by conveying information and ideas clearly and concisely in an engaging manner that helps them understand and retain the message; listening actively to others and sharing proactively information
• Decision Making
  • Identifying and understanding problems and opportunities relevant to role by gathering and analysing quantitative and qualitative information; generating and evaluating alternatives, identifying the best course of action, and making timely decisions within own decision making scope
• Initiating Action
  • Taking proactive and independent action to accomplish work goals; taking prompt action to achieve results beyond what is required; anticipating addresses problems without being prompted
• Leveraging Feedback
  • Taking full advantage of opportunities to receive and explore feedback about own performance; responding favourably to feedback and using it constructively to deliver outcomes and improve knowledge, skills and behaviours

QUALIFICATIONS, EXPERIENCE & SKILLS

Qualifications:

• 5-8 years of experience in Sales Operations, Revenue Operations or Sales Enablement, including experience leading, mentoring or coordinating others (first people-leadership role welcomed)

Experience:

• Experience operating in a B2B technology or hardware sales environment
• Experience managing or closely coordinating a cross-functional team (e.g. RevOps, bid management, sales enablement or similar)
• Exposure to bid/tender management processes in a regulated or technical sales environment beneficial
• Salesforce CRM administration and reporting experience essential

Skills:

• Strong Salesforce CRM administration and reporting skills
• Process design and continuous improvement mindset
• Cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management
• Data analysis and commercial acumen
• Project management skills
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Organised, structured and delivery-focused
• Comfortable operating in ambiguity and building processes from scratch