Head of Direct Sales

Apata; Dublin; Hybrid; EUR 230,000 - 270,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Pension

Generous annual leave (24 days + 1)

Work-from-home flexibility (2 days per

Job summary

Apata is seeking a strategic, execution-focused Head of Sales to design, build and lead direct and indirect sales across enterprise customers. You will own the revenue lifecycle, report to the CEO, and shape the commercial model as the company scales from startup to scale-up.

Dublin-based, with hybrid work options and a strong emphasis on ownership of outcomes. The role requires 8+ years in B2B enterprise sales, a track record of building a sales function, and experience closing €250k+ ACV

Qualifications

• 8+ years in B2B enterprise sales.
• 3 years leading scale-up sales teams.
• Proven track record building a sales function.
• Fintech & Payments experience.
• Proven closer at €250k+ ACV with long cycles.
• Ability to manage deal risk and renewals.

Responsibilities

• Own the company revenue target.
• Commercial deal structuring with finance.
• Build scalable enterprise sales engine.
• Close enterprise deals with banks, issuers, fintechs.
• Scale the sales team from near-scratch.
• Prioritise target regions and GTM.
• Maintain the commercial playbook and CRM discipline.
• Collaborate with marketing on pipeline.

Skills

Enterprise sales

Team leadership

Sales function creation

Autonomy

Fintech & Payments

Closing large deals (€250k ACV+)

Risk management

Renewals / NRR

Tools

CRM

Job description

Apata is one of Ireland’s fastest-growing fintech companies and a global leader in 3DS authentication services. It was founded and is led by serial entrepreneurs Niall Hogan and Shekinah Adewumi, whose previous company, Touchtech Payments, was acquired by Stripe in 2019.

Based in Dublin 2, the 30-strong Apata team design, build, and sell modern 3DS products to traditional banks, digital banks, issuer processors, and fintech issuers globally.

Today, the Apata platform is used by Nubank, Wise, Galileo, Thredd and over 300 other issuers worldwide, authenticating hundreds of millions of ecommerce transactions every year.

About the Role

Having validated our product-market fit and secured a strong foundation of clients, we are seeking a strategic, execution focused Head of Sales to design, build and lead our direct and indirect sales efforts.

Reporting to the CEO and working alongside the leadership team, you will help shape the commercial model for the company, as the company continues its transition from start-up to scale-up. An exciting time to join the company, you will own the entire revenue lifecycle across Direct Sales.

What You’ll Do

• Own the company revenue target
• Commercial deal structuring - collaborate with finance to establish the commercial framework
• Build the engine to transition the company to a repeatable, enterprise sales methodology which can scale with the company
• Close enterprise deals with banks, issuer processors, and fintechs (long, multi-stakeholder cycles)
• Scale the team from near-scratch: define roles, hire, coach, set quotas
• Help prioritise target regions and shape go-to-market
• Manage the commercial playbook: process, CRM discipline, forecasting
• Partner closely with marketing (separate function) on pipeline

What You Can Expect

• A high degree of ownership and autonomy to build a high functioning and scalable sales function.
• To join a high-performing and execution-focused team that has delivered 100% new revenue growth for three consecutive years.
• Close collaboration and alignment across all company functions.
• Exposure to complex enterprise sales cycles, multi-stakeholder engagements, and legal negotiations.

We’re Looking for Someone Who

• Has 8+ years in B2B enterprise sales, 3 years leading teams in a scale-up environment
• Has built a sales function before, not just run one
• Operates with autonomy, accountability, and full ownership
• Has Fintech & Payments experience
• Is a proven personal closer at €250k+ ACV with long cycles
• Understands deal and contract risk management
• Is comfortable owning renewals/NRR, not just new logos

What We Offer

• Equity
• Pension
• Generous annual leave (24 days + 1 company nominated day)
• Work-from-home flexibility (2 days per week)
• Office in the heart of Dublin City Centre