Director, SMB Sales

Apollo.io; Austin (TX); Hybrid; USD 280,000 - 350,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Equity

Company bonus

401(k)

Paid holidays

Flex PTO

Parental leave

Employee well-being

Job summary

Apollo.io is seeking a Director of SMB Sales to lead one of its largest revenue teams in Austin, overseeing 4–5 Sales Managers and driving new business plus expansion across the SMB segment.

You will set the strategy, develop leaders below you, and partner across Product, Engineering, Marketing, CS and Ops to unblock your team and scale Apollo's SMB go-to-market. This role requires ambiguity tolerance and a systems-thinking mindset.

Qualifications

• 7+ years of sales experience in customer-facing roles with a track record of revenue growth.
• 3+ years managing managers with proven leadership of front-line sales teams.
• Strong analytical, data-driven approach to performance management and forecasting.
• Excellent written and verbal communication, with stakeholder influence across teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and develop a team of 4–5 Sales Managers in Austin, driving accountability and growth across locations.
• Own revenue performance for SMB portfolio and manage rollup quota across managers.
• Shape go-to-market strategy for SMB, including territory design, pricing, and competitive positioning.
• Collaborate with Product, Engineering, Marketing, CS, and Ops to remove blockers and scale go-to-market impact.

Skills

Leadership

Sales leadership

Forecasting

Cross-functional

Job description

Apollo.io is the leading go-to-market solution for revenue teams, trusted by over 500,000 companies and millions of users globally, from rapidly growing startups to some of the world's largest enterprises. Founded in 2015, the company is one of the fastest growing companies in SaaS, raising approximately $250 million to date and valued at $1.6 billion. Apollo.io provides sales and marketing teams with easy access to verified contact data for over 210 million B2B contacts and 35 million companies worldwide, along with tools to engage and convert these contacts in one unified platform. By helping revenue professionals find the most accurate contact information and automating the outreach process, Apollo.io turns prospects into customers.Apollo raised a series D in 2023 and is backed by top-tier investors, including Sequoia Capital, Bain Capital Ventures, and more, and counts the former President and COO of Hubspot, JD Sherman, among its board members.

As Director of SMB Sales, you'll lead one of Apollo's largest and most dynamic revenue organizations — spanning new business acquisition and account management across our SMB segment. You'll manage a team of 4-5 managers overseeing SMB AEs and AMs in Austin, driving revenue outcomes across our highest-volume customer segment. This role requires someone who thrives with a high degree of ambiguity, thinks in systems, and knows how to build a performance culture that scales. You'll set the strategy, develop the leaders below you, and work cross-functionally across Product, Engineering, Marketing, CS, and Ops to unblock your team and shape how Apollo goes to market.

Day in the life…

Leadership & Team Development

1. Lead, coach, and develop a team of 4-5 Sales Managers in Austin — driving accountability, growth, and consistency across locations.
2. Build a performance culture through clear goal-setting, rigorous 1:1s, regular calibration, and ongoing development of your managers' coaching capabilities.
3. Identify and close skill gaps at the manager and team level through structured coaching, training investments, and playbook development.
4. Foster a collaborative, results-oriented environment that includes in-person team events and sales kickoffs across your US locations.

Sales Strategy & Execution

1. Own and drive revenue performance across your combined portfolio of new business and expansion, managing rollup quota across all 4-5 managers.
2. Develop and iterate on go-to-market strategy for the SMB segment — from territory design and segmentation to sales motion, pricing packaging, and competitive positioning.
3. Partner with Sales Ops to maintain pipeline health, enforce accurate forecasting, and surface data-driven insights that improve team performance and win rates.
4. Identify emerging market opportunities and adapt strategy in response to competitive and industry developments.

Cross-Functional Leadership

1. Serve as the voice of the SMB segment across the organization — partnering with Product, Engineering, Marketing, CS, Onboarding, and Legal to remove blockers and improve the customer experience at scale.
2. Lead and influence cross-functional initiatives that shape program design, tooling decisions, and process improvements for the broader sales org.
3. Represent SMB in executive-level planning discussions and contribute to company-wide go-to-market strategy.

Performance Management & Forecasting

1. Monitor, analyze, and report on team performance metrics — delivering accurate forecasts and regular business reviews to senior leadership.
2. Hold managers accountable to quota, pipeline standards, outbound contribution, and key performance indicators; address underperformance directly and constructively.
3. Use data to continuously improve sales processes, team efficiency, and conversion rates across the funnel.

Mindset and Behaviors

• Lead through ambiguity — You set direction clearly even when the path isn't fully defined, and you bring your team along with confidence.
• Build, don't just manage — You're not here to maintain a steady state. You see opportunity to improve how we sell, coach, and operate — and you act on it.
• Drive accountability at every level — You hold your managers to a high bar and coach them to do the same with their teams.
• Think in systems — You connect the dots across locations, motions, and functions, and you build processes that scale beyond you.
• Win as a team — You elevate the people around you, invest in their development, and measure your success by their growth.

Minimum Qualifications

• Good standing in performance — consistent quota attainment in FY25, averaging above 90% of rollup quota.
• 7+ years of sales experience in customer-facing sales or account management, with a proven track record of driving revenue growth, managing expansions, and increasing product adoption.
• 3+ years of experience managing managers, with demonstrated success developing front-line sales leaders.
• Strong analytical skills and a data-driven approach to performance management, forecasting, and decision-making.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present to and influence senior stakeholders across technical and non-technical audiences.
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally and lead through influence without direct authority.
• Thrives in a fast-paced, high-ambiguity environment — adapts quickly, maintains focus, and keeps the team moving forward.

The listed Pay Range reflects the total cash compensation inclusive of annual base salary and annual bonus as applicable. For sales roles, the range provided is the role’s On Target Earnings ("OTE") range, meaning that the range includes both the sales commissions/sales bonus target and annual base salary for the role. This salary range may be inclusive of several career levels at Apollo and will be narrowed during the interview process based on a number of factors, including the candidate’s experience, qualifications, and location. Applicants interested in this role who are not located in the US may request the annual salary range for their location during the interview process.

Additional benefits for this role may include: equity; company bonus or sales commissions/bonuses; 401(k) plan; at least 10 paid holidays per year, flex PTO, and parental leave; employee assistance program and wellbeing benefits; global travel coverage; life/AD&D/STD/LTD insurance; FSA/HSA and medical, dental, and vision benefits.

Annual Pay Range

$280,000—$350,000 USD

We are AI Native

Apollo.io is an AI-native company built on a culture of continuous improvement. We’re on the front lines of driving productivity for our customers—and we expect the same mindset from our team. If you're energized by finding smarter, faster ways to get things done using AI and automation, you'll thrive here.

Why You’ll Love Working at Apollo

At Apollo, we’re driven by a shared mission: to help our customers unlock their full revenue potential. That’s why we take extreme ownership of our work, move with focus and urgency, and learn voraciously to stay ahead.

We invest deeply in your growth, ensuring you have the resources, support, and autonomy toown your role and make a real impact. Collaboration is at our core—we’re all for one, meaning you’ll have a team across departments ready to help you succeed. We encourage bold ideas and courageous action, giving you the freedom to experiment, take smart risks, and drive big wins.

If you’re looking for a place where your work matters, where you can push boundaries, and where your career can thrive—Apollo is the place for you.

Learn morehere!