Economic Impact Catalyst Sales Manager Remote · Full time Company website

Apply for Sales Manager

Economic Impact Catalyst (EIC) is a bootstrapped, profitable SaaS company now in its eighth year, building software that helps the people working to close economic gaps actually see what's working. Our platforms, Catalyzer, Startup Space, and LenderImpact, give SBDCs, CDFIs, economic development organizations, incubators, and corporate foundations the tools to measure, manage, and grow their impact, replacing scattered spreadsheets with real visibility into outcomes. We operate across 35+ states and have helped facilitate over $200M in capital access for underrepresented entrepreneurs, supporting more than 100,000 small businesses along the way. We're not venture-backed, we don't chase flashy branding, and we're proud of it. What we have is a product that works, a market that's actively investing in better tools right now, and a team that operates like owners because the mission is real.

"$200M+ in capital to underrepresented entrepreneurs across 35+ states — built without a formal sales management function. Imagine what's possible with one."

EIC builds software that powers economic development: Catalyzer (OS for small business programs), Startup Space (platform for business owners), and LenderImpact (fastest path to capital). Our clients—state SBDC networks, CDFIs, EDOs, incubators, and corporate foundations—are the front door to entrepreneurship for communities that are often overlooked.

We built to $2M on founder-led selling and strong customer relationships. Clear ICP, proven methodology, active CRM, two AEs in the field. What doesn't exist yet: a consistent management cadence, documented playbook, or repeatable forecasting system. That's the role. If mission-driven building matters to you more than a ping-pong table and a Series C, keep reading.

WHAT THIS ROLE IS (AND IS NOT)

Frontline sales leader: coach the AE team, enforce pipeline and forecasting discipline, improve execution, support strategic deals. You own AE execution. The Revenue Leader/CEO owns strategy, annual quota, pricing, and GTM.

Sales Manager owns

· AE coaching and performance management

· Pipeline inspection and CRM quality

· Forecast preparation and accuracy

· Deal coaching on active opportunities

· Playbook documentation and onboarding

Revenue Leader / CEO owns

· Company revenue strategy and annual quota

· Pricing, packaging, and contract terms

· Market, segment, and GTM strategy

· Demand generation and inbound

· Major resource-allocation decisions

~60–70% coaching & performance management 

~15–20% strategic deal support 

~10–15% systems, forecasting & playbook

WHY NOW

→  The market is buying. Federal investment in small business infrastructure at a historic high—SSBCI, EDA, SBA programs flowing to the exact orgs that buy Catalyzer, all under pressure to show measurable outcomes. That's precisely what we measure.

→  The proof exists. California SCALE Network (140+ active awardees), Oklahoma Farm Bureau, Indiana SBDC—live proof-of-scale most early-stage companies never have.

FIRST 90 DAYS

Day 30

Learn the market, pipeline, methodology, and each AE's strengths and gaps. Listen first.

Day 60

Establish weekly 1:1s, pipeline inspection, forecast reviews, and stage-entry criteria. Baseline metrics documented.

Day 90

Present rep development plans, playbook priorities, and execution recommendations. Agree on Q2 targets.

WHAT YOU'LL HAVE BUILT IN 12 MONTHS

→  AE team achieves or materially improves against its assigned new-business bookings target

→  Quarterly closed-won bookings finish within 15% of your submitted commit forecast

→  Qualified pipeline coverage consistently at 3x+ (agreed stage-entry criteria) against the bookings target

→  Each AE has a documented development plan; measurable improvement in discovery quality, stage conversion, deal velocity, forecast discipline, or quota attainment

→  HubSpot opportunities meet agreed standards for next steps, close dates, qualification, stakeholders, and forecast category

→  CEO is no longer the default owner of routine pipeline inspection, rep accountability, or first-line deal coaching

→  Documented playbook exists; new AEs begin productive pipeline activity within 30 days (full ramp defined separately)

→  2–3 strategic opportunities ($50K+) co-architected with evidence your involvement improved qualification, velocity, or close probability

THE JOB

1.  Coach and develop the team — this is the primary job

→  Weekly 1:1s: pipeline review, deal coaching, skill gap identification, and accountability

→  Rep development framework: where each AE is strong and stuck, targeted plans, progress tracking, underperformance management when needed

→  Stage-entry and qualification standards; first call when a deal stalls, a champion goes dark, or procurement gets complicated

2.  Build the accountability infrastructure

→  Two distinct weekly reviews: pipeline inspection (quality, progression, next steps, risk) and forecast review (commit, best case, expected bookings)

→  Leading indicator dashboards in HubSpot; early-intervention system for misses before they become pipeline problems

3.  Stay close to deals that matter

→  Engage personally on $50K+ or complex multi-stakeholder deals — as coach and strategist, not deal owner; AE retains day-to-day ownership

→  Close feedback loops with marketing, CS, and product on what's stalling and winning deals

4.  Build the playbook

→  Document the EIC sales methodology: ICP, discovery, objection handling, competitive positioning, mutual action plans

→  Identify process gaps, recommend improvements, implement approved changes with high autonomy

WHO WE'RE LOOKING FOR

Screening for how you operate. Sector experience in economic development is a genuine plus—not the primary screen.

You have managed sellers in low-inbound, relationship-driven markets.

Coached reps through 6–18 month multi-stakeholder cycles. Can describe what you changed for a struggling rep and what the measurable result was. More energized by a rep's win than your own.

You've built pipeline accountability from scratch.

Built a management cadence from nothing—and it stuck. Know the difference between a pipeline review and a forecast review. Your reps knew where they stood before you told them.

Your commercial judgment is sharp.

Know which deals are real before the pipeline review. Tested champion strength, identified false urgency, walked away from deals the team wanted to keep. Escalate strategic risks rather than managing them quietly.

You're a builder, not an inheritor.

The absence of a playbook energizes you. Built one before—not just executed inside one. Create clarity rather than require it.

REQUIREMENTS

→  5+ years in B2B SaaS or comparable complex technology-enabled sales, with at least 2 years in frontline sales management or a player-coach role

→  Experience managing sellers through long cycles (6–18 months) with multi-stakeholder procurement — not high-velocity transactional sales

→  Track record building pipeline accountability and coaching frameworks in low-inbound, relationship-driven environments

→  HubSpot proficiency — build reports, pipelines, and forecasts without IT help

→  Experience managing a small team (2–5 AEs) balancing coaching, inspection, systems-building, and deal involvement

Preferred: MEDDIC/MEDDPICC familiarity; experience selling to SBDCs, CDFIs, EDOs, or comparable institutions; bootstrapped SaaS background.

COMPENSATION

Base: $70,000–$85,000. Target variable: ~$60,000–$65,000. OTE: $130,000–$150,000 at 100% of plan. Variable from two sources: quarterly team override above attainment threshold, and a strategic close commission on $50K+ deals where your involvement demonstrably improved close probability, velocity, or qualification. Full mechanics shared during interviews.

For context: this role at a funded SaaS company typically targets $120K–$160K OTE. We're intentionally below that ceiling. What we offer: direct CEO access with zero bureaucratic distance, a mission measured in capital reaching underrepresented entrepreneurs, live proof points that de-risk your pitch, and the satisfaction of building something from scratch you'll point to for the rest of your career. Benefits: health, dental, vision, 401(k), flexible PTO, home-office support, travel reimbursement. Equity is discretionary, not in target comp.

Best suited to a builder who values ownership, direct access, and mission alignment — not only the highest available cash compensation.