Academic & Research Sales Manager

Academic & Research Sales Manager Universities and research agencies are already one of SPH Engineering's top-performing customer segments, purchasing our UgCS, magnetometry, GPR, and echo sounder/bathymetry systems for research and teaching. We are looking for an Academic & Research Sales Manager to take ownership of this segment and grow it further: deepening our footprint in existing accounts, expanding into new institutions and research agencies globally, and launching a dedicated training course to introduce students to our technologies, building a long-term adoption and talent pipeline. Key Responsibilities Grow an established segment: Own and expand SPH's existing base of university and research-agency customers; identify upsell/cross-sell opportunities across our product portfolio. New account acquisition: Identify and prioritize new target universities, research labs, and government research agencies (geophysics, remote sensing, geomatics, environmental science, UAS/robotics programs). Relationship management: Build and maintain relationships with faculty, lab directors, procurement offices, and research consortia; represent SPH at academic conferences, symposia, and research events. Sales execution: Manage the full sales cycle (demos, quoting, tender/grant-cycle-aware negotiation, closing) with fluency in academic procurement processes (tenders, framework agreements, grant funding timelines). Curriculum & training program: Design and launch a course/certification program for students on SPH's technologies, partnering with product and training teams on structure, delivery format, and certification. Partnership building: Develop relationships for co-branded content, guest lectures, internships, and joint research/pilot programs. Pipeline & reporting: Maintain accurate CRM records, forecast segment revenue, and track adoption metrics for both sales and the training program. Qualifications Proven track record selling to universities and/or research institutions is required. Candidates should be able to demonstrate specific deals closed, quota attainment, or account growth within this segment. Existing personal network within university research departments, procurement offices, or research funding bodies. 3+ years in B2B sales or business development, ideally with geospatial, UAS/drone, geophysical, or survey/scientific instrumentation products. Deep familiarity with academic/institutional procurement (tenders, grants, framework contracts, university purchasing cycles). Comfortable designing training content or curricula, or working closely with technical trainers to build one. Excellent written and verbal communication in English. Nice to Have Additional languages (Spanish, German, French) is a plus given SPH's international partner base; Background in geophysics, remote sensing, geomatics, or a related academic discipline. We Offer This role is remote or hybrid (our offices are in Latvia, Serbia, Hungary). Influence on strategy and idea testing. Direct communication with the COO and team. Medical insurance after the 3-month probation period. Department Sales & Partnership Locations Hungary, Latvia, Serbia Remote status Hybrid About SPH Engineering SPH Engineering is an expert in drone technology development , providing UAV software solutions, integration services, and custom development to advance drone applications for surveying , data collection and processing , and entertainment . Founded in 2013 in Latvia (EU), SPH Engineering has a global customer and partner network in over 150 countries.