Area Sales Director, SLED

Job Function

Sales

The role

Job Summary

As a SLED Sales Director at SoftwareOne, you will lead the strategy and execution for growing our State, Local, and Education business. You will guide a high-performing sales team in winning new public-sector clients, expanding strategic accounts, and positioning SoftwareOne’s software, cloud, and services portfolio to address the priorities of government and education organizations.

The SLED Sales Director is responsible for leading SoftwareOne’s U.S. SLED practice, setting the national go-to-market strategy, and building a disciplined, opportunity-driven sales culture. This leader will align teams around market priorities, establish scalable sales motions, strengthen executive relationships with public-sector customers and strategic partners, and guide the organization through complex procurement, contracting, budget, and compliance requirements to accelerate growth nationwide.

Success will be measured by consistent pipeline development, competitive wins, customer expansion, and achievement of GP and EBITDA targets. The ideal candidate brings a proven record of leading technology sales within the SLED market, developing sales talent, and converting long-cycle public-sector opportunities into sustainable revenue.

SoftwareOne is an AI‑forward company. We actively use AI across our business to improve productivity, decision‑making, and outcomes - and we are intentional about hiring people who are curious, hands-on, actively apply AI, and lead by example as technology continues to evolve.

Role & Responsibilities

• Lead, coach, and develop the U.S. SLED sales team to achieve revenue, gross profit, EBITDA, and market-share goals.
• Define and execute the national SLED go-to-market strategy across state and local government and education segments.
• Build a high-performance, opportunity-driven sales culture focused on accountability, collaboration, and continuous development.
• Establish scalable sales motions, territory coverage, account priorities, and performance expectations aligned with company objectives.
• Drive new client acquisition, strategic account expansion, and competitive wins across the U.S. public sector.
• Develop executive relationships with public-sector customers, technology partners, and key stakeholders to strengthen SoftwareOne’s market position.
• Guide teams through complex SLED procurement, contracting, budget cycles, compliance requirements, and long-term sales processes.
• Apply a consultative, solution-selling approach to position SoftwareOne’s software, cloud, and services portfolio against customer priorities.
• Analyze market trends, customer needs, funding priorities, and competitive activity to identify growth opportunities and risks.
• Maintain pipeline discipline, forecast accuracy, and CRM adoption while monitoring performance metrics and corrective actions.
• Provide senior leadership with clear reporting, market insights, and recommendations that support strategic decision-making.
• Partner with marketing, services, alliances, operations, and other cross-functional teams to deliver a coordinated customer and growth strategy.

What we need to see from you

What you offer

• 10+ years of progressive technology sales experience in the SLED industry, including a strong track record of driving new business, account growth, and revenue performance
• 5+ years of sales leadership experience with demonstrated success building, coaching, and retaining high-performing teams across a broad geographic market.
• 5+ years in Microsoft SLED/Public Sector programs, contracts and sales motions as this will be a critical component of the role
• Deep knowledge of state and local government and education buying processes, including procurement vehicles, contracting requirements, funding and budget cycles, compliance considerations, and long-cycle sales motions.
• Proven experience driving go-to-market with new and complex cooperative framework contracts
• Proven ability to develop and execute national go-to-market strategies, establish scalable sales processes, and translate market opportunities into sustainable growth.
• Experience selling complex software, cloud, and technology services solutions; knowledge of software licensing, IT asset management, FinOps, application services, and digital workplace solutions is strongly preferred.
• Experience working collaboratively with partners and software and cloud providers to drive additional revenue streams and ensure mutual success
• Strong executive presence and consultative selling skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with public-sector leaders, technology partners, and internal stakeholders.
• Demonstrated command of pipeline management, forecasting, CRM discipline, sales analytics, and performance metrics, with a consistent record of meeting or exceeding targets.
• Strategic, collaborative, and results-oriented leadership style with strong business judgment, communication, negotiation, and change-management capabilities.
• Travel up to 35%
• Demonstrated experience using AI in a practical, applied way — such as improving workflows, automating tasks, enabling demonstrated experience using AI in a practical, applied way — such as improving workflows, automating tasks, enabling better decision‑making, or increasing impact in prior roles. This does not require deep technical or engineering expertise in AI; we value applied use, experimenting, and a mindset of curiosity and continuous learningetter decision‑making, or increasing impact in prior roles. This does not require deep technical or engineering expertise in AI; we value applied use, experimenting, and a mindset of curiosity and continuous learning

The preceding job profile has been designed to indicate the general nature and level of work performed by associates within this role. It is not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, responsibilities, and qualifications required. Additional duties may be assigned and may be subject to change at any time due to reasonable accommodation or other reasons.

Success Criteria

• Achieve annual U.S. SLED revenue, gross profit, EBITDA, and market-growth targets through new customer acquisition and strategic account expansion.
• Build a healthy, qualified national pipeline with reliable forecast accuracy, consistent CRM discipline, and measurable improvement in win rates and sales-cycle execution.
• Develop a high-performing U.S. SLED sales organization that meets productivity expectations, strengthens strategic customer and partner relationships, and consistently delivers against individual and team goals.

Organizational Alignment

• This role reports to the Head of Direct Sales, NORAM.
• Collaboration with Solution Sales, Services, Customer Success, Legal and RevOps

What we offer

• Generous pay with bonus structure (quarterly or bi-annual depending on the role)
• Independent environment without a lot of red tape where you are empowered to make decisions
• Substantial benefits package that includes:

• Full suite of medical coverage with A+ carriers, Dental, and Vision with strong employer contributions plus additional voluntary coverage available for Pets, Identity Theft Protection, Accident & Critical Illness
• 401k program with employer matching 50% up to the first 10% of employee’s contributions
• Wellness plan that includes credits to premiums and employer contributions towards the savings plan of your choice
• Access to EAP and concierge services plus pre-paid legal at no cost
• Abundant time off that includes paid holidays, floating holidays, your birthday off, a volunteer day, and discretionary time off (DTO)
• Employee stock purchase plan
• Learning and development opportunities galore, tuition reimbursement, and much more!
• Specific to Nashville and Milwaukee-based office employees: company-paid parking

• Winning culture, inclusive environment, and friendly people all over the world
• A remote-friendly organization, with colleagues working remotely either part or full-time

Target compensation for this role will be $275 - 300K USD (mix of base salary and bonus). Actual offers may be higher or lower than this range and will be determined based on a variety of factors, including (but not limited to) candidates’ qualifications, experience, education, and work location.

We are not able to consider candidates residing in the state of Hawaii currently.

Why SoftwareOne?

SoftwareOne and Crayon have come together to form a global, AI-powered software and cloud solutions provider with a bold vision for the future. With a footprint in over 70 countries and a diverse team of 13,000+ professionals, we offer unparalleled opportunities for talent to grow, make an impact, and shape the future of technology. At the heart of our business is our people. We empower our teams to work across borders, innovate fearlessly, and continuously develop their skills through world-class learning and development programs. Whether you're passionate about cloud, software, data, AI, or building meaningful client relationships, you’ll find a place to thrive here. Join us and be part of a purpose-driven culture where your ideas matter, your growth is supported, and your career can go global.

Accommodations

SoftwareOne welcomes applicants from all backgrounds and abilities to apply. If you require reasonable adjustments at any point during the recruitment process, email us at reasonable.accommodations@softwareone.com. Please include the role for which you are applying and your country location. Someone from our organization that is not part of the decision-making process will be in touch to discuss your specific needs, and we will make every effort to accommodate you. Any information shared will be stored securely and treated in the strictest of confidence in line with GDPR.

At SoftwareOne, we are committed to providing an environment of mutual respect where equal employment opportunities are available to all applicants and teammates without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws. Additionally, we encourage experienced individuals that have taken an intentional career break and are now prepared to return to work to explore our SOAR program.