Fast Facts

The Great Books Foundation is seeking a Manager of Sales & Marketing to drive revenue growth and oversee high-performing teams focused on the K-12 educational market. This role combines strategic sales planning, marketing campaign development, and mentorship of sales professionals to expand the organization's impact and visibility.

Responsibilities: This role involves developing and executing sales strategies, leading marketing efforts, nurturing client relationships, and managing sales team performance to meet revenue goals.

Skills: Candidates should have 8+ years of sales experience in the K-12 market, expertise in marketing strategies, strong relationship-building skills, and proficiency with CRM systems.

Qualifications: Ideal candidates will have team leadership experience, a strong understanding of the educational sales landscape, and a demonstrated ability to coach team members effectively.

Location: The position is based in Chicago, IL, with occasional travel required for conferences or team events.

Compensation: $65000 - $80000 / Annually

Role Overview 

The Manager of Sales & Marketing plays a pivotal role in driving revenue and expanding the reach of the Great Books Foundation’s educational programs and services. This position is responsible for driving the organization's revenue growth by developing, executing, and optimizing comprehensive strategies across sales and marketing. This individual will develop and lead high-performing sales and marketing teams and ensure alignment between outreach, sales conversion, and customer retention efforts.

This is a hands-on leadership role that requires an analytical mindset, strong interpersonal and coaching skills, and the ability to generate data-informed strategies that align with the organization’s mission and growth goals.

Candidate Profile 

Ideal candidates will have recent, successful experience leading sales teams in the K–12 educational market, along with expertise in creating marketing content and strategies that generate qualified leads. They will bring a deep understanding of how to capture the attention of school and district decision-makers and convert interest into long-term customer relationships.

Essential Functions/Responsibilities 

Sales Leadership & Strategy

• Develop and implement strategic sales plans to achieve annual revenue goals across all product and service lines
• Lead, mentor, and support a team of sales professionals focused on territory-based growth and customer success to exceed revenue targets and expand market reach
• Create a performance-driven sales culture with clear KPIs, goals, and feedback based on metrics and outcomes
• Align sales efforts with the Foundation’s strategic goals, using CRM and data analytics to track pipeline activity, measure team performance, forecast revenue, and refine strategies
• Establish team processes and tools for lead tracking, territory development, and customer outreach
• Partner with colleagues and other internal leaders to ensure cross-functional alignment and program delivery success

Marketing & Demand Generation

• Design and oversee multi-channel lead-generation campaigns and outreach strategies that align with sales goals and product messaging
• Build and maintain a robust sales funnel by identifying new markets and customer segments and generating qualified leads that support long-term growth
• Develop and implement integrated marketing plans that promote brand visibility, support product launches, and drive engagement among K–12 administrators and decision-makers
• Work with internal stakeholders and vendors to create digital and print marketing content that showcases Junior Great Books supplemental materials and professional learning offerings, ensuring consistency in messaging across all platforms
• Track, analyze, and report on marketing campaign performance, using KPIs and analytic tools, adjusting tactics in real-time to improve engagement and ROI
• Elevate the Foundation’s visibility with K–12 administrators, educators, and key influencers through thoughtful messaging, strategic brand storytelling, and targeted outreach

Sales Execution & Client Engagement

• Establish and nurture strong relationships with school and district decision-makers to understand evolving needs
• Represent the Foundation at education conferences and webinars to build brand awareness and generate new leads
• Support the team with tools, resources, and messaging frameworks that enable effective selling and customer success
• Create systems and messaging to support renewal outreach and maintain high customer retention rates
• Monitor market trends, customer needs, and competitor activity to inform sales, marketing strategy, and product/service improvements

Data, Reporting, & Team Management

• Prepare monthly and quarterly reports on performance, pipeline health, and market engagement
• Maintain up-to-date records in the CRM to track sales activities, leads, and customer interactions
• Coordinate hiring, onboarding, and development of sales and marketing team members
• Collaborate with the Executive Team on budget planning and organizational decision-making
• 
  

Qualifications

• 8+ years of successful sales experience in the K–12 educational market, including 3–5 years of team leadership
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop team members to exceed performance expectations
• 3+ years of experience in marketing or integrated campaign development in the education sector
• Strong understanding of curriculum and instructional resource sales, including school decision-making processes and funding cycles
• Demonstrated success developing and executing revenue-generating strategies across sales and marketing
• Excellent communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills
• Strong knowledge of digital marketing, CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot), and sales analytics
• Self-starter with the ability to manage multiple priorities in a fully remote environment
• Willingness to travel occasionally (3–4 times/year) for conferences or team events
• 
  

Physical Requirements/Working Environment

• Primarily a sedentary role requiring long periods of computer-based work
• Occasional standing, walking, lifting (up to 25 pounds), and presentation tasks
• Remote home office setting, light to moderate noise level
• Occasional travel required for conferences or in-person meetings
• 
  

About the Great Books Team

The Great Books Foundation (the Foundation) empowers readers of all ages to become more reflective and responsible thinkers. To accomplish this, we teach the art of civil discourse through the Shared Inquiry™ method and publish enduring works across disciplines.Our dynamic team is always ready for a challenge and excited to collaborate to meet the needs of our customers and educational partners. We are a 501(c)(3) nonprofit best known for having originated the Shared Inquiry method of teaching and learning that has been a favorite of teachers and students for more than 77 years. We believe that literacy and critical thinking help form reflective, knowledgeable citizens equipped to participate constructively in a democratic society.

Working at the Great Books Foundation

The Great Books Foundation has been headquartered in Chicago since 1947! We are proud of our person-centered culture, longevity, and ability to adapt while offering competitive salary and benefits packages.

Reasonable accommodation will be made so that all qualified applicants may participate in the application process. Please notify us in writing of special needs at the time of application.

Benefits-eligible positions offer paid time off including vacation, sick, holiday, and volunteer time, as well as excellent benefits, including health, dental, vision, basic AD&D, short-term disability, long-term disability, flexible spending account, dependent care account, and 403(b) retirement plan. 

Great Books Foundation is an equal-opportunity employer committed to workplace diversity.  We do not discriminate on the basis of gender, age, race, religion, marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Salary Range

$65,000 - $80,000 + Commision