About hand2mind:
We bring learning to life! Trusted by teachers for more than 55+ years, hand2mind creates engaging, classroom-tested materials that empower children to learn by doing. We are a 150-person strong, family-owned company that's been voted one of the Chicago Tribune's Top Workplaces for the last four consecutive years. In addition to building high-quality, hands-on learning materials for the classroom like VersaTiles® and Cuisenaire® Rods, we also develop educational toys for the home that make learning math, reading, social-emotional learning, and STEM fun and interactive. As a company, we are committed to our employee’s personal and professional development. That’s why we offer a competitive benefits package, a supportive culture, and training and development opportunities by Harvard and UCLA professors. We are looking for professionals who are truly just kids at heart! We hope you’ll come join our award-winning team today!
Team & Position Description:
As a Senior Sales Support Specialist, you will be integral in ensuring seamless collaboration across sales, product development, customer service, supply chain, and operations teams. Your primary goal will be to exceed client expectations by managing strategic projects and providing exceptional support to our account management managers for the company’s top revenue-producing accounts. Success in this role will require a mix of project management expertise, strong relationship-building skills, and the ability to translate client needs into actionable plans. hand2mind is a recognized leader in educational solutions and your efforts will directly impact the success of our clients and the enrichment of student learning experiences. This role offers a rare opportunity to work with and take the lead of cross-functional teams on critical initiatives ensuring a meaningful contribution to both organizational goals and the education sector.
Key Performance Objectives:
- Client Relationship Management Excellence:
- Establish and nurture trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders within the first 90 days. This includes collaborating with the National Account Manager and the SVP, Corporate Partnerships, to deliver consistent client satisfaction and resolve issues proactively.
- Develop a detailed plan to streamline and organize client communications and reporting mechanisms, ensuring a 20% improvement in account management response times by the end of the second quarter.
- Project Management Leadership:
- Lead cross-functional initiatives, ensuring all projects align with client-specific needs and contractual obligations. Within the first 180 days, successfully implement a new project tracking system to enhance visibility across teams and reduce account management project delays by 15%.
- Support the management of the department’s portfolio of client account, delivering solutions that meet or exceed service level agreements (SLAs) while maintaining budget adherence and quality standards.
- Sales Process Optimization:
- Support the National Account Manager in identifying process improvements to increase efficiency in securing new business, with a focus on reducing the sales cycle for strategic accounts by 20% within nine months.
- Analyze sales and operational data to identify trends and prospecting opportunities, presenting actionable recommendations in a monthly strategic review with senior leadership.
Subtasks and Additional Responsibilities:
- Prepare presentation materials and participate in quarterly business reviews with top clients to ensure alignment with their goals and hand2mind's operational capabilities.
- Design and implement training programs for internal teams on client-specific process improvements, with the first module completed within 6 months of onboarding.
- Collaborate with supply chain teams to address and resolve any client-related inventory or delivery challenges within 48 hours of identification.
Requirements/Preferences:
- Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent work experience
- Minimum 5 years of experience in sales support or project management
Physical Demands:
- Standing – up to 10% of the time
- Sitting – up to 90% of the time
- Computer usage – 90%
- Ability to lift 25 pounds
- Travel – 15%
We are a drug-free workplace and an EEO employer.
Please note: This role will be filled by our internal recruitment team, so no assistance is needed from any outside staffing agency at this time.
#hand2mind #LI-hybrid
