Description
Universal Background provides industry leading people insights to safety sensitive organizations in a simplified experience through our best-in-class background screening, drug testing, occupational health, and verification services. We are proudly ranked as an industry leader in quality and service delivery.
Overview
The Director of Sales Operations is a key strategic and analytical leader responsible for building and leading the function that transforms our revenue strategy into a scalable operating system. Reporting directly to the Chief Revenue Officer (CRO), this leader will serve as a key member of the revenue leadership team and will be responsible for planning, forecasting, analytics, sales technology, operational excellence, and cross-functional alignment across the go-to-market organization.
This is a true build-and-scale leadership role, ideal for someone who has successfully designed and grown a Sales Operations function within a rapidly expanding organization. The Director will establish the operational framework needed to support significant business growth while providing data-driven recommendations that influence executive decision-making.
Key Responsibilities
Revenue Strategy & Annual Planning
- Partner with the CRO and Finance to develop the annual operating plan, including revenue targets, territory coverage models, market segmentation, and growth strategies.
- Build analytical models supporting sales capacity planning, productivity, pipeline coverage, hiring plans, and ramp assumptions.
- Provide independent, data-driven recommendations during strategic planning and challenge assumptions when supported by analytics.
- Lead quarterly business planning and forecast adjustments as market conditions evolve.
Forecasting & Performance Management
- Own the company's sales forecasting process, ensuring consistency, governance, and forecast accuracy.
- Develop and maintain standardized sales metrics and KPI definitions across Sales, Finance, and Executive Leadership.
- Establish CRM stage definitions, pipeline hygiene standards, and inspection processes that improve forecast reliability.
- Deliver executive-level reporting on pipeline health, sales performance, forecasting, and business trends.
- Lead ongoing win/loss analysis and customer churn reporting, partnering with Product, Marketing, and Enablement to improve commercial outcomes.
Go-to-Market Strategy
- Design and optimize sales territories, account segmentation, coverage models, and account assignment methodologies.
- Lead annual quota planning, allocation methodology, fairness testing, and quota review processes.
- Partner with Sales Leadership, Finance, and Human Resources to design and administer sales compensation plans.
- Evaluate organizational design, headcount planning, and route-to-market strategies to support company growth.
Sales Technology & Systems
- Own the Sales Technology roadmap, budget, and vendor strategy.
- Evaluate, select, implement, and optimize sales enablement and business intelligence platforms.
- Lead Salesforce governance by establishing architecture standards, system enhancements, and long-term platform strategy.
- Drive adoption of new technologies through effective change management and user enablement.
- Evaluate and implement AI-enabled solutions that improve forecasting, lead prioritization, activity visibility, and sales productivity.
- Manage vendor relationships, contract negotiations, renewals, and software utilization.
Data & Business Analytics
- Own the revenue data architecture, reporting framework, and governance strategy.
- Ensure data integrity, reporting consistency, and standardized business definitions across all revenue systems.
- Develop scalable dashboards and self-service analytics capabilities that empower business leaders with actionable insights.
Cross Functional Leadership
- Develop and manage the operating model connecting Sales, Marketing, Client Success, Finance, and other business partners.
- Partner with Marketing to optimize lead routing, attribution methodology, and service level agreements.
- Collaborate with Client Success to improve customer retention, expansion planning, health scoring, and early-warning indicators.
- Partner with Finance on bookings reconciliation, commission reporting, revenue reporting, and forecasting alignment.
- Represent Sales Operations during enterprise initiatives including pricing strategy, product launches, acquisitions, and systems implementations.
Team Leadership
- Build, lead, mentor, and develop a high-performing Sales Operations team consisting of analysts, systems administrators, and deal desk professionals.
- Define organizational structure, hiring plans, resource allocation, and operational priorities.
- Establish performance expectations, coaching practices, and career development opportunities.
- Create an operating rhythm that balances strategic initiatives with day-to-day business support.
Commercial Operations & Deal Desk
- Lead Deal Desk operations including pricing approvals, contract exception reviews, discount governance, and approval workflows.
- Partner with Finance and Legal to establish commercial policies supporting pricing strategy and revenue recognition.
- Oversee the RFP process, response library, submission quality, and cross-functional coordination.
- Perform other duties as assigned
Required Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Sales, Marketing, or a related field
- 8+ years of experience in sales operations, revenue operations or business analysis, preferably in a B2B or technology-driven environment
- Minimum 3 years of leadership experience managing Sales Operations or Revenue Operations teams.
- Demonstrated experience owning company-level or business-unit sales forecasting with accountability for forecast accuracy.
- Experience partnering with executive leadership to develop annual operating plans and revenue strategies.
- Proven success building or significantly scaling a Sales Operations function.
- Advanced Salesforce expertise, including CRM architecture, governance, and system optimization.
- Experience leading quota planning, territory design, incentive compensation planning, and sales performance management.
- Strong analytical, financial modeling, and data analysis skills.
- Experience selecting and implementing Business Intelligence (BI) platforms and sales technologies.
- Experience managing vendor relationships, software budgets, and contract negotiations.
- Exceptional executive communication, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
Preferred Qualifications
- MBA or advanced business degree
- Knowledge of background checks, pre-employment screening, or human resources processes.
- Experience within SaaS, HR Technology, Background Screening, Compliance, or other regulated industries.
- Experience implementing AI-driven sales technologies with measurable business outcomes.
- Experience presenting business performance and forecasting to executive leadership and Boards of Directors.
- Experience supporting organizations during rapid growth, private equity ownership, mergers, acquisitions, or organizational transformation.
- Familiarity with marketing automation platforms, lead attribution, and demand generation analytics.
Special Requirements
- Willingness to travel as required (Quarterly)
- Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer.
- Must be proficient in the English language, both written and verbal.
- Ability to lift 50 pounds.
Universal Background is committed to creating a diverse work environment and we are proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.
Position Requirements
