At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead and grow the UK sales team while closing deals yourself.
- Company: Join a VC-backed startup revolutionising the food and consumer goods industry.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, uncapped commission, flexible working, and generous holiday.
- Other info: Dynamic environment with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
- Why this job: Make a real impact in a fast-scaling company with innovative solutions.
- Qualifications: 2-4 years in B2B sales and experience managing teams.
The predicted salary is between 50000 - 60000 € per year.
Opply is modernising how scaling food and consumer goods brands buy ingredients, solving a £1 trillion market inefficiency that's been overlooked for decades. Right now, SMB brands waste 70% of stock and pay 40% above market rate because they lack access to enterprise-level supplier networks and smart automation. We've built an AI‑powered platform that changes this entirely: automated ordering, predictive forecasting, supplier matching, and embedded credit that lets brands sell before they pay.
This is category‑defining work in a massive, underserved market.
The Role
As Sales Manager at Opply, you’ll lead and grow the UK commercial team—managing Account Executives and BDRs/SDRs while also carrying an individual quota and closing deals yourself. This is a true player‑coach role. You’ll be accountable for pipeline health, conversion, execution standards, and coaching—while personally running strategic opportunities, improving win rates, and tightening the sales motion end‑to‑end.
If you’re a hands‑on leader who can coach rigorously, build repeatable processes, and still get deals over the line, you’ll have a massive impact here.
What You’ll Be Doing
- Team Leadership and Performance
- Lead, coach, and performance‑manage a team of AEs and BDRs/SDRs
- Set weekly priorities, activity standards, and pipeline targets across the team
- Run 1:1s, call coaching, deal reviews, and structured feedback loops
- Build a culture of high ownership, pace, and commercial excellence
- Recruit and ramp new hires as the team scales
- Own Pipeline Quality and Forecasting
- Ensure top‑of‑funnel output is high‑quality and aligned to the right ICP
- Maintain disciplined CRM hygiene, pipeline governance, and forecasting accuracy
- Diagnose bottlenecks (connect rates, show rates, conversion, cycle time) and fix them
- Partner with Marketing to sharpen targeting, messaging, and campaigns
- Close Deals (Player‑Coach)
- Personally run a portion of opportunities end‑to‑end: discovery → demo → proposal → negotiation → close
- Step into late‑stage deals to unblock stakeholders, handle complex objections, and drive urgency
- Build commercial business cases and value narratives tied to cashflow, margin, and operational efficiency
- Negotiate terms and ensure clean handoffs into onboarding / delivery
- Improve the Sales Motion
- Build and iterate playbooks for outbound, discovery, qualification, and negotiation
- Share market feedback with Product to influence roadmap and product
- Track competitor moves, market trends, and customer pain points to refine positioning
- Represent Opply at industry events and in the wider market
What We’re Looking For
- A player‑coach: credible on the floor, leading by example and still closing
- A strong sales operator: you run pipeline like a system, metrics, rhythm, accountability
- A sharp coach: you can improve discovery, objection handling, and deal control quickly
- Commercially credible: you speak fluently about value, outcomes, and trade‑offs
- High ownership: you solve problems fast and raise the standard around you
Experience We Expect
- 2–4+ years in B2B sales, with meaningful closing experience
- 2+ years managing AEs/SDRs (or a clear player‑coach track record leading a pod)
- Consistent quota performance (as an individual contributor and/or team lead)
- Strong forecasting discipline and comfort owning a number
- SaaS/tech sales experience preferred; food/consumer goods experience a plus
Why Now
Opply is at an inflection point. We're scaling with strong customer traction, scaling revenue, expanding internationally, and building out the commercial team to match our ambition. You’ll join early enough to have an outsized impact: shaping playbooks, owning territory, and growing into leadership as the business scales.
Training & Development
- Full onboarding programme with clear ramp expectations and success metrics
- Weekly 1:1 coaching and feedback loops to build consistency and confidence
- Classroom learning and role plays for discovery, objection handling, and deal progression
What You’ll Learn Here
- Outbound excellence: Multi‑channel prospecting done right (phone, LinkedIn, email, events)
- Modern discovery: Combine qualitative insight with quantitative value logic to uncover real urgency
- Commercial fluency: Speak credibly about cashflow, operational efficiency, and growth readiness
- Market expertise: Deep understanding of the scaling F&B world (supply chain challenges, margin pressure, and what operators actually care about)
- Unshakeable confidence: Built through repetition, feedback, and high standards
What We Offer
- Compensation: £50‑£60k base salary + uncapped commission (estimated year 1 OTE £20‑£25k)
- 25 days holiday plus UK bank holidays
- Flexible hybrid working (balance autonomy with collaboration)
- Regular team socials and global offsites to connect, collaborate, and celebrate
- Pension scheme
Sales Manager - UK employer: Opply
At Opply, we pride ourselves on being an exceptional employer that fosters a dynamic and collaborative work culture in the heart of London. As a VC-backed startup, we offer our employees unparalleled growth opportunities, including comprehensive training programmes and the chance to shape the future of the food and consumer goods industry. With a focus on high ownership and commercial excellence, our team enjoys flexible working arrangements, competitive compensation, and regular team-building events that make every day rewarding.
StudySmarter Expert Advice🤫
We think this is how you could land Sales Manager - UK
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the industry. Attend events, join relevant groups on LinkedIn, and don’t be shy to reach out for informational chats. You never know who might have the inside scoop on job openings!
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company and its culture. Understand their products and how they fit into the market. This will help you tailor your answers and show that you’re genuinely interested in joining the team at Opply.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to talk about your experience and how it aligns with the Sales Manager role. Highlight your achievements and be prepared to discuss how you can contribute to Opply’s growth and success.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up after interviews! A quick thank-you email can go a long way in keeping you top of mind. Plus, it shows your enthusiasm for the role and the company. And remember, apply through our website for the best chance!
We think you need these skills to ace Sales Manager - UK
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV:Make sure your CV is tailored to the Sales Manager role at Opply. Highlight your experience in B2B sales and any leadership roles you've had. We want to see how your skills align with our mission of modernising the food and consumer goods industry.
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter:Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about the role and how you can contribute to our team. Be sure to mention specific achievements that demonstrate your sales prowess and coaching abilities.
Showcase Your Sales Metrics:We love numbers! When detailing your past experiences, include metrics that showcase your success in sales. Whether it's quota achievements or pipeline management, let us see the impact you've made in previous roles.
Apply Through Our Website:Don't forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for the role. Plus, it shows you’re keen on joining the Opply team!
How to prepare for a job interview at Opply
✨Know Your Numbers
As a Sales Manager, you'll need to demonstrate your understanding of sales metrics. Be prepared to discuss your past performance, including quotas you've met and how you managed your pipeline. Bring specific examples of how you improved conversion rates or dealt with bottlenecks.
✨Showcase Your Coaching Skills
Since this role involves leading a team, highlight your coaching experience. Prepare to share examples of how you've developed team members, conducted effective 1:1s, and built a culture of high performance. Think about how you can illustrate your player-coach approach.
✨Understand the Market
Familiarise yourself with the food and consumer goods industry, especially the challenges brands face. Be ready to discuss how Opply's AI-powered platform addresses these issues. Showing that you understand the market will demonstrate your commercial credibility.
✨Prepare for Role-Play Scenarios
Expect to engage in role-play during the interview, particularly around discovery calls and objection handling. Practise these scenarios beforehand so you can showcase your skills in real-time. This will help you stand out as a strong candidate who can handle complex sales situations.
