Sales Excellence Graduate Programme-Newcastle in Newcastle upon Tyne

At Sage, innovation starts with our people. With over 13,000 colleagues across 40 locations worldwide, supporting over 2 million customers, we’re united by a shared purpose: to transform the way millions of businesses work. As a global leader in AI, finance and HR software, we harness cutting-edge technology and forward-thinking ideas to simplify complexity and drive progress. You’ll join a high achieving culture that values creativity, collaboration, and continuous learning. Together, we’re shaping the future of business software.

Start your career with Sage in the UK and make an impact from day one. Our ethos is simple: to help businesses thrive so they can support their communities and drive economic progress. You’ll find a high performing environment where your ideas matter, your growth is encouraged, and your work will add value from day one. Start your journey with us and help shape the future of business across the UK and beyond.

Why join Sage as a graduate? We believe your career should start with opportunity, growth, and purpose. As a graduate, you’ll benefit from structured training and development programs designed to build your skills and confidence from day one. You’ll also have access to Sage Foundation, our global initiative that gives you five paid volunteer days each year to make a positive impact in your community. You’ll join exceptional teams where you will have the chance to learn from experts, connect with peers, and grow a global professional network. We’re committed to helping you shape your future, offering clear career pathways and opportunities to innovate and make a real difference.

What will you be involved in? Our Graduate Sales Excellence Programme is designed for graduates who are ambitious, commercially curious, and passionate about building relationships and driving business growth. You will experience core areas of our sales organisation, developing a rounded understanding of the full customer lifecycle from first contact to long-term partnership.

• CS Foundation: You will start with a foundational rotation in Customer Success, building an understanding of how customers adopt Sage products, realise value, and make decisions about renewal or growth.
• Sales Development: You will help identify, qualify, and engage potential customers, learning how to prospect, handle objections, and communicate Sage’s value clearly.
• Retention and Renewal: You will work with existing customers to help them continue seeing value from Sage and renew with confidence.
• New Customer Acquisition: You will support the team in winning new business, from early discovery through to signed contract.
• Channel and Partner Sales: You will support Sage’s channel partners and resellers, helping them position and sell Sage solutions effectively.

Please note that this is a hybrid role requiring 3 days per week in the office.

Key Responsibilities:

• Manage a pipeline of opportunities across your rotation area, tracking activity, progress, and priorities in Sage’s CRM.
• Conduct discovery calls and needs assessments to understand customer and prospect goals.
• Prepare and deliver tailored presentations and demos that translate complex software into clear business value.
• Collaborate with marketing, product, and customer success teams to create a joined-up customer experience.
• Analyse sales data, pipeline metrics, and AI-enabled tools to identify trends, prioritise activity, and improve productivity.

This development programme is designed to give you meaningful, hands-on experience across the full sales organisation from day one. With the support and space to learn, ask questions, and grow, you will build the skills, commercial acumen, and confidence needed for a long-term career in sales or business development.

What we’re looking for: To be eligible for this role, a Business, Management or Marketing degree would be advantageous, however we will consider a degree in any discipline. What matters most is your motivation, your ability to communicate, and your commercial curiosity.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the confidence to present ideas clearly and persuasively.
• Commercial awareness and confidence working with data, including pipeline metrics and the financial drivers of a business.
• The ability to build trusted relationships with customers, colleagues, and partners, adapting your communication style to different audiences.
• A proactive, resilient, and results-driven mindset, with curiosity about how businesses work and the confidence to keep improving.
• An interest in technology, AI tools, and how software can help customers solve real business challenges.
• Prior customer-facing, sales, or commercial experience would be advantageous.

Please note that due to the high volume of applications, there may be a delay in our response. We thank you for your patience. Here at Sage, we are committed to inclusivity for all. If you need adjustments that would support you in the application process, please reach out to us at earlycareersadjustments@sage.com.

Benefits of working at Sage include:

• Generous holiday plus bank holidays from day one.
• Five learning days and five volunteering days each year.
• Private healthcare, digital GP, and wellbeing support.
• Competitive pension with Sage contributions.
• Paid parental leave and the option to work from abroad for up to 10 weeks a year.