At a Glance
- Tasks: Lead the launch of GCSE Science and drive growth across schools.
- Company: Join Up Learn, a leading learning platform transforming education.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, equity options, generous holiday, and hybrid working.
- Why this job: Make a real impact on students' lives while shaping the future of education.
- Qualifications: 5+ years in B2B sales with experience in complex environments.
- Other info: Collaborative culture with opportunities for personal and professional growth.
The predicted salary is between 60000 - 80000 £ per year.
About the role
Lead the launch of GCSE at one of the UK’s most effective learning platforms. Up Learn is looking for a senior sales leader to drive growth of our new GCSE Science product across schools and multi-academy trusts. This is a rare opportunity to help launch a major new product category at a company already used by 1 in 3 A Level students in the UK. You’ll operate as a senior individual contributor, closing complex MAT and school deals while helping shape the go-to-market strategy alongside our Head of Sales and Chief Revenue Officer.
The role combines:
- Closing high-value deals
- Launching a new product into the schools market
- Mentoring and supporting improvements across the sales team
If you enjoy winning complex deals, building relationships with school leaders, and helping scale a mission-driven company, this role offers significant ownership and impact.
About us
At Up Learn, we’ve built one of the world’s most effective learning experiences by combining cognitive science, instructional theory, and artificial intelligence. Our mission is to give every learner the most effective path to success, and vision a world where every learner achieves more, faster, through adaptive, mastery-based learning. We’re the market-leading platform for A Levels, with seven courses on offer and 1 in 3 A Level students using Up Learn. Over the next year, we’re launching GCSE Science and accelerating growth, expanding our impact to millions more students. Our results speak for themselves: 97% of students who complete our courses achieve an A*/A, even those who started with lower grades. And a large-scale evaluation of Up Learn in schools found usage is associated with 9 months additional progress, with grade improvements across whole year groups. And for every paying student, we provide a full scholarship to a student in need - ensuring high-quality education is accessible to all.
About you
This role exists to ensure we fully capitalise on the GCSE opportunity while protecting the quality and predictability of sales execution. You will take primary ownership of GCSE sales activity while also acting as a senior individual contributor across new business and MAT-level opportunities. You’ll work closely with the Head of Sales, Chief Revenue Officer, Marketing, Product, Customer Success and Data teams to ensure strong alignment as we expand into GCSE.
Key Responsibilities
- Sales Strategy & Leadership: Lead execution of the GCSE go-to-market strategy alongside the Head of Sales. Act as a senior role model within the sales team, demonstrating excellence in deal execution and pipeline management. Provide mentoring and informal support to team members. Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Product, Customer Success and Data teams.
- New Business & GCSE Growth: Drive new customer acquisition for GCSE across schools and MATs. Convert incremental new business demand beyond existing team capacity. Refine value propositions, messaging and sales materials for GCSE.
- Existing Business & Renewals: Support A Level sales when required to protect and grow existing revenue streams. Identify GCSE upsell opportunities within existing partner schools.
- Pipeline, Performance & Execution Quality: Maintain strong qualification discipline and pipeline visibility. Ensure accurate forecasting and CRM hygiene. Improve time-per-deal and reduce sales capacity strain.
Essential:
- 5+ years’ experience in B2B sales, with a strong track record in complex or consultative sales environments.
- Proven success closing new business with long or multi-stakeholder sales cycles.
- Experience selling into schools, MATs, or similarly governed public-sector environments.
- Strong commercial judgement and ability to prioritise effectively in high-volume pipelines.
- Comfortable operating as both a senior individual contributor and a people leader.
- Excellent communication and relationship-building skills.
- Data-driven approach to pipeline management, forecasting, and performance.
- Experience using CRM systems (HubSpot preferred).
Bonus / nice to have:
- Experience selling EdTech or SaaS products.
- Prior involvement in launching or scaling a new product or market.
- Understanding of the UK secondary education landscape, particularly GCSEs.
- Experience mentoring or line-managing sales team members.
We provide a great set of benefits that all focus on helping Up Learn team members lead healthy and fulfilling lives. Working at Up Learn gives you:
- Awesome colleagues! We’ve put together a cracking team, and now you’re part of it you’ll shape the future of it.
- Meaningful, fulfilling and engaging work that has an immediate positive impact on tens of thousands of students and the potential to impact millions of students.
- The opportunity to build the future of education and accelerate humanity’s ability to learn.
- Tons of opportunities to learn and develop a wide range of skills.
- Up Learn supports a hybrid working environment with a minimum of two days in the office per week (one team day and one company day) and the rest is up to you!
Key benefits:
- A competitive salary + bonus package.
- Meaningful stake in the company’s growth and success (equity share options).
- ~35 days of paid holiday per year made up of: 26 days of bookable holiday, plus bank holidays, plus unlimited ‘extra days’ (i.e. if you need a few more days, no problem).
- Significantly enhanced parental leave.
- Level 6 (highest level) dental insurance.
- Paid-for coffee breaks (a great chance to get to know the team).
- Monthly & quarterly paid-for socials and quality time with your work colleagues as well as an in-office shower room to make sporting activities easier to join.
- A spacious and bright private office in Old Street, with delicious coffee, a selection of teas and unlimited snacks and drinks.
- Cycle-to-Work: we are registered so you can buy a bike and accessories tax-free.
- Unlimited budget for any work-related books you need.
- Family access to Up Learn: your family and close relatives get unlimited access to any Up Learn course for free!
Our core values:
- CARE: Put people and mission first. Celebrate success together.
- OWN: Take responsibility. Step up. Transparently own outcomes.
- LEARN: Live for learning. Seek feedback. Turn challenges into opportunities.
- ACT: Prioritise progress. Challenge what’s possible. Move the needle.
Lead Account Executive employer: Up Learn
Contact Detail:
Up Learn Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Lead Account Executive
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Get out there and connect with people in the education sector. Attend events, join online forums, and don’t be shy about reaching out on LinkedIn. Building relationships can open doors to opportunities that aren’t even advertised.
✨Tip Number 2
Showcase your expertise! When you get the chance to chat with potential employers or during interviews, share your insights on the GCSE market and how you can drive growth. This will demonstrate your passion and knowledge, making you stand out from the crowd.
✨Tip Number 3
Prepare for those tricky questions! Research common interview questions for sales roles, especially in the education sector. Practise your responses, focusing on your experience with complex deals and how you’ve successfully navigated similar challenges in the past.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to follow up! After interviews or networking events, send a quick thank-you note. It shows your appreciation and keeps you fresh in their minds. Plus, it’s a great opportunity to reiterate your enthusiasm for the role and the company!
We think you need these skills to ace Lead Account Executive
Some tips for your application 🫡
Show Your Passion: When you're writing your application, let your enthusiasm for education and our mission shine through. We want to see how much you care about making a difference in students' lives!
Tailor Your Experience: Make sure to highlight your relevant experience in B2B sales and any work with schools or MATs. We’re looking for specific examples that demonstrate your success in closing complex deals.
Be Clear and Concise: Keep your application straightforward and to the point. We appreciate clarity, so avoid jargon and make it easy for us to see why you’re the right fit for this role.
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to submit your application through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your details and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity.
How to prepare for a job interview at Up Learn
✨Know Your Product Inside Out
Before the interview, make sure you understand Up Learn's GCSE Science product thoroughly. Familiarise yourself with its features, benefits, and how it stands out in the market. This will help you articulate your vision for launching it effectively.
✨Showcase Your Sales Strategy Skills
Prepare to discuss your approach to closing complex deals, especially in the education sector. Be ready to share specific examples of how you've successfully navigated long sales cycles and built relationships with school leaders or multi-academy trusts.
✨Demonstrate Cross-Functional Collaboration
Highlight your experience working with different teams, such as Marketing and Customer Success. Discuss how you’ve collaborated to refine messaging or improve sales materials, as this role requires strong alignment across various departments.
✨Emphasise Your Mentoring Experience
Since mentoring is a key part of this role, be prepared to talk about your experience supporting and developing team members. Share examples of how you've helped others improve their sales techniques or overcome challenges in their roles.