VP of Direct Sales

Coughlan Companies•Eden Prairie, MN

8d•Hybrid

About The Position

The Vice President of Direct Sales at Capstone will lead our direct sales organization supporting two core business lines: PebbleGo, a digital EdTech product for elementary age learners, and Capstone’s publishing business, which creates books for elementary age readers and sells them into U.S. schools and public libraries. This leader will drive the overall sales strategy, execution, and performance of a national direct sales team responsible for selling both print and digital solutions into the K–12 education market. Reporting to the Chief Revenue Officer, the VP of Direct Sales will oversee a high-performing team focused on growing revenue, deepening customer relationships, and expanding Capstone’s presence across school and library markets. This role requires a strategic, hands-on leader who can balance long-term market development with near-term sales execution, while building a cohesive sales culture that aligns closely with internal teams. Our preference is for this role to be hybrid based out of our Eden Prairie, MN office. Why You’ll Want To Join Capstone Have you ever read something that increased your understanding of the world around you? An article, a book, a research paper, a piece of local legislation, even a poem or short story? Capstone is a mission-driven community of passionate, creative people like you who believe in the power of literacy. Our mission is to make reading fun for kids, so that they never experience literacy as the barrier that prevents them from understanding and engaging with the world around them. For more than 30 years, Capstone has led the way in K–5 educational publishing, creating award-winning books and digital learning experiences (PebbleGo). The information landscape has changed dramatically since we first started out in 1991, and competition for kids’ attention is at an all-time high. This changing landscape inspires our continued growth and innovation – today’s kids need trusted sources of content more than ever, but their standards for what’s considered engaging have never been higher! At Capstone, we’re excited by that challenge – are you?

Requirements

10+ years of progressive sales leadership experience, including at least 5 years in a senior leadership role.
Experience leading direct sales teams serving the K–12 education market is required, including experience selling into U.S. schools and/or public libraries.
Strong understanding of consultative selling methodologies, pipeline management, forecasting, and sales operations.
A data-driven mindset, experience with CRM and sales analytics tools, and exceptional leadership and communication skills are essential.
Collaborative leader who can influence without direct authority and lead through change with clarity and confidence.
Excellent leadership, communication, and project management skills.
Applicants must be authorized to work in the United States.

Nice To Haves

Experience selling both print educational materials and SaaS or digital learning solutions is strongly preferred.
CRM experience (e.g. Salesforce), forecasting, pipeline management, and sales analytics experience preferred.

Responsibilities

Develop and execute a comprehensive sales strategy to drive growth across Capstone’s print publishing and digital EdTech businesses, aligning sales priorities with overall company objectives and market opportunities.
Lead a centralized direct sales organization responsible for selling books and educational software solutions into U.S. schools.
Partner closely with Marketing, Product, Content and other internal team leaders to align go-to-market strategies, sales enablement efforts, and customer engagement initiatives that drive pipeline growth and revenue performance.
Establish and refine sales processes, forecasting models, territory strategies, and performance metrics to improve efficiency, accountability, and sales outcomes.
Identify and capitalize on growth opportunities across districts and schools.
Serve as a trusted advisor to the executive leadership team on sales performance, market trends, competitive dynamics, and customer insights.
Build, lead, and develop a high-performing, customer-focused sales organization grounded in collaboration, accountability, and continuous improvement.
Coach and mentor sales leaders and team members to strengthen consultative selling capabilities, strategic account management, and long-term customer partnerships.
Foster a cohesive sales culture that effectively represents both Capstone’s publishing solutions and PebbleGo digital products.
Drive alignment and collaboration across departments to ensure the sales organization has the tools, messaging, training, and support needed to succeed.
Lead organizational planning, territory optimization, hiring, onboarding, and talent development initiatives across the sales function.
Establish clear KPIs, dashboards, and reporting structures to measure sales effectiveness, pipeline health, customer retention, and revenue growth.
Champion a data-driven sales culture that leverages CRM tools and analytics to improve decision-making and customer engagement strategies.