About this role.
This Sales Operations Manager role at Instructure serves as the strategic operational partner for the global Sales Development organization, focusing on top-of-funnel strategy and execution. The position involves designing capacity and quota models, managing incentive compensation plans, and optimizing CRM systems like Salesforce. The manager will act as a liaison between Sales Development, Revenue Operations, Marketing Operations, and BI teams to ensure data hygiene, efficient lead routing, and alignment across the customer lifecycle. This is a highly visible, hands-on leadership role requiring deep expertise in revenue operations and cross-functional collaboration to drive predictable, scalable growth.
Role DNA
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Job Complexity
4/5Pace & Pressure
4/5Autonomy Level
5/5Communication Load
5/5Salary analysis
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Core skills
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Cover letter sample
Dear Hiring Manager,
I am excited to apply for the Sales Operations Manager position at Instructure. With over six years of experience driving revenue operations excellence, I have developed deep expertise in capacity planning, quota setting, and sales technology optimization that directly aligns with the requirements of this role.
In my previous role, I owned the design and implementation of territory models, commission plans, and data governance frameworks that increased pipeline efficiency by 30%. My hands-on experience with Salesforce routing logic, lifecycle tracking, and cross-functional collaboration will enable me to serve as a strategic bridge between your Sales Development, Marketing, and BI teams.
I am particularly drawn to Instructure's mission of empowering people through intuitive products, and I would love to bring my operational rigor and strategic vision to support your global growth. Thank you for your time and consideration.
Sample interview questions
I have led the annual planning process for a 50-person SDR team, using historical conversion rates and product mix to build a bottom-up capacity model. I allocated quotas by territory, rep tenure, and lead source, and partnered with finance to align targets with overall pipeline goals. This approach improved forecast accuracy by 20% and reduced quota attainment variance across regions.
First, I would audit the current routing logic, identifying bottlenecks or misrouted leads. Then I would work with Sales Ops and Data Engineering to define clear lead scoring and routing rules based on fit, engagement, and capacity, automating round-robin distribution while allowing for priority overrides. I'd also set up real-time alerts and dashboards to monitor response times and escalate issues.
At my previous company, we discovered that only 20% of sales-accepted leads converted to opportunities. I worked with marketing to define critical lead score thresholds and created a weekly feedback loop where SDRs flagged low-quality leads. We jointly revised the SLA to include a lead qualification checklist and implemented a new lead routing rule for unqualified leads. This improved conversion by 15% within three months.
I use a prioritized roadmap aligned to quarterly business goals, evaluating impact, effort, and dependencies for each initiative. I regularly communicate with stakeholders to ensure alignment and re-scope when needed. For example, during a CRM migration, I deferred a dashboard refresh to focus on data integrity, which was critical for payroll and forecasting.
I start by identifying the key performance indicators that correlate most with revenue, such as qualified pipeline or meetings booked. I then model different pay mixes using historical data and simulations to ensure the plan is attainable but stretches reps. I also involve finance and sales leadership in governance to balance incentives with budget, and I put in place quarterly reviews to adjust the plan if needed.
At Instructure, we believe in the power of people to grow and succeed throughout their lives. Our goal is to amplify that power by creating intuitive products that simplify learning and personal development, facilitate meaningful relationships, and inspire people to go further in their education and careers.
We do this by giving smart, creative, passionate people opportunities to create awesome. And that’s where you come in:
This role sits at the critical intersection of top-of-funnel strategy and operational execution, serving as the primary operational partner for our global Sales Development organization. As the Senior Manager of Sales Development Operations, you will lead the strategic design, process governance, and technical enablement required to maximize pipeline generation and sales efficiency.
You will act as the key liaison between Sales Development leadership and the broader Revenue Operations, Marketing Operations, and Business Intelligence teams. This is a highly visible, strategic role designed for a hands-on leader who can architect sophisticated capacity and territory models, establish rigorous data governance standards, and optimize our modern sales technology stack to support predictable, scalable growth.
What You’ll Do
GTM Strategy & Financial Governance
Capacity & Quota Planning: Design and execute headcount capacity models, annual target allocations, and quota-setting frameworks for the global pipeline generation team.
Incentive Compensation Management: Partner with Finance and Compensation teams to design, model, and execute monthly and quarterly commission plans and incentive structures that align representative behaviors with corporate pipeline goals.
Fiscal Modeling: Provide predictive forecasting and analysis on pipeline generation targets, analyzing performance against historical benchmarks.
Process Optimization & System Governance
Lead Lifecycle Tracking: Partner with Enterprise Systems and Data Operations to establish robust system tracking for the entire customer lifecycle, ensuring accurate date/time capture for every stage transition from lead creation to won deal.
Routing & Segmentation Logic: Own and optimize the automated routing frameworks and account segmentation models within Salesforce to ensure rapid, accurate inbound lead distribution.
Data Hygiene & Standardization: Audit and consolidate CRM workflows, standardizing lead dispositioning, stage progressions, and call outcomes to reduce database complexity and improve reporting accuracy.
System Integration Management: Lead strategic system consolidation projects, including platform merges, routing logic synchronization, and testing/UAT cycles.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Marketing & Sales Alignment: Serve as the strategic bridge between Sales Development, Marketing Operations, and Field Marketing to establish automated feedback loops regarding lead quality, campaign performance, and service-level agreements (SLAs).
Technical Liaison: Collaborate closely with Salesforce Administrators, Data Engineering, and BI teams to prioritize system requirements, build pipeline dashboards, and translate business requirements into technical solutions.
Sales Tech Stack & Tool Optimization
Portfolio Management: Oversee the administration, user provisioning, and performance tracking of core sales enablement tools, including Sales Engagement Platforms, Account-Based Marketing (ABM) engines, and B2B data enrichment providers.
Capacity & Contract Compliance: Manage software license allocation and vendor relationships, optimizing usage to support headcount growth and operational budget guidelines.
What you’ll need to know/have
5+ Years of Experience: Demonstrated success in Revenue Operations, Sales Operations, or GTM Strategy, with specific expertise supporting outbound and inbound sales development functions.
Core RevOps Competencies: Deep hands-on experience in territory carving, capacity modeling, quota setting, and process governance.
System Design & Administration: Advanced proficiency in Salesforce (SFDC) reporting, workflow mechanics, and lead-routing tools. Strong experience collaborating on system architecture changes is required.
Technical Savvy: Experience working with modern business intelligence platforms (e.g., Tableau, Sigma, PowerBI) and data-driven enablement tools.
Analytical Problem Solver: Proven capability to translate messy, disparate pipeline data into structured, actionable insights for senior executive presentation.
Change Management Champion: Excellent communication skills with a track record of driving cross-functional alignment, managing system rollouts, and training sales teams on process governance.
It would be a bonus if you also had
Prior experience operating in an enterprise SaaS or high-growth B2B technology environment.
Direct experience managing integrations, database merges, or system consolidation projects.
Familiarity with lead-routing software, conversational marketing tools, and account-based intelligence platforms.
Get in on all the awesome at Instructure!
We offer competitive, meaningful benefits in every country where we operate. While they vary by location, here’s a general idea of what you can expect:
Competitive compensation, plus all full-time employees participate in our ownership program – because everyone should have a stake in our success.
Flexible work culture. Our remote, hybrid and in-office collaboration spaces vary by role, team and location.
Generous time off, including local holidays and our annual “Dim the Lights” period in late December, when teams are encouraged to step back and recharge based on departmental needs.
Comprehensive wellness programs and mental health support
Learning and development resources, including professional development tools and tuition reimbursement, to support your growth
The technology and tools you need to do your best work
Motivosity employee recognition program
A culture rooted in inclusivity, support, and meaningful connection
We believe in hiring great people and treating them right. The more diverse we are, the better our ideas and outcomes.
Instructure is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We comply with applicable employment and anti-discrimination laws in every country where we operate.
All employees must pass a background check as part of the hiring process. To help protect our teams and systems, we’ve implemented identity verification measures. Candidates may be asked to verify their legal name, current physical location, and provide a valid contact number and residential address, in accordance with local data privacy laws.
Any attempt to misrepresent personal or professional information will result in disqualification.
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