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Job Description
The Director, SLED Sales is responsible for leading the strategy, execution, and performance of the State, Local Government, and Education (SLED) sales segment. This leader will drive growth across publicly funded accounts, including state agencies, local governments, municipalities, K-12 school districts, higher education institutions, and other eligible public-sector organizations. The role is accountable for acquiring new customers, expanding existing relationships, building high-performing sales teams, and aligning cross-functional resources to deliver differentiated solutions and exceptional customer outcomes. SLED at Uniti is focused on growth within the publicly funded space that includes government entities, K-12 education, and more.
The Director, SLED Sales will serve as a key sales leader and market advocate, helping shape go-to-market plans, strengthen brand presence in the vertical, and ensure the organization is positioned to win in a complex, compliance-driven environment. This role supports the broader SLED mission to grow share of spend within key customers while capturing new opportunities across the vertical.
Key Responsibilities
Build, coach, and develop a high-performing team of sellers focused on the SLED segment.
Lead the overall SLED sales strategy across assigned markets and territories to achieve revenue, margin, and customer growth objectives.
Drive new logo acquisition, pipeline development, and expansion within existing SLED accounts.
Develop and execute vertical-specific sales plans for state government, local government, K-12, higher education, and other public-sector entities.
Oversee forecasting, performance management, territory planning, and sales execution discipline.
Drive adoption of sales processes, CRM hygiene, pipeline management, and operational best practices.
Establish strong executive-level customer relationships and serve as a trusted advisor to key decision-makers.
Partner with Sales Engineering, Operations, Marketing, Product, and Service Delivery to deliver customer-centric solutions and improve win rates.
Support strategic partnerships, associations, and industry engagement efforts that increase visibility and opportunity creation within the SLED market.
Ensure the team understands public-sector buying cycles, bid processes, funding mechanisms, and compliance requirements.
Foster a culture aligned to our company values: Customer Obsessed, Stronger Together, Make it Happen, and Operate Openly.
Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, communications, or related field; equivalent experience may be considered.
8–12+ years of progressive B2B sales leadership experience, preferably in telecommunications, technology, fiber, network services, cloud, or managed solutions.
5+ years of leadership experience managing sales teams with accountability for revenue growth and performance.
Demonstrated experience selling into state, local government, and education customers.
Strong knowledge of public-sector procurement processes, RFP/RFQ response strategy, contract vehicles, funding cycles, and compliance expectations.
Proven ability to lead geographically dispersed teams and drive consistent sales execution across multiple markets.
Experience building strategic account plans and developing executive customer relationships.
Strong financial and business acumen, including forecasting, pipeline analysis, and margin-focused decision-making.
Excellent communication, presentation, negotiation, and coaching skills.
Proficiency with CRM platforms, reporting tools, and sales analytics.
Preferred Qualifications
Experience in fiber, connectivity, UCaaS, SD-WAN, security, cloud, managed services, or related enterprise technology solutions.
Existing relationships within SLED organizations, associations, or procurement communities.
Experience leading verticalized or segment-based sales teams.
Familiarity with telecom regulatory and public funding environments.
Core Competencies
Strategic leadership
Public-sector sales expertise
Team development and coaching
Executive presence
Cross-functional collaboration
Pipeline and forecast management
Negotiation and deal strategy
Customer-centric problem solving
Operational discipline
Change leadership
Success Measures
Revenue growth within the SLED segment
New customer acquisition and market penetration
Expansion of wallet share within existing SLED accounts
Pipeline health and forecast accuracy
Team productivity, engagement, and talent development
Customer satisfaction and retention
Increased visibility and credibility in the SLED market
Work Environment / Travel
Ability to travel within assigned markets as needed for customer meetings, team leadership, and industry events.
May require attendance at regional or national public-sector conferences, association events, and internal sales leadership meetings.
