SMB Sales Manager at TestGorilla – €151k OTE + SARs in Columbus
Career & Market Insight
This role is a strong opportunity for an experienced SMB sales leader ready to step into a high-accountability, high-visibility position at a fast-growing HR tech SaaS company. TestGorilla is mission-driven with clear product-market traction, signaling a growth-stage company that still rewards individual impact.
Compensation benchmark: An OTE of €120,000–€151,000 on a 50/50 split (€60k–€75.5k base) is competitive for a European-market remote SMB Sales Manager role, though slightly below top-quartile US-market benchmarks for comparable roles ($150k–$200k OTE). The inclusion of SARs adds meaningful upside if the company exits or grows significantly.
Skills this role builds:
- Advanced pipeline management and forecasting using Gong and HubSpot — two of the most in-demand sales tools in the market.
- AI-augmented sales leadership (Claude, n8n) — a differentiating skill set as AI adoption accelerates across revenue teams.
- Playbook development and rep coaching frameworks — highly transferable to Director/VP Sales roles.
Green flags: Async-first culture, genuine coaching emphasis, L&D budget, SARs, and unlimited PTO signal a mature remote-first operator. The player-coach framing is authentic — this isn't a bureaucratic management role.
Red flags to watch: The 50/50 base/variable split is aggressive — half your comp depends on quota attainment. Ensure you get clarity on quota-setting methodology and historical attainment rates during the interview process. Also confirm which countries are eligible before investing significant time in the hiring process.
For someone with 3–5 years of SMB SaaS sales management experience, this is a strong résumé-building role with a clear path toward a Senior Manager or VP Sales position.
Headquarters: Fully remote
URL: https://www.testgorilla.com/
We're looking for a hands-on Sales Manager to lead a dynamic team of 6–8 SMB Account Executives, who own the full sales cycle from the initial outreach to close. You'll own the SMB number and build a high-performance culture where the best sellers thrive.
This is a true player-coach role: the antithesis of a hands-off, dashboard-only manager job. You'll be on calls with your team every day, jumping in to help them close, modelling the behaviours and standards you expect, and turning every deal into a coaching moment. When a deal is stuck, you get on the call. When a rep is struggling with a stage, you show them how it's done. You don't wait for things to go wrong — you're out ahead of it, making your team and the company better.
You'll use Gong and HubSpot deeply to inspect pipeline, coach reps, and continuously raise the bar. If you love being in the trenches with reps, getting on live calls, and showing people exactly how to close, this role is for you.
Responsibilities
Lead a global team of 6–8 SMB Account Executives, owning their ramp, performance, career growth, and creating a team culture people want to be part of and recommend to others.
Carry the team SMB quota, owning forecasting, pipeline health, and weekly, monthly, and quarterly results, using HubSpot deeply for pipeline inspection, sequence performance, and reporting.
Run high-impact 1:1s, deal reviews, and pipeline reviews focused on specific behaviors, using Gong daily to identify coaching opportunities, codify what great looks like, and accelerate ramp.
Be on a high volume of live sales calls every week, joining discoveries, demos, and negotiations to support reps, model best practices, and step in to close when it matters.
Think and deliver in an AI-first way, using tools like Claude and n8n to reduce admin, improve rep performance, and help the team adopt AI effectively.
Build, maintain, and continuously improve the SMB sales playbook, including discovery frameworks, demo structure, objection handling, and closing motions.
Partner with VP Sales, Marketing, GTM Operations, and Customer Success to drive consistent SMB pipeline and customer outcomes, train the team, and surface front-line insights back to Product and Leadership.
What You'll Bring
Passion for TestGorilla's mission to help one billion people find their dream jobs.
Strong written and verbal communication skills in English.
Thrives in a non-corporate, async-first, remote environment.
Experience managing SMB SaaS sales teams with a clear track record of hitting and exceeding quota, and a background as a top-performing closer before moving into management.
A genuine player-coach mindset: you actively want to be on live calls, jump into deals, and demonstrate how to close.
Operates in a high-accountability environment: holding high standards for themselves and their team.
Deep, hands-on proficiency with Gong and HubSpot, including pipeline management, forecasting, deal stage discipline, call coaching, and reporting.
Strong coaching skills and a repeatable framework for developing reps with radical candor, plus experience hiring and ramping SMB closers in a high-velocity environment.
Very comfortable using AI tools, including Claude and n8n, and keen to help the team adopt them effectively.
While we hire for skills over specific years of experience, we would generally expect that someone with the above skills has 3–5 years of Sales management experience. This is not a first-time manager role.
We seek diversity and encourage applications from everyone. Studies show that women and underrepresented groups can be hesitant to apply unless they meet every requirement. If you're interested in this role but your experience doesn't perfectly match the description, please still apply.
Bonus Skills
While not required, we'd be very interested to hear from you if you have experience in:
Selling and managing teams in HR tech, ATS, recruitment, talent assessment, or recruiting software.
Leading SMB teams in a product-led, PLG-influenced, or self-serve-to-sales motion.
What's in It for You?
Please note: Some specifics, particularly around leave, may vary depending on your country of residence. This will be discussed during the hiring process.
Global Team: Join a fully remote, mission-driven team from around the world.
Competitive Compensation: Total OTE of €120,000–€151,000 on a 50/50 base/variable split, plus Share Appreciation Rights (SARs).
Remote & Flexible Work: Work from almost anywhere*. Enjoy flexible hours and asynchronous work to balance work and life.
*Check out the countries we currently hire from here.Remote Work Budget: €1,000 available each year, or up to €2,000 from day 1 if you're buying a laptop.
Growth & Development: Invest in yourself and your career with a 3.5% L&D budget and clear growth opportunities.
Parent/Caregiver Support: A caregiver-friendly work environment with paid 8–16 week parental leave and tailored return-to-work approaches.
Work-Life Balance: An unlimited and flexible time off policy empowers you to take the time you need to recharge and maintain your well-being.
To apply: https://weworkremotely.com/remote-jobs/testgorilla-manager-smb-sales
Frequently Asked Questions
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