Account Executive, East

About the role

Newsela is a technology company that provides instructional content tools for K-12 classrooms across the United States, helping teachers differentiate instruction for students at every reading level. The Account Executive, East is responsible for driving new business within the eastern region of the country by building relationships with school district decision-makers. This person will manage the full sales cycle independently, from initial prospecting and outreach through contract negotiation and signing. The role reports to the East region sales leadership and contributes directly to the company's annual revenue targets, working closely with a team of dedicated sales professionals across multiple states.

Key facts

What you'll do

Identify and pursue new school district and district-level contacts throughout the eastern United States

Develop and execute a personal territory plan aligned with Newsela's annual revenue objectives

Conduct product demonstrations and presentations for administrators, teachers, and curriculum specialists

Manage a pipeline of prospective accounts using the company's customer relationship management platform

Collaborate with the marketing team to generate qualified leads and attend regional events

Negotiate pricing and contract terms to close new customer agreements

Partner with customer success colleagues to ensure a smooth onboarding experience for new accounts

Attend regular pipeline reviews and provide accurate forecasting to regional sales leadership

Participate in team meetings and share best practices with fellow Account Executives across regions

Research target accounts and stay informed about education policy trends affecting school purchasing decisions

Work closely with the sales operations team to ensure accurate data entry and timely updates to the pipeline

Monitor industry trends and competitor activity to identify new opportunities for growth within the eastern territory

Requirements

Demonstrated history of successfully selling SaaS or instructional technology products to K-12 school districts and educational institutions

Experience managing a complete sales cycle independently, from initial prospecting through negotiation to closed deal

Strong verbal and written communication skills with the ability to present to both technical and non-technical audiences

Comfortable working in a remote environment with strong self-discipline, organization, and time management habits

A bachelor's degree or equivalent practical experience in a business, education, or related field is required

Willingness to travel occasionally for regional conferences, trade shows, and in-person customer meetings throughout the year

Ability to work collaboratively with cross-functional teams including marketing, product, and customer success departments

Track record of achieving or exceeding quarterly and annual sales quotas in a competitive environment

Nice to have

Prior experience with education technology sales or familiarity with the K-12 market landscape

Existing relationships with school district decision-makers in the eastern United States

Knowledge of Newsela's product suite and how it fits into classroom instruction

Experience using sales engagement platforms and CRM systems such as Salesforce or HubSpot for pipeline management

Understanding of how educational content aligns with state curriculum standards and assessment requirements

Skills & tools

Proficiency with customer relationship management software for pipeline tracking and account management

Familiarity with sales engagement platforms for email outreach and call scheduling

Comfortable using video conferencing and presentation tools for remote product demonstrations

Ability to navigate web-based portals and cloud-based collaboration applications on a daily basis

Experience with data analysis to review pipeline metrics and territory performance

Basic competence with spreadsheet and document editing tools for creating reports, proposals, and sales presentations

Comfort with CRM data entry and maintaining up-to-date account records and contact information

Practical notes

This is a fully remote position based in the United States, with no requirement to work from a specific office

The role operates on Eastern Time zone hours to align with the regional territory and team coordination

Newsela is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes applicants from diverse backgrounds and experiences

Candidates should expect a structured onboarding process and ongoing training on the company's product and sales methodology

The position offers the flexibility of remote work while maintaining close collaboration with a distributed sales team spread across multiple time zones

Newsela provides a competitive benefits package and ongoing professional development opportunities for all team members

All sales tools, training materials, and onboarding resources are provided to support success in the role from day one