General Manager, SMB

Job description

**This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a General Manager, SMB based in Canada.** The General Manager, SMB will lead the strategy, growth, and profitability of a high-volume small and medium-sized business operation in a remote, fast-paced commercial environment. With full responsibility for profit and loss (P&L) and budget management, this leader will shape business priorities, allocate resources, and drive sustainable financial performance. The role combines new-client acquisition, account management, outbound sales development, targeted marketing, and strategic partnerships to expand market reach and strengthen customer relationships. The successful candidate will build a high-performing sales organization, coach managers and sellers, and establish rigorous performance management practices. Using data-driven insights and commercial judgment, they will identify opportunities to improve conversion, retention, client expansion, and operational efficiency. This is a hands-on leadership position for an experienced commercial executive who can balance strategic planning with direct involvement in customer interactions and day-to-day execution. ### Accountabilities - Define and execute business strategy: Establish the SMB growth strategy by identifying priority customer needs, high-potential offerings, and effective sales approaches. Develop a business plan with clear financial targets, strategic priorities, and investment decisions while strengthening existing revenue streams and creating new opportunities. - Own financial performance: Maintain full accountability for P&L, budgeting, revenue, profitability, and spending. Evaluate how pricing, conversion, retention, service mix, customer acquisition costs, and delivery costs influence business results, and adjust resource allocation to address performance gaps. - Optimize the sales funnel: Improve the journey from initial customer contact to first engagement by establishing standards for response times, discovery, qualification, and closing. Analyze lost opportunities, identify bottlenecks, and ensure sales representatives maintain ownership throughout the buying process. - Drive customer acquisition and retention: Build an effective account management strategy that aligns customer attention with business needs and growth potential. Encourage proactive discussions about upcoming projects, engagement outcomes, and additional services while addressing customer concerns and reducing churn. - Develop outbound sales and targeted marketing: Expand outbound sales into a repeatable revenue channel. Collaborate with Marketing, Sales Development, and industry teams to identify target accounts, develop relevant propositions, coordinate campaigns, and evaluate performance through conversion rates, revenue, and acquisition economics. - Build a productive partnership ecosystem: Identify and recruit strategic partners capable of generating qualified leads and new revenue. Develop joint business plans, clarify opportunity ownership, and establish referral, co-selling, or resale initiatives that demonstrate profitable growth potential. - Expand adoption of services and AI-based solutions: Help sales teams identify broader customer needs beyond individual talent requests. Partner with service leaders and subject matter experts to develop relevant solutions, strengthen sales capabilities, and increase adoption of complementary offerings. - Build and lead a high-performing organization: Recruit strong managers and sales professionals, establish clear expectations, and implement consistent daily and weekly performance reviews. Coach leaders on sales quality, productivity, and conversion, recognize strong performance, address underperformance, and develop future leadership talent. - Align staffing and operational capacity: Plan team capacity and account coverage based on demand, active opportunities, response expectations, and customer requirements. Coordinate with Operations, Matching, and Delivery teams to ensure smooth transitions and a consistent customer experience. - Establish data-driven management practices: Create reliable reporting and forecasting for customer acquisition, engagement starts, retention, expansion, seller productivity, and financial performance. Use clear baselines to assess initiatives, distinguish sustained improvements from temporary fluctuations, and leverage technology and AI to strengthen execution. - Deliver a structured leadership ramp-up: During the first week, learn the business model, sales process, and customer value proposition while reviewing performance and meeting key teams. Within the first month, assess growth opportunities, leadership effectiveness, and investment priorities, then present a proposed business plan. By three months, execute the agreed plan and launch initial improvements and campaigns. Within six months, demonstrate measurable progress in revenue, profitability, conversion, and retention. Within the first year, deliver against financial objectives and establish outbound sales and partnerships as measurable growth channels. ### Requirements: - Education: A bachelor's degree is required. An MBA or a master's degree in engineering, computer science, physics, or mathematics is preferred. - Commercial leadership experience: At least 12 years of B2B commercial experience, including SaaS or services sales, with a demonstrated record of scaling high-volume sales operations serving small and medium-sized businesses. - People management: At least 5 years of experience leading sales and account management teams, including managing managers, building effective teams, coaching for measurable improvement, addressing underperformance, and developing future leaders. - Acquisition and account management expertise: Proven success leading both new-customer acquisition and existing-account management, with measurable improvements in conversion, retention, and customer expansion. - Financial and commercial accountability: Demonstrated ownership of business results and resource allocation, with the ability to explain how decisions involving pricing, staffing, investment, and account coverage affect revenue and profitability. - Outbound sales and marketing: Experience developing outbound sales operations and collaborating with Marketing and Sales Development teams to deliver targeted campaigns that generate measurable commercial results. - Partnership development: A track record of establishing commercial partnerships and converting partner relationships into qualified opportunities and revenue. - Analytical and strategic judgment: Ability to diagnose performance issues across the sales funnel, test potential causes, interpret business data, and determine whether operational changes have delivered meaningful improvements. - Operational execution: Experience improving high-volume commercial operations while introducing new offerings, sales strategies, or processes without compromising day-to-day execution. - Technology and AI fluency: Sufficient understanding of technology, AI-enabled solutions, and services delivery to evaluate commercial opportunities, understand customer priorities, and identify when specialist expertise is needed. - Communication and influence: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to prepare persuasive proposals and presentations, explain business strategy, justify investment decisions, and provide clear direction to teams. - Adaptability and pace: Ability to thrive in a fast-growing, dynamic environment while managing competing priorities, demanding deadlines, and relationships with diverse stakeholders. - Hands-on leadership: Willingness to contribute directly to commercial execution, customer conversations, and problem-solving rather than relying exclusively on delegation. - Travel flexibility: Willingness to travel regularly or periodically to meet customers and clients, both within and outside the candidate's geographic location. - Language requirement: Resumes and professional communication must be submitted in English. - Work authorization: Candidates must be able to work in Canada without visa sponsorship or assistance from the employer. ### Benefits: - Remote work: The position is fully remote in Canada. - Full-time employment: A full-time leadership opportunity with responsibility for business strategy, financial performance, and organizational growth. - Strategic ownership: Full P&L and budget authority, including the opportunity to shape investments, build teams, and influence long-term business direction. - Leadership development: The opportunity to recruit and develop managers, strengthen sales capabilities, and build a high-performing commercial organization. - Growth and innovation: The ability to develop new sales channels, activate partnerships, and expand the adoption of services and AI-based solutions. - Compensation: Salary range and specific details about healthcare, retirement plans, paid time off, equity, and other benefits were not provided in the supplied job description. - Travel: Periodic or regular travel may be required to engage with customers and clients.