Head of APAC Sales

Job description

ABOUT US Our mission is to reinvent the way people learn, starting with language. Learning a language can change a life by opening doors to new cultures, careers, and communities. Two billion people around the world are actively trying to learn a language, but the best way to learn (one-on-one tutoring) is hard to access at scale and hasn’t been meaningfully improved in decades. Speak is building a human-level, AI-powered tutor in your pocket: a conversation-first experience that lets learners actually speak, get instant feedback, and progress through carefully designed lessons. The result is a complete path from beginner to confident speaker across multiple languages. Speak first launched in South Korea in 2019, where Speak has now become the number one language learning app, and we now serve learners across many markets and 15+ languages. Speak is one of the world’s leading AI companies, with over $150m raised in venture investment from OpenAI, Accel, Founders Fund, Khosla Ventures, and more, with a distributed team across San Francisco, Seoul, Tokyo, Taipei, and Ljubljana. ABOUT THIS ROLE Speak is on a mission to transform language learning for enterprises and individuals around the globe. With a rapidly expanding B2B segment, we are seeking an Head of APAC Sales to drive exponential growth in our most dynamic & major region. This role will lead all APAC sales efforts - from new-logo acquisition among top-tier enterprises to expansion within our existing customer base - while also managing and mentoring local sales teams in South Korea, Japan, and Taiwan. You will partner closely with Marketing, Product, and CSM teams to ensure our offerings resonate across diverse APAC markets. WHAT YOU’LL BE DOING - Set & Execute Regional Sales Strategy: - Own the overall APAC go-to-market plan, aligning with global leadership to define regional priorities, revenue targets, and resource needs. - Lead High-Performing Sales Teams: - Manage and mentor local Sales team members (mainly Korea, Japan, and Taiwan, with room to grow into SEA, etc.) - Build upon a culture of accountability, clear communication, and high-velocity execution. - Drive New Logo Wins & Account Expansion: - Engage top enterprise prospects in key verticals, forging relationships with C-level stakeholders and decision-makers. - Partner with the CSM & Partner Operations teams to identify and pursue upsell/cross-sell opportunities, ensuring high renewal rates and long-term customer success. - Own Outbound & Inbound Sales Processes: - Build robust outbound motion to penetrate target accounts, fostering a “fearless” approach to lead generation. - Refine inbound qualification and closing strategies to achieve near 100% conversion on inbound leads. - Develop & Document Sales Playbooks: - Drive pitch decks, battle cards, and scripts; establish best practices for multi-market outreach, negotiation, and closing. - Continuously refine these playbooks based on data and feedback loops. - Collaborate Cross-Functionally: - Work hand-in-hand with Marketing to design local campaigns, webinars, and events that generate high-quality leads. - Provide market-specific feedback to Product, influencing roadmap priorities. - Partner with Finance/Operations for accurate forecasting and quota-setting. - Track & Communicate Progress: - Regularly report on pipeline, forecast accuracy, and key initiatives to senior leadership. - Document lessons learned and best practices to build a scalable regional sales engine. WHAT WE’RE LOOKING FOR - 10+ years of B2B Sales Experience, with 5+ years in leadership roles overseeing APAC or multi-country teams. - Proven Track Record in meeting/exceeding ARR targets in enterprise software, SaaS, L&D, or related tech sectors. - Strategic Thinker & Doer: You can craft high-level regional strategies but are equally comfortable rolling up your sleeves to close deals. - Team Builder & Coach: You’re skilled at hiring, developing, and motivating diverse, geographically distributed teams. - Operational & Data-Driven: Familiar with CRM best practices, pipeline management, forecasting, and sales enablement tools. - Customer-Focused Communicator: Adept at building senior-level relationships and navigating complex enterprise buying cycles. - Cross-Cultural Competence: Fluent in English; additional APAC languages (especially Korean or Japanese) highly valued. - High Adaptability: Thrive in a fast-paced startup environment, comfortable with ambiguity, and eager to create solutions where they don’t yet exist. WHY WORK AT SPEAK 1. Join a fantastic, tight-knit team at the right time: we're growing very quickly, we've most recently raised our Series C from some of the top investors in the valley, and we've achieved product-market fit in our initial markets. You'd join at a magical time when a single person could significantly change the course of the company. 2. Do your life's work with people you’ll love working with: we care strongly about our craft and want every person at Speak to feel like they're growing every day. We believe in the idea that working with people you both enjoy and have respect for makes everything better. We hire thoughtfully and only work with people we admire deeply. 3. Global in nature: We're live in over 40 countries and launching in a number of new markets soon. We have dedicated offices in San Francisco, Ljubljana, Seoul, Tokyo, and Taipei, and you’ll have the opportunity to talk to users in each of these regions on a regular basis as well as travel. 4. Impact people's lives in a major way: Learning a language is one of the single most life-changing skills one can learn, and right now 99% of people never achieve their goal because the process is broken. We’re helping millions of people achieve their goals and improve their lives. Speak does not discriminate based upon race, religion, color, national origin, gender (including pregnancy, childbirth, or related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, status as a protected veteran, status as an individual with a disability, or other applicable legally protected characteristics.