About the job

Innovation Services Sales Lead

Salary: £40,000 - £45,000 plus bonus

Diversity

We're an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to building a diverse workforce and fostering an inclusive environment, where everyone can thrive and be their authentic selves at work. We recognise that the climate crisis intersects with social and inclusion issues, and we're particularly eager to receive applications from individuals who bring diverse perspectives, including people of colour, the LGBTQ+ community, people with disabilities, neurodivergent individuals, parents, carers, and those from lower socio-economic backgrounds. We also value different experiences and encourage applicants whose backgrounds may not exactly match the criteria in the job description to apply.

About The Role

We're seeking a results-driven sales lead, to join our fast-paced Commercial team. You'll play a pivotal role, connecting our climate-tech entrepreneur customers to our innovation and growth solutions - including R&D Tax credits, grant writing, and brand & design services. This is a unique opportunity, where you'll be using your consultative sales talents, to help our startups address their most pressing innovation needs. In this new role, your priorities will be to:

Drive revenue growth through proactive outbound sales, building a robust pipeline, and closing deals
Leverage your knowledge of the UK's funding landscape to consult with entrepreneurs, position our innovation services as solutions to their challenges, and negotiate impactful partnerships

Our vibrant workspaces are also the heart of our ecosystem, hosting many events and fostering spontaneous collaboration. This means you'll have daily, direct, on-site access to customers, helping you to build strong relationships and greater understanding of their unique needs and challenges. This is a target-driven role that demands initiative, collaboration, and the ability to adapt quickly to change. You'll work closely with internal teams to ensure smooth deal flow, from first contact to closing.

Your key responsibilities

End-to-end deal management - from initial outreach to deal closure
Scout startups by attending and networking at industry events
Consultative sales - understand customer needs and scope tailored solutions
Run innovation roadmap planning sessions with startups, referring them to relevant internal teams and trusted suppliers, including professional services partners
Oversee lead and dealflow via Pipedrive CRM
Prepare proposals, manage contracts, and lead negotiations to deal closure
Build and maintain strong, lasting relationships with startups, fostering trust and positioning the company as a long term innovation partner
Collaborate with our wider internal teams, to deliver high-quality growth solutions to clients.

Requirements

We expect you to have

3+ years' B2B sales experience, ideally within professional services
Proven track record of achieving sales targets
Exceptional communication and negotiation skills
Confidence in consultative selling
Ability to thrive under pressure in a fast-paced, ambiguous environment

Desirable

Experience of working in climate or sustainability-related sectors
Founder experience, especially those who have successfully raised funding
Higher education in business, innovation, or related fields

Benefits

Remuneration: £40,000 - £45,000 per annum plus bonus
Based: London, with travel across the South East and to our Cambridge office
Hours: Full-time, 40 hours per week - hybrid working (with 3 days in the workspace/office)

Additional details

25 days Holiday + Bank Hols
Monthly Wellness Day (time to rest & recharge)
Paid Sick Leave + Private Health Insurance Scheme
Enhanced Pension Scheme
Cycle to Work Schemes + Octopus EV Lease Scheme

As you grow with us, you can access additional benefits, including enhanced maternity, paternity, and adoption leave & pay from 2 years' service).

Recruitment process

30 min phone screening interview
Two-stage, in-person interview, in-person exercise that aligns with the work that you will be delivering

About Sustainable Ventures

We're Europe's largest ecosystem of climate tech startups. Following our recent expansion of our Central London headquarters, we're focused on our mission to develop 1000 new businesses by 2025, and expand our operations across UK regions. Our impact on the planet's climate and its natural resources is being felt more often and by more people than ever before. It is clear that significant changes must be made to achieve the targets set by the IPCC and reach Net Zero by 2050. This presents the world's biggest challenge and it is something that SV has been addressing since 2011. We believe in the power of commercial innovation to address the twin challenges of climate change and resource scarcity.

Innovation Services Sales Lead (London)