Newsela

Role Description As a School Sales Representative, you will be part of a national sales team and the face of Newsela out in the market. Reporting to the Manager of School Sales, you will be responsible for building relationships with key decision makers at the school level. You will sell Newsela’s suite of products to bring engaging reading content to schools in your territory. This is a fully remote role and an exciting opportunity to have an impact on student outcomes by bringing Newsela into even more classrooms! - Own your territory, manage the entire lifecycle of a sale, and build new business relationships that bring Newsela’s solution to classrooms. - Achieve revenue targets while collaborating with an enthusiastic, cross-functional team to catapult Newsela’s growth as we scale our national sales organization. - Uncover district needs through consultative conversations to have a direct impact on the expansion and adoption of Newsela products. - Stay current and well-versed in the territory’s funding, state initiatives, demographics, and K-12 education landscape to help inform the overall sales strategy. - Day-to-day responsibilities include prospecting, pipeline management, forecasting, and managing sales through the entire lifecycle. - Partner with SDRs, using their support to complement your own active, self-generated prospecting. - Collaborate within the Sales organization to inform strategy and processes that enhance overall sales performance. - Gather market insights and feedback to influence and drive future product enhancements. Qualifications - 1+ year of full-cycle SaaS sales experience (prospecting through closing) hitting or exceeding quotas required. - Experience in the K-12 EdTech space, and/or experience in the K-12 education space (e.g., as an administrator or educator) with an understanding of pedagogy a strong plus. - Proven track record of proactively generating pipeline through targeted prospecting (complementing SDR support) with consistent, self-directed outreach. - A strong communicator who can empathize with the unique challenges of our K-12 buyers, translating those insights into compelling value propositions. - Demonstrated expertise in seamlessly navigating multiple stakeholders to engineer the right solution for each customer. - Ability to support a high-volume pipeline and maintain a relationship-focused sales approach, with proven experience building and nurturing a book of business. - A self-starter who thrives in a fast-paced environment and can drive sales quickly to a close. - Utilize data insights and maintain meticulous CRM data hygiene to track cadences and ensure efficient pipeline management. - Open to travel as needed (note: travel typically for team offsite 1-2x/year pending business needs, or as required by territory coverage). - Experiencing using AI tools to drive greater efficiency and productivity. - Legally authorized to work in the US. Requirements - This position is classified as salaried non-exempt and is eligible for overtime in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. - All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check as part of our pre-employment process. Benefits - Comprehensive medical benefits with employer contribution to premiums and to HSA accounts. - Additional benefits such as gym reimbursement, pet insurance, free access to the Calm app, Rocket Lawyer and more to help you stay healthy: mind, body, and soul. - We are a fully remote company. We provide a monthly tech stipend to support your WFH needs! - Inclusive benefits to support you and your family, including parental leave, fertility support, adoption, and more! - Invest in your future with our 401(k) plan, which includes an employer match to help you build long-term financial security. - Flexible PTO, paid sick time off, company holidays plus winter break (Dec 24th - Jan 1st). - Newsela offers an annual learning and development allowance to employees to attend external training sessions, classes, workshops, conferences, and educational materials to foster professional growth. - No matter your role or department, the work you do each day helps share the future of education and improves the lives of students and teachers. Company Description Newsela is a leading education technology company dedicated to meaningful classroom learning for every student. We deliver integrated, AI-powered solutions designed to unlock student engagement, empower teachers, and drive meaningful learning outcomes. Our suite of products supports knowledge and skill development, writing practice, daily instruction, assessment, and data-informed decision-making across K–12 classrooms. Grounded in learning science research, Newsela’s solutions integrate content, assessment, and analytics to help educators track progress, understand student outcomes, and deliver high-impact instruction that supports every learner.

Role Description The Sales Development Representative (SDR) serves as the initial point of contact for prospective partners in the K-12 education space. This role specifically supports Every Day Labs (EDL) growth objectives by identifying, researching, and qualifying leads, serving as a critical pipeline builder for the EDL sales team. This is a fully remote role and an exciting opportunity to have an impact on student outcomes! This role does have a primary focus on accounts in Eastern and Central time zones. However, we are open to candidates based anywhere in the US who can work flexible hours to meet business and customer needs. What You'll Be Doing: - Drive high-volume outbound prospecting through strategic email cadences and targeted daily phone outreach to key school decision-makers, including administrators and instructional coaches. - Uncover and qualify district needs through consultative conversations, transitioning high-potential leads into qualified opportunities for the EDL Sales team. - Partner with a dedicated Account Executive (AE) to align on territory strategy, coordinate outreach, and book introductory meetings. - Collaborate within the Sales organization to inform strategy and processes that enhance overall sales performance. - Contribute to a highly supportive team environment, backed by robust sales training, enablement, marketing, and operations. - As the initial point of contact with prospects, represent the future of education by empowering districts to boost student attendance rates. - Gather market insights and feedback to influence and drive future product enhancements. - Review calls with the SDR team, share best practices, and iterate on outreach strategies, including crafting customized talk tracks. Qualifications - 3+ years in K-12 education (as a teacher, administrator, managing school attendance, SIS, and compliance, or similar roles) OR 1+ year of inside sales experience (K-12 EdTech inside sales experience highly preferred). - Firsthand experience navigating student data and attendance challenges, enabling you to guide high-level, credible conversations with school leaders highly preferred. - Ability to be a strategic thought partner to AEs, continuously researching and staying up-to-date on your region as a territory expert, tracking account activity, and managing thousands of school accounts across designated states. - Intellectually curious and eager to master EveryDay Labs' product, understanding how applied behavioral science drives family engagement. - Actively seek feedback and love refining your approach to get better every single day. - Utilize data insights and maintain meticulous CRM data hygiene to track cadences, prioritize active leads, and ensure efficient pipeline management. - Demonstrate a high intrinsic drive, excellent time management and organization, and a proactive approach to managing your daily responsibilities. - Leverage Salesforce.com experience and sales process training to tactfully manage a pipeline, meet and exceed team goals, and maintain meticulous CRM data hygiene. - Familiar with sales platforms such as Salesloft, Outreach.io, or Yesware. - A strong communicator who can empathize with the unique challenges of our K-12 buyers, translating those insights into compelling value propositions. - Able to establish clear value propositions that connect buyer/user needs to the product and services we offer. - Thrive in a fast-paced environment and use your creativity when partnering with team members to ensure flawless execution. - Experiencing using AI tools to drive greater efficiency and productivity. - Legally authorized to work in the US. Requirements - This position is classified as salaried non-exempt and is eligible for overtime in accordance with applicable state and federal laws. - All offers of employment are contingent upon the successful completion of a background check as part of our pre-employment process. Benefits - Comprehensive medical benefits with employer contribution to premiums and to HSA accounts. - Additional benefits such as gym reimbursement, pet insurance, free access to the Calm app, Rocket Lawyer and more to help you stay healthy: mind, body, and soul. - We are a fully remote company. We provide a monthly tech stipend to support your WFH needs! - Inclusive benefits to support you and your family, including parental leave, fertility support, adoption, and more! - Invest in your future with our 401(k) plan, which includes an employer match to help you build long-term financial security. - Flexible PTO, paid sick time off, company holidays plus winter break (Dec 24th - Jan 1st). - Newsela offers an annual learning and development allowance to employees to attend external training sessions, classes, workshops, conferences, and educational materials to foster professional growth within their current role and career aspirations at Newsela. - No matter your role or department, the work you do each day helps share the future of education and improves the lives of students and teachers. Company Description Newsela is a leading education technology company dedicated to meaningful classroom learning for every student. We deliver integrated, AI-powered solutions designed to unlock student engagement, empower teachers, and drive meaningful learning outcomes. Our suite of products supports knowledge and skill development, writing practice, daily instruction, assessment, and data-informed decision-making across K–12 classrooms. Grounded in learning science research, Newsela’s solutions integrate content, assessment, and analytics to help educators track progress, understand student outcomes, and deliver high-impact instruction that supports every learner. Compensation Breakdown: - Base compensation: $55,000 - On-Target Commission (OTC): $25,000 - On-Target Earnings (OTE): $80,000 Final compensation will be determined based on the candidate’s individual skills, qualifications, and experience. Total compensation for this role also includes incentive stock options and benefits. This role will also be eligible for variable compensation. On-Target Earnings (OTE) Range: $80,000 — $80,000 USD

• Support in the design of ELD scopes and sequences (initially for secondary grades), including the selection and vetting of grade-appropriate texts that align to language and content objectives across listening, speaking, reading, and writing. • Directly write, design, and structure prototype lessons, student-facing activities, and ancillary materials that model rigorous, scaffolded instruction for multilingual learners based on established instructional frameworks and product specifications. • Develop clear formative and summative assessment items and rubrics that meaningfully measure language growth and content mastery against state-specific ELD standards and learning outcomes. • Build embedded scaffolds and differentiation—graphic organizers, sentence frames, leveled vocabulary, and translanguaging supports—so complex, high-interest content is accessible across English proficiency levels. • Support the design and iterative refinement of AI prompts that support key stages of lesson design and production, translating instructional blueprints into specifications that help us produce consistent, high-quality D-ELD content at scale. • Review lessons, providing focused editorial and pedagogical feedback grounded in Newsela guidelines and ELD best practices to ensure accuracy, fidelity to the curriculum model, and student engagement. • Support manager in developing and maintaining the rubrics, quality checklists, and naming conventions that guide contributors and AI tools, ensuring repeatability and consistency across grade levels and units. • Maintain knowledge about and act as an internal authority on state and national English Language Development standards and frameworks (e.g., California ELD Standards / ELPAC, WIDA, ELPS), ensuring all content adheres to the relevant standards across the grade-level continuum. • Apply the latest evidence-based principles of second language acquisition, biliteracy, and the Science of Reading for multilingual learners to the design of every lesson, activity, and assessment. • Ensure materials uphold the goal of grade-level access, pairing high expectations with the right language scaffolds rather than diluting rigor. • Collaborate closely with the core ELA team to integrate ELD supports into standards-aligned ELA content (prototypes, AI prompts, and pilot-unit review), applying your MLL lens to ELA lessons, texts, and assessments so they work for multilingual learners—and with product and technology teams on content digitization and platform experience. • Act as a grade-level lead and subject-matter point of contact for external contributors, fielding questions and resolving content and alignment issues across workstreams. • Prioritize and re-prioritize in line with business needs, delivering work on time and to Newsela’s standards of quality, and communicating progress and blockers proactively.

• Serve as the grade-level lead and subject-matter point of contact for your assigned grade. • Own the resolution of content and alignment issues across workstreams. • Take accountability for ensuring that lessons, texts, and assessments at your grade level form a coherent arc. • Hold final grade-level responsibility for verifying that all materials align to the relevant state ELA standards and frameworks. • Support the development of grade-level scopes and sequences. • Support the development of teacher-facing and student-facing lessons and other materials that model rigorous, scaffolded, standards-aligned instruction. • Draft and refine formative and summative assessment items, rubrics, and performance tasks. • Build embedded scaffolds and differentiation—graphic organizers, sentence frames, leveled vocabulary supports. • Own the review of contributor- and AI-generated lessons, activities, and assessments at your grade. • Support the iterative refinement of AI prompts and specifications that power stages of lesson design and production. • Collaborate closely with senior designers, lesson and assessment writers, ELD specialists, and product and technology teams to integrate feedback.

• Own assessment content strategy and roadmap in partnership with the Director, Assessment and Analytics Portfolio and the A&A Product Manager. • Drive execution of the assessment content roadmap; translate quarterly production plans into team assignments, milestones, and vendor scopes. • Ensure content gaps are identified and closed across all subject areas, including academic content areas (ELA, Math, Science, and Social Studies) and non-academic content areas (Social Skills, School Climate); prioritize across domains based on roadmap and customer needs. • Monitor state and national standard changes across all content domains; ensure Content Leads are maintaining current mappings and escalate cross-domain risks proactively. • Manage Assessment Content Designers and Content Contributors — set direction, coach for growth, run regular 1:1s and performance reviews, and develop the bench. • Scope, plan, and manage large-scale projects with Content Designers, freelance contributors, and third-party vendors to meet aggressive production targets. • Own the contributor and vendor quality framework across all content domains; conduct calibration sessions and performance reviews directly where no Content Lead is in place. • Drive operational excellence by creating clear, repeatable processes and championing the tooling needs of the team. • Unify content processes and ensure consistency with other Newsela assessment designers and teams (e.g., editorial style, metadata tagging, accessibility standards). • Collaborate with Product and Engineering to train AI models for content generation and to evaluate AI-assisted authoring tools and outputs. • Partner with Product, Engineering, Marketing and Customer-facing teams as needed on content tooling, customer questions, and go-to-market readiness. • Other duties as assigned.

• Ship full-stack features with measurable product impact. • Provide substantive code review and architectural feedback. • Respond to production issues: triage, root cause analysis, recommendations. • Improve engineering practices: tooling, workflows, documentation. • Translate product requirements into technical approaches and communicate reasoning.

• Define and evolve Newsela's creative vision and visual identity across Newsela's portfolio of brands, ensuring a cohesive, differentiated, and high-impact customer experience. • Translate business priorities, audience insights, and brand strategy into compelling creative direction across marketing campaigns, product launches, and corporate initiatives. • Develop and evolve scalable visual systems, design frameworks, and brand standards that enable consistency while allowing each brand to maintain its unique identity. • Lead ongoing brand governance by reviewing and elevating creative assets across brands to ensure consistency, quality, accessibility, and alignment with Newsela's brand standards. • Establish and uphold creative standards that drive excellence across digital, print, motion, web, and campaign creative. • Serve as the final creative authority for high-impact campaigns, executive communications, and major brand initiatives. • Partner with Marketing leadership to align creative priorities and investments with business objectives and measurable business outcomes. • Lead the creative vision and execution for Newsela's highest-priority marketing campaigns, digital platforms, corporate initiatives, and executive communications. • Provide hands-on creative leadership for select initiatives while establishing the quality standards and creative direction that guide all work across the portfolio. • Partner cross-functionally to deliver integrated creative solutions that advance business objectives and strengthen customer engagement. • Serve as the creative lead throughout the lifecycle of strategic initiatives, ensuring exceptional quality, consistency, and business impact. • Establish the operating model that enables the Creative function to scale, ensuring the team delivers exceptional work with speed, consistency, and efficiency. • Establish and continuously optimize the creative operating model, including intake, prioritization, resource planning, production timelines, and quality standards. • Develop scalable workflows, governance, and creative review processes that improve collaboration across Marketing and cross-functional partners. • Balance internal team capacity with external agency and contractor resources to meet evolving business needs. • Identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency while maintaining a high bar for creative excellence. • Partner with Marketing leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to shape creative strategy and campaign direction from concept through execution. • Serve as a trusted advisor to executive leadership on brand positioning, visual storytelling, customer experience, and creative strategy. • Influence creative priorities and investments by aligning recommendations with business objectives, customer insights, and marketing goals. • Build, manage, and optimize relationships with external agencies, freelancers, and creative partners to expand the team's capabilities. • Establish clear creative briefs, quality standards, and performance expectations for external partners, ensuring work consistently reflects Newsela's brand and creative vision. • Evaluate agency performance, resource allocation, and external partnerships to ensure high-quality delivery, operational efficiency, and scalability.

• Maintain and update Airtable production trackers for all video projects (status, assignments, delivery dates, feedback cycles). • Track progress across writing, design, illustration, animation, audio, and post-production phases. • Manage daily and weekly status reports, flagging risks, blockers, and deadlines. • Schedule internal and external production syncs, reviews, talent VO records and feedback sessions as needed. • Maintain Slack channel communication for projects updated and organized. • Organize and version-control all project assets (scripts, storyboards, illustrations, animation files, VO, music, exports) across Google Drive / Frame.io. • Ensure naming conventions and folder structures are followed consistently across the team. • Coordinate delivery of final assets to appropriate internal and external stakeholders. • Serve as the day-to-day point of contact for freelance animators, illustrators, and audio engineers. • Collect invoices, contracts, and W-9s; route them through Newsela’s vendor process. • Track freelancer assignments, deliverables, and availability. • Support onboarding of new contractors into workflows and toolkits. • Help document and refine production processes for animation and multimedia projects. • Support implementation of new workflow tools or integrations (e.g., AI-assisted asset tagging, Airtable automations).

• Work collaboratively across different functions to comprehend the deal standards, structure, business terms, and identification of potential risks and/or opportunities that can affect performance, growth, and strategic positioning. • Gather and provide input as to the critical information to move the deal forward, such as the summary of discussions, decisions made, and assigned actions to be completed during Deal Desk Committee meetings. • Act as a subject matter expert on policies, approval frameworks, contract constructs, and revenue implications, providing support to Sales and cross-functional stakeholders. • Influence cross-functional stakeholders and drive resolution of complex deal issues, serving as an escalation point for high-impact opportunities. • Manage collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders, including Contracts/Legal, Revenue Accounting, Sales and Finance to review or address revenue recognition concerns for non-standard deal structures. • Provide post-execution support, helping resolve issues between Sales, Revenue Accounting, and Order Management teams. • Become a valued advisor to Sales on deals by providing guidance on best practices for deal management and contract structuring and drive deal closure by being approachable and providing direct support. • Identify recurring issues, bottlenecks, and quality gaps in deal execution. Recommend process improvements and opportunities for automation. • Be creative and solutions-oriented. You will be empowered to find solutions to non-standard opportunities that still align with business rules. • Develop an in-depth understanding of Sales process and Salesforce platform to help identify opportunities to improve key sales metrics and overall process gaps.

• Work collaboratively across different functions to comprehend the deal standards, structure, business terms, and identification of potential risks and/or opportunities that can affect performance, growth, and strategic positioning. • Gather and provide input as to the critical information to move the deal forward, such as the summary of discussions, decisions made, and assigned actions to be completed during Deal Desk Committee meetings. • Act as a subject matter expert on policies, approval frameworks, contract constructs, and revenue implications, providing support to Sales and cross-functional stakeholders. • Influence cross-functional stakeholders and drive resolution of complex deal issues, serving as an escalation point for high-impact opportunities. • Manage collaboration with cross-functional stakeholders, including Contracts/Legal, Revenue Accounting, Sales and Finance to review or address revenue recognition concerns for non-standard deal structures. • Provide post-execution support, helping resolve issues between Sales, Revenue Accounting, and Order Management teams. • Become a valued advisor to Sales on deals by providing guidance on best practices for deal management and contract structuring and drive deal closure by being approachable and providing direct support. • Identify recurring issues, bottlenecks, and quality gaps in deal execution. Recommend process improvements and opportunities for automation. • Be creative and solutions-oriented. You will be empowered to find solutions to non-standard opportunities that still align with business rules. • Develop an in-depth understanding of Sales process and Salesforce platform to help identify opportunities to improve key sales metrics and overall process gaps.