Account Executive

You've sold on the phone or on video, you've hit your target, and you like a commission plan that keeps climbing once you're past it. You'd also like your leads to come to you, from people who've already put their hand up.

You'd join our apprenticeship sales team in Cape Town, taking people from their first call with us through to a signed deal with their employer.

What you'd do

We're a UK training provider in data and AI. Most of our sales are UK apprenticeships, which are government-backed training for people already in a job. All of our leads are inbound. Someone sees one of our ads, applies and books a call, so you aren't cold calling.

Your first conversation is with one person, about what they want to do with their career and whether this is right for them. That part feels like B2C. But their employer has to sign. Their manager needs to agree to it, HR and sometimes L&D get involved, there's a contract with the company, and there's a funding conversation about who pays what. So you start with one person and end up running a small B2B deal, helping them make the case at work and joining the call with their manager when that helps. We call it B2C2B. You don't need to have done it before, and we'd train you on the programmes and the funding. Selling commercial training direct to companies is a separate job here, and this role doesn't cover it.

Your week

• Calling new leads quickly, while they still remember why they applied.
• Having the first proper call with each applicant, to find out what they want and whether the programme fits them and the job they're in.
• Working out with them how to approach their manager, and giving them what they need to make the case.
• Joining calls with managers, HR and L&D teams, and following up until there's a yes or a no.
• Getting the paperwork through with the employer so they start on time.
• Keeping the CRM up to date, so nobody on the team has to guess where a deal is.
• Getting coaching on your recorded calls from your manager.

You'd work UK business hours, which are daytime in Cape Town. We're a startup, so there'll be other things to pick up as we grow, and we'd expect you to help where it's needed.

Why you'd want it

The leads come to you and the commission has no cap. The further past target you go, the more each deal pays.

You'd also learn to turn one person's interest into a contract their company signs, and not many salespeople get to do that. And what you're selling is good for people. Someone gets to change what they do for a living, on the job, and their employer gets someone who can use data and AI properly.

We're a startup at an inflection point, and 2027 is when we scale. If you can see a better way to do something, we'll actually do it.

Who you are

You've worked in a sales role with a target, on the phone or on video, and you can tell us what you hit. You're comfortable working a busy pipeline in a CRM, and you follow up without being chased. You've sold something where the person needed time to think, or where someone else had to approve it. That might be B2B, or it might be education, finance or something similar. It helps if you've sold into the UK.

You listen on a call, and you'd tell someone if this wasn't right for them. We're a regulated training provider, so what you say about funding has to be right, and you need to care about that.

You'll need excellent spoken English, because you're talking to UK professionals and their managers all day. The office is in Riverlands and you'd be in it some days, so you need to be in or near Cape Town. If that's you, we want to hear from you.

About iO-Sphere

We train people in data and AI by having them do the work. Over 1,000 people have trained with us, and companies including PwC, BAE Systems, Dunelm, Motorway and CBRE send their teams to us. We're one of the UK's fastest-growing data and AI training companies, and a small, tight-knit team that takes ownership, sets a high bar and has a lot of fun.

What the role must achieve

1. 1You hit your enrolment target each quarter.
2. 2New leads get called quickly and followed up until there's a clear answer.
3. 3Learners and employers get accurate advice about funding and eligibility, and learners start on the right programme.
4. 4The CRM shows where every deal really is.

What you'll need

We shortlist against these, scored the same way for everyone:

• Selling on the phone or video against a target, with results
• Following up a busy pipeline of leads in a CRM
• Sales where the person needed time to decide or someone else had to approve, such as B2B, education or finance
• Dealing with customers or clients in clear, professional English
• The right to work in South Africa
• Lives in or near Cape Town and can come into the Riverlands office

Good to have, but not needed:

• Selling into the UK
• Selling education or training
• UK apprenticeships or levy funding
• Using AI at work