Strategic Sales Manager

ABOUT CANALS Canals builds software for wholesale distributors, helping them operate more efficiently through automation and AI. Our customers are the companies responsible for moving the materials that power the real economy; electrical supplies, plumbing products, roofing materials, HVAC equipment, and more. Every day, thousands of people rely on Canals to help process orders, manage purchasing, handle accounts payable, and streamline critical business workflows. We're a profitable, rapidly growing company with a team of roughly 140 people distributed across North and South America. We care deeply about building great products, hiring exceptional people, and creating an environment where talented individuals can do the best work of their careers. THE ROLE We’re looking for an experienced strategic sales leader to build and lead a team of Account Executives pursuing the largest accounts in the markets Canals serves. Your team will focus on the top companies in each vertical: accounts with complex buying processes, long sales cycles, and the potential for seven-figure deals. You’ll help define how we pursue them, hire and develop the AEs who can win them, and stay close to the deals that matter most. This is a hands-on leadership role. You’ll coach reps through account strategy, executive engagement, negotiation, and closing. You’ll also join customer conversations when your experience and presence can help move a deal forward. WHAT YOU’LL DO - Build, lead, coach, and develop a team of strategic Account Executives - Identify and prioritize the largest opportunities across the verticals Canals serves - Help reps develop account plans and navigate long, complex sales cycles involving multiple stakeholders - Join high-stakes customer meetings and build credibility with senior executives - Guide deal strategy from initial engagement through negotiation and close - Run pipeline reviews, forecast calls, and deal strategy sessions with clear standards for execution - Hire exceptional sales talent using a thoughtful, consistent approach to evaluation - Develop AEs who can repeatedly win large, complex deals - Partner with sales leadership to set goals and refine the approach to strategic accounts WHAT YOU’LL BRING - A demonstrated history of personally closing seven-figure B2B deals, with a clear command of what you sold, how you won, and what it took to get each deal across the finish line - An established track record managing, hiring, and developing quota-carrying sellers who have repeatedly closed seven-figure deals - A clear philosophy for identifying strong sales talent and helping people improve - Experience leading teams through long sales cycles, complex organizations, and executive-level negotiations - The presence and judgment to enter a meeting with a prospective customer’s leadership team and be seen as a credible peer - Strong deal inspection, pipeline management, and forecasting skills - High standards, direct coaching, and a willingness to get involved when a deal needs your help - We care more about the depth of your experience and the teams you’ve built than a particular title or number of years in management. WHY JOIN CANALS We're building software that solves real problems for an industry that keeps the world running. Our customers rely on our platform every day to operate their businesses. We've found strong product-market fit and continue to grow quickly, creating opportunities for people who want to have a meaningful impact on the trajectory of a company. We believe great people build great companies. That's why we invest heavily in hiring, development, and creating an environment where talented individuals can do the best work of their careers. You'll work alongside ambitious, thoughtful teammates who care deeply about what they do, challenge each other directly, and have a lot of fun along the way. We value ownership, transparency, and continuous improvement. Good ideas can come from anywhere, and people are trusted to make things happen. We're remote-first, flexible, and distributed across North and South America, bringing together talented people from a wide range of backgrounds and experiences. Canals.ai is an equal opportunity employer. In addition to EEO being the law, it is a policy that is fully consistent with our principles. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to status as a protected veteran or a qualified individual with a disability, or other protected status such as race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, genetic information, pregnancy or age.