Updated September 2026
A strong startup VP of Sales job description says which stage of growth the hire must lead the team through, how much they will still sell themselves, and what decisions they will own, from hiring to pricing and discounts. It should name the board-facing forecast as part of the job. In our experience, when these hires fail, a mismatch on stage is the usual cause.
Copy-and-paste VP of Sales job description
VP of Sales at [Company]
About [Company]
[Company] helps [buyer] to [outcome]. We raised [round] from [investors], reached [ARR milestone or customer count], and have a sales team of [number]. [Founder name] still leads sales today.
The role
You'll own new revenue and build the team that delivers it. You'll report to [CEO], join the leadership team, present the sales forecast to our board each quarter, and carry [a personal number / key accounts] for your first [X] months while you hire.
What you'll achieve in your first 6 months
- Take over the forecast from [founder name], with commits the board can rely on by the end of Q[X].
- Hire [number] AEs and [number] SDRs against a plan you've built, with ramp targets for each.
- Set a sales process, stage definitions and a comp plan the whole team understands.
- Close [number] of our largest open deals yourself or alongside the AE.
What you'll bring
- You've led a sales team through the stage we're entering, [e.g. from [ARR] to [ARR]].
- You've hired and ramped AEs yourself, and can introduce us to people you hired.
- Experience selling to [buyer title] at a similar deal size.
- Comfort running a forecast in front of a board.
- You still enjoy being on customer calls.
Nice to have
- You've worked closely with a founder-CEO who ran sales before you.
- Experience in [industry or region].
What we offer
- Base [£/$/€ X to Y], on-target earnings [£/$/€ X to Y], variable paid on [company new ARR / team quota].
- Equity: [range], [vesting and any acceleration terms].
- Authority over [hiring, comp plan, discount approval up to [X]].
- [Remote / hybrid], at a [Series A / Series B] company.
Put decision rights in the JD. Senior sales leaders will ask who approves discounts, hires and the comp plan, and a clear answer attracts people who want ownership rather than a title.
Has taken a team from founder-led sales to a first repeatable process. Still closes deals. Comfortable writing the first comp plan and hiring AE number three.
Has grown an existing team with managers under them. Runs segments, enablement and planning. May not have sold a deal personally for years.
How the VP of Sales job description changes by stage
| Seed | Series A | Series B | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Right title | Usually Head of Sales or founding AE | VP Sales or Head of Sales | VP Sales, sometimes CRO later |
| Personal selling | Most of the week | Key deals and coaching | Exec sponsor on the largest deals |
| Team they build | Themselves plus one AE | First AEs and SDRs | Managers, segments, sales ops |
| What to stress in the JD | Closing and first process | Hiring, forecast, repeatability | Planning, managers, cross-team work |
At Seed, a VP title often attracts people who expect a team you can't fund yet. A Head of Sales who sells most of the week is usually the better hire, with the VP title as a milestone.
Scorecard: how you'll judge success
| Outcome | What good looks like at 12 months | How you'll test it in interviews |
|---|---|---|
| New revenue plan | Team at or near plan for the last two quarters | Walk through a plan they owned, hit and missed |
| Team hired and ramped | Planned hires made, most reps at ramped quota | Speak to people they hired, not only their bosses |
| Board-ready forecast | Quarterly commit lands within an agreed range | Ask them to forecast from your real pipeline |
| Sales process and comp plan | Written, used, and understood by every rep | Ask for a comp plan they designed and what changed |
| Personal selling | Closed or co-closed several of the largest deals | Live role play on one of your open deals |
30-60-90 day plan
| Period | Focus | By the end they should have |
|---|---|---|
| Days 1 to 30 | Listen and diagnose | Reviewed every open deal, shadowed each rep, called 5 customers and 3 lost deals, shared a written diagnosis |
| Days 31 to 60 | Plan and hire | A hiring plan and comp plan agreed with the CEO, first roles open, stage definitions in the CRM |
| Days 61 to 90 | Run the machine | Weekly forecast calls running, first hires accepted, took the board forecast over from the founder |
Four mistakes founders make in a VP of Sales job description
- Hiring for the company you will be in three years. A leader from a much larger sales organisation may not have built from scratch in years. Match the stage you are in now.
- Leaving personal selling out. If you need them to carry deals, say so. Candidates who only want to manage will rule themselves out.
- No decision rights. Without authority on hiring and discounts, strong leaders assume the founder will keep running sales.
- Only checking references they give you. Tell candidates up front you will speak to reps they managed. The good ones welcome it.
Where Funded.club fits
We are a fixed-fee recruiting partner for funded startups across North America, Europe and APAC, and leadership hires are part of what we do. One dedicated recruiter runs the search end to end, with first screened candidates within 7 days. The fee is agreed upfront and doesn't rise with OTE, which matters for leadership roles where total pay can be well above base. See pricing and our guide on how to hire a VP of Sales.
Frequently asked questions
When should a startup hire a VP of Sales?
Usually once founders have a repeatable way to win deals and need someone to hire and run a team around it. Before that, a Head of Sales or senior AE who sells most of the week is often a better fit.
Should a VP of Sales carry a quota?
At Series A, often yes, at least for key accounts in the first months. At Series B the VP is usually measured on team revenue. Say which in the JD, and use our free job description builder if you want a guided draft.
How do I interview a VP of Sales?
Test their team building, forecasting and personal selling, and have them build a 90-day plan from your data. See our VP of Sales interview questions for 24 questions and a rubric.
Worth a brief chat about your next hire? Book a free call.
Hiring after a funding round?
First candidates in 7 days. Fixed-fee, no commission.