Sales Lead German Speaking

## About the role Sales Lead - German Speaking We're expanding into additional markets in Europe, and we need someone who can open doors in German-speaking markets and build the commercial infrastructure to win them. This is a full-cycle commercial role: you'll identify the right partners (manufacturers, leasing companies, fleet operators, large retailers), build the relationships from scratch, close the deals, and own the accounts long-term. You'll see it through from the first conversation to a live, performing partnership that drives commercial results. ## Responsibilities ### Sales & Business Development - Market Strategy: Work directly with the Head of Commercial to identify new verticals and growth opportunities in the European markets. - Build the Pipeline: Proactively identify and engage with key prospects, including bike manufacturers, leasing companies, large retailers, and service providers. - Close Deals: Manage complex, long-term sales cycles with mid-market and enterprise organisations. You will need to expertly navigate multiple decision-makers, proactively maintain deal momentum over several months, and negotiate terms to successfully bring new partners. - Pitch Laka: Take our multi-faceted value proposition and tailor it perfectly to the partner. You'll need to hold your own in complex conversations spanning non-traditional insurance mechanics, commercial commission models, API/tech integration requirements, and end-customer benefits. ### Account Management & Implementation - 360° Ownership: Serve as the dedicated point of contact for your partners from the moment the contract is signed through the entire life of the account. - Onboarding & Activation: Ensure partners are seamlessly integrated and actively promoting Laka to their customers. When closing deals, you will take ownership of the project management and oversee the complex operational rollout. - Drive Growth: Conduct regular business reviews (QBRs), track performance metrics, and identify opportunities to upsell or deepen the partnership. - Gather Intelligence: Act as the voice of our partners internally, relaying feedback to our product and marketing teams to help us continuously improve. ## Requirements - Language Skills: You are a native or highly fluent German speaker, completely comfortable pitching to the C-suite, negotiating complex contracts, and managing stakeholder relationships in German. Fluency in English is also required. - Deep Bike Industry Knowledge: You know the cycling and e-mobility ecosystem inside out. Whether your background is with bike brands, retailers, leasing providers, or micromobility fleets, you understand their business models, their margins, and their pain points. - Proven Commercial Track Record: You have 5+ years of hands-on experience in full-cycle B2B sales, B2B2C partnerships, or account management, preferably within a fast-paced startup or scale-up environment. - Tool Proficiency: You know your way around CRMs and are highly proficient with standard business suites (Excel, PowerPoint, or equivalent) to manage your workflow, build presentations, and track data. ## About You - Relentlessly Persistent: You don't let deals go cold. You have the grit, patience, and organisational skills to "chase" effectively, keeping momentum alive across long, complex sales cycles without being overbearing. - A Relationship Builder: You thrive on building high-trust, long-term connections rather than transactional ties. Externally, you act as a genuine partner to your clients; internally, you are a natural diplomat who can easily align product, tech, and operations teams around a shared vision. - End-to-End Ownership: You are definitely not a "sell and run" type of closer. You care deeply about the actual execution of your deals and take full accountability for them. You are highly structured and take pride in driving a project from the very first pitch all the way through to a successful, operational rollout. - A problem solver: You work closely with our partners to find opportunities to