Head of Sales

SpruceID builds privacy-preserving, standards-based digital identity and credentialing solutions that give individuals control of their information while enabling governments and enterprises to deliver secure, interoperable services. We partner with public-sector organizations to modernize how identity is issued, verified, and used. This role is fundamentally a system builder mandate . SpruceID has strong momentum and a high level of activity across the business, but the go-to-market (GTM) and sales function is still evolving. You will be responsible for designing and operationalizing a scalable, repeatable sales system from the ground up - this is not a role inheriting an established playbook. This person will operate at the intersection of strategic business development and public-sector digital transformation. You will lead SpruceID’s efforts to bring our solutions to U.S. state, local, education (SLED) and federal government markets, with a primary focus on state-level engagements. You will also personally own and close complex, high-value government deals not just generate or manage pipeline. Your mission is to build a disciplined, measurable public-sector sales machine while personally driving and closing high-impact deals already in motion. You will work closely with SpruceID’s leadership team, particularly our CEO, to bring structure, clarity, and operational rigor to an otherwise ambiguous and fast-evolving environment. Success in this role requires deep navigation of government procurement ecosystems, stakeholder politics, and long-cycle decision-making across shifting policy and funding environments. SpruceID’s business model is currently services-led , with software and licensing expected to layer in over time. You must be comfortable operating across this hybrid model and adapting GTM strategy as the company evolves within the emerging “Digital Trust” ecosystem. This role also requires ecosystem-level thinking, including positioning SpruceID within the broader identity and trust landscape (e.g., Okta, Socure, other identity and credentialing players), and identifying strategic partnership opportunities that accelerate adoption. This role is hands-on and customer-facing. You will actively engage in key deals from initial outreach through contract negotiation and closing, while also building the systems, processes, and operating cadence required to scale. This job is fully remote within the U.S., with significant travel required to support state and federal customer engagements and attend periodic company gatherings. What You’ll Do Build the sales system from scratch - Design and implement SpruceID’s end-to-end sales and GTM operating system, including pipeline management, forecasting, campaign execution, and performance tracking. Establish structure in a highly ambiguous environment. Install operational discipline - Create and enforce rigor across CRM, sales operations, and reporting. Drive consistency in pipeline hygiene, deal progression, and forecasting in the absence of existing standards. Drive and close active deals - Step into a highly active pipeline and lead strategic opportunities through to close, particularly within state government accounts. Own SLED GTM strategy (state-first) - Develop and execute a focused GTM strategy for state and broader SLED markets, with a deep understanding of procurement dynamics, buying cycles, and stakeholder landscapes. Navigate complex government procurement - Lead deals through RFPs, compliance requirements, and security reviews, while aligning internal stakeholders to meet public-sector constraints and timelines. Define ICPs and offerings - Identify priority government customer segments and package SpruceID’s services-led solutions into compelling, outcome-driven offerings that can evolve into repeatable motions. Launch and refine pipeline generation - Build and iterate on outbound and inbound strategies to sustain deal flow, while prioritizing high-value opportunities in a resource-constrained environment. Leverage AI to enhance GTM execution - Operate with an AI-first mindset, using modern tooling and approaches to improve efficiency, insight generation, and overall sales productivity. Create clarity from ambiguity - Partner closely with leadership (especially Wayne) to translate high-level direction into executable plans, prioritization frameworks, and measurable outcomes. Bridge services to product GTM - Translate early services-led wins into repeatable motions that inform future software and licensing strategies. Qualifications Experience: 8+ years in enterprise sales, business development, or GTM leadership, with significant focus on public sector clients. Public Sector Expertise (Critical): Proven success selling into U.S. state government environments, with deep understanding of SLED - particularly state-level procurement, compliance constraints, and buying processes. Experience navigating complex RFPs and long sales cycles is essential having personally demonstrated closing complex government or public-sector deals involving multiple agencies, procurement layers and long-cycle approvals. Services-Led Sales Background: Experience selling services into government environments (e.g., consulting firms, systems integrators, or services-heavy organizations). Strong understanding of how services engagements evolve into longer-term platform or product relationships. System Builder: Demonstrated ability to build and operationalize sales systems from the ground up. Comfortable creating structure, processes, and discipline in ambiguous, early-stage environments without predefined playbooks. AI Fluency (Required): Hands-on experience using AI tools to enhance sales workflows and productivity. Ability to articulate practical applications of AI in GTM strategy and execution (e.g., automation, research, pipeline insights, content generation). Familiarity with emerging concepts such as modern AI tooling ecosystems (e.g., MCPs) is a plus. Domain Familiarity (Preferred): Experience or exposure to digital identity, IAM, or broader digital trust ecosystems. Strong preference for candidates who understand the competitive and partnership landscape (e.g., Okta, Socure, CLEAR, etc.) and can position within that ecosystem. Operational Rigor: Highly structured and process-oriented, with strong CRM discipline, pipeline management expertise, and forecasting capabilities. Communication & Influence: Exceptional communication skills with the ability to engage and influence stakeholders ranging from technical teams to senior government executives. Cross-Functional Leadership: Proven ability to work across product, engineering, delivery, legal, and executive teams to align sales execution with product capabilities and delivery outcomes. Adaptability: Comfort operating in a shifting business model (services-first evolving toward software) and in a fast-moving, ambiguous environment. Travel: Based in the U.S. and willing to travel as needed to meet with government clients and attend company events (significant travel expected).