Sales Operations Specialist

Description

Job Title: Sales Operations Specialist
Reports To: Group Director, Business Development and Marketing
Location: Dubai, UAE / Cape Town, SA, Porto / Portugal (GCC Hours)
Direct Reports: N/A
Type: Full-Time

About j. awan & partners

j. awan & partners is the largest home-grown GRC advisory firm in the GCC, providing regulatory advisory, compliance outsourcing, licensing, risk management, internal audit, and finance and tax services. Operating across Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, Doha, Karachi, London, Cape Town, and Singapore with 50+ compliance specialists, the firm is the advisory backbone behind azakaw, a purpose-built RegTech platform.
Mission / Purpose of the Role
The Sales Operations Specialist is the operational engine of j. awan & partners’ business development function. The role is responsible for ensuring pipeline integrity, follow-up discipline, reporting accuracy, and operational excellence across the sales process. From the moment an inquiry is received through to the handoff of a won engagement to delivery, the role ensures that opportunities are routed correctly, data remains accurate, follow-ups are executed on time, and nothing falls through the cracks.
Working closely with partners, subject matter experts, and leadership, the Sales Operations Specialist coordinates proposal workflows, maintains HubSpot processes and automation, governs pipeline quality, and delivers the reporting required for strategic decision-making. The role does not provide advisory services or own commercial negotiations but instead ensures that the operational framework supporting business development runs efficiently, consistently, and at scale.

12–18 Month Mission Outcomes ("What Success Looks Like")

Inquiry Responsiveness
Every inquiry acknowledged and routed within SLA. No inquiry sits unanswered. First contact is professional, relevant, and directed to the right service line and practitioner.

Pipeline Integrity
The Lead and Deal pipelines reflect reality. No deal advances without exit criteria met, no ghost deals inflate the forecast, and every active record carries an owner, a current stage, and a documented next step.

Proposal Coordination at Pace
Proposals are consistently ready within the turnaround SLA and leave error-free. Coordination holds at pace, and slippage is escalated before it impacts deadlines.

Follow-Up Discipline
No submitted proposal goes cold. Every opportunity is worked through the full follow-up cadence, and breaches are identified and addressed early.

Reporting the SLT Trusts
The five daily huddle inputs are prepared before each huddle. SLT and Business Development dashboards remain accurate, current, and trusted.

Data Quality and Forecast Support
Reporting stands up to scrutiny because underlying CRM data is accurate, complete, and reliable.

Cross-Sell and Clean Handoff
Expansion opportunities are surfaced to the relevant partners, and won engagements are handed over with the appropriate context and documentation.

Process Building
The operation becomes more efficient and reliable over time through continuous process improvement.

Key Accountabilities

Inquiry Response, Triage and Lead Routing

• Acknowledge every inbound inquiry within SLA.

• Qualify inquiries at a basic level by service line, jurisdiction, and fit.

• Log and route opportunities to the appropriate practitioner or partner.

• Manage lead transitions between functions where applicable.

• Enforce qualification gates and prevent lead stagnation.

Pipeline Integrity and Stage Governance

• Maintain stage definitions across Lead and Deal pipelines.

• Enforce exit criteria before stage progression.

• Eliminate ghost deals and maintain CRM accuracy.

• Ensure all active records include documented next steps and ownership.

Follow-Up Cadence and SLA Enforcement

• Execute and monitor lead-action and deal-touch SLAs.

• Coordinate proposal follow-up activities.

• Prompt SMEs and partners to engage within agreed timelines.

• Escalate breaches and track all activity within HubSpot.

Proposal Coordination and SLA Governance

• Coordinate proposal inputs from SMEs.

• Manage turnaround timelines across proposal categories.

• Assemble proposal documentation and conduct basic quality checks.

• Escalate risks and delays before deadlines are impacted.

Sequences, Workflows and Automation

• Maintain HubSpot sequences, workflows, and automation.

• Monitor performance and troubleshoot issues.

• Retire underperforming automation and optimise existing processes.

Reporting, Dashboards and Forecast Support

• Produce daily SLT reporting inputs.

• Maintain dashboard accuracy and relevance.

• Aggregate pipeline information into weekly forecast views.

• Support reporting requirements for leadership teams.

Data Quality Governance

• Manage CRM deduplication and data hygiene.

• Ensure field completeness and source attribution.

• Maintain reporting integrity and accuracy.

Cross-Sell, Delivery Handoff and Outcome Capture

• Identify cross-sell opportunities across service lines.

• Coordinate smooth handovers to delivery teams.

• Capture and document win/loss outcomes and reason codes.

Core Competencies

HubSpot Operational Depth
Configures and maintains pipelines, stage definitions, workflows, sequences, automation, and reporting dashboards.

Pipeline Integrity and Stage Governance
Maintains CRM accuracy, enforces process discipline, and eliminates forecast distortion caused by poor data quality.

Follow-Up Cadence and SLA Enforcement
Ensures opportunities progress through defined touchpoints and that SLA breaches are identified and addressed.

Inquiry Response and Lead Routing
Responds quickly, qualifies accurately, and ensures inquiries reach the correct stakeholders.

Reporting and Data Governance
Produces accurate and reliable reporting that leadership teams can trust.

SME and Stakeholder Coordination
Coordinates multiple stakeholders, manages deadlines, and drives accountability.

Attention to Detail and Quality Control
Maintains high standards of accuracy across documentation, reporting, and CRM records.

Process Discipline and Systems Thinking
Builds repeatable processes that improve efficiency and scalability.

Assertiveness and Professional Spine
Confidently drives accountability while maintaining professionalism.

Cross-Sell Awareness
Recognises and surfaces opportunities across multiple service lines.

GRC and Regulatory Awareness
Develops sufficient regulatory knowledge to route inquiries and coordinate proposals effectively.

Skills and Knowledge

CRM & Sales Operations

• Advanced HubSpot administration and reporting.

• Pipeline management and governance.

• Workflow automation and sequence management.

Reporting & Data Management

• Dashboard creation and maintenance.

• Data quality management and CRM governance.

• Forecast support and sales reporting.

Stakeholder Coordination

• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders and competing priorities.

• Strong communication and follow-up discipline.

Attention to Detail

• Strong document management and quality control capability.

• Excellent organisational skills and accuracy.

Technology

• HubSpot

• SharePoint

• Microsoft Office Suite

• Advanced spreadsheet and reporting skills

Education & Experience

Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Communications, Marketing, or a related field. Operational capability, reliability, and output carry greater weight than credentials.

Experience: 3–5 years' experience in Sales Operations, Revenue Operations, Sales Coordination, or Business Development Operations within professional services, consulting, GRC, compliance, financial services, or similar environments.

Preferred:

• HubSpot Certification.

• GRC, compliance, or regulatory advisory experience.

• Experience supporting SLT-level reporting and dashboards.

• Experience within multi-service-line organisations.

• GCC market exposure.

Culture & Values Alignment

• Demonstrates a growth mindset, resilience, and adaptability.

• Operates with professionalism and integrity.

• Prioritises data accuracy over assumption.

• Maintains a strong client-first approach.

• Builds trust through accountability and reliability.

• Thrives in a fast-paced, scaling environment.

Rewards & Growth

• Competitive salary and performance bonus.

• Career progression into Sales Operations Manager or Revenue Operations Lead roles.

• Direct exposure to senior leadership and strategic decision-making.

• Structured development in GRC, HubSpot, reporting, and operational excellence.

• Medical insurance, paid leave, and additional employee benefits.

• Opportunity to build and scale a critical business function.