Career path - corporate finance to sales operations (repost to get some feedback hopefully).

Sup guys?

A year or so ago I proposed a question as to whether to head to a start-up software company within corporate finance and ended up making the jump (great move - love it).

Now, I’ve got another question. I was propositioned to join our sales team as a ‘sales operations director’ - I’d be over a half dozen folks and be charged with overall sales operations execution and sales analytics. I’d also do some prospect management where I’d take customers off our ‘hunters’ plates and keep them moving towards negotiation (coordinating with them on things they need to keep the deal moving like working with our security and subject matter experts and just generally staying in touch with them, to transition back to the rep once they get into contract negotiations, with the goal of freeing up the hunters for fresh prospects and closing).

Thoughts on going this route? It’d be another 25K or so, which would be material to my current living situation (wife at home, getting by but another 2K / month would definitely be a solid bump). I’m going to give my boss (CFO) opportunity to budget a promotion and a 20K bump later in the year as a counter, but regardless, what is the outlook for going from a VP of Finance or Financial Analytics Manager to an equity or fixed income research position in the sector versus considering the same from a ‘sales operations director’? I know it’s a tough pitch either way, but does it go from slim to none if I accept? The company is blowing up, and I really enjoy working here in any capacity. In sales I’d probably get to crush more natties for free and maybe the occassional luxury trip assuming we hit goals. Would I potentially be able to step into an institutional sales role if I’ve got a track record of GSD on the sales side here (have CFA/MS Finance, and getting MBA currently - all company paid so don’t lecture me I’ve got too much education and academic cred and not enough street cred)?

Any input would be appreciated. I’m not so certain on the exit opps for this type of role, so any insight there would be appreciated as well.

you wnat to go from running/leading a company to being in research? sounds like a major step down…

So, you like the company, like the work, and you have more free time than most alternative career paths, right? I don’t see an issue.

Well, that’s just what ‘The Plan’ has been - I could definitely see myself sticking in the corporate finance space, but my plan has always been get paid out here and then take some time off, potentially getting into research… The CEO got paid out at his last big venture, took some time off and bossed up on a regional poker tour, and did M&A/start-up consulting type work - so I could see myself going that route too).

I would probably make less money on the front-end coming in as an Analyst, but that’s always been the work I aspired towards.