GTM specialist · hire a GTM specialist or go-to-market specialist

What is a GTM specialist? the go-to-market specialist, in one line

A GTM specialist, or go-to-market specialist, is an individual contributor who carries out one part of a go-to-market plan. Someone else decides who to sell to and why; the specialist does a named piece of the work, well and repeatedly. The word “specialist” is the point: the seat is defined by one skill, not by a team or a number.

The title is loose, and not only in software. The Skills England Level 4 sales executive apprenticeship standard lists “Sales Specialist” among the typical titles for a salesperson who sells a specific product line, qualifies opportunities and manages their own sales. In a B2B software company the same word more often means an outbound, partner, launch or tooling seat (below).

Where the seat sits on the ladder

The GTM specialist shares the first rung with the GTM manager. Above them sit a GTM lead or founding GTM lead, then a head of GTM, then a GTM director or VP GTM, and at the top a CRO. The full map is on our GTM jobs hub.

What GTM specialists are paid

We quote no market figure for the title, because it covers several different jobs and each pays differently. We set out each candidate’s pay or day rate on the shortlist, so the seat is priced against the work it actually does.

GTM specialist jobs: four jobs under one title

GTM specialist jobs are adverts for at least four different seats, so read the duties before the title. Outbound specialist: researches accounts, writes and calls, and books first meetings for sellers. This is close to an SDR or BDR seat; see fractional SDR jobs, fractional BDR jobs and BDR jobs.

Partner specialist: recruits and supports resellers, referral partners or marketplace listings, and keeps their pipeline moving. Product launch specialist: runs the checklist behind each launch and the material sellers need, usually under a GTM manager or alongside sales enablement. GTM operations specialist: sets up and looks after the CRM and the sales tools, next to RevOps.

If you are applying, the outbound and operations versions are the most common ways into go-to-market work, and both lead up the ladder. If you want to hire one, pick one of the four and say so in the first line of the advert. For the plan the specialist works to, our sister site gtm.quest covers go-to-market strategy in depth. Live go-to-market roles are on the board on this page.

Outbound rules, contracts and IR35 for a GTM specialist

Most GTM specialists touch outbound, so they should know the rules. The ICO’s business-to-business marketing guidance explains that PECR treats sole traders and some partnerships the same as individuals, and that UK GDPR applies to a named business contact’s personal data. Under the ICO’s electronic mail guidance, marketing emails and texts to individuals need specific consent or the soft opt-in, and every message must say who it is from and give a way to opt out.

A GTM specialist is most often employed. GOV.UK notes that a person may be an employee in employment law but have a different status for tax purposes, so write down how the seat will run. Where a specialist works through their own limited company, the off-payroll working rules (IR35) may apply. A medium or large client makes the status determination; for a small client outside the public sector, the worker’s own company decides. Our IR35 guide sets out the tests.