Team Manager, Sales Higher Education

Job Title: Team Manager, Sales Higher Education

Description: Drives sales tactics aligned with divisional strategy, aiming to grow market share and revenue in the Higher Education tertiary market. This role extends beyond the current market responsibilities of the internal applicant.

Purpose of the Position

The Team Manager, Sales collaborates with the Director – Higher Education to build and sustain a high-performance team culture, covering Indonesia & Singapore. The Team Manager, Sales drives sales tactics aligned with divisional strategy, aiming to grow market share and revenue in the Higher Education tertiary market. This role extends beyond the current market responsibilities of the internal applicant.

Key responsibilities include supporting, coaching, and managing direct reports through recruitment, onboarding, training, ongoing talent management, field-based coaching, and development plans. The Team Manager, Sales is expected to demonstrate creativity, resilience, and problem-solving skills, supporting the team in decision-making.

As a key stakeholder, the Team Manager, Sales contributes to go-to-market strategy, product and market development, and fosters collaboration across the division. The RSM identifies and communicates market trends and insights to senior leaders and acts as a thought leader and subject matter expert.

Additionally, the Team Manager, Sales manages a field-based territory of local university campuses, developing relationships with faculty and channel partners, and selling educational solutions to large first-year courses. Exceptional sales skills and strategic thinking are required to protect and grow market share.

Key Responsibilities                                       

People Management

• Recruit and hire sales talent; organize training and onboarding.
• Coach and mentor direct reports to develop top-performing sales talent.
• Train and develop direct reports using Pearson sales methodology through co-calling.
• Conduct regular performance evaluations and manage performance against KPIs.
• Organize and facilitate team meetings and one-on-ones to assess performance and remove barriers.
• Track and monitor execution of team responsibilities (call rates, coverage, sampling, travel itineraries, CRM data management, new business acquisition, renewal rates).
• Create and maintain a high-performance culture with strong collaboration.

Measures:

• Retention of talented and high-potential staff.
• Established and maintained development plans for direct reports.
• Successful completion of co-calling activities with clear objectives and outcomes.
• Documentation of ongoing team development in HR systems.
• Quantitative evaluation of direct reports’ performance using data-driven decisions.

Sales Performance

• Develop and execute strategic business plans for allocated territories to maximize sales.
• Employ advanced selling skills and product/technology knowledge.
• Reinforce and develop sales processes, presentation, and communication skills.
• Champion the OneCRM system and ensure its effective use.
• Promote best practice knowledge management activities.
• Sample and track adoptable titles to achieve sales targets.
• Use internal resources to support sales goals and provide market feedback.
• Maintain understanding of market trends, policy environment, and requirements.
• Manage sales budget and expenses.
• Facilitate demand forecast accuracy for timely delivery and invoicing.
• Support implementation of the Asia Digital Strategy.

Measures:

• Achievement of sales revenue and market share targets.
• Sales activities tracked in OneCRM and shared in team meetings.
• OneCRM activity aligns with expected sales activities and benchmarks.
• Sales expenses managed within budget.
• Comprehensive coverage of allocated sales territory.
• Strategic and operational plans developed and executed with Director – Higher Education.
• Territory Account Plan submitted in alignment with business planning cycle.

Leadership within Higher Education Sales Team

• Collaborate with functional teams to ensure supply chain, customer service, and support meet expectations.
• Contribute to budgeting and forecasting processes.
• Support sales strategy development, new initiatives, and product models.
• Build and maintain relationships with key distributors, academics, and decision-makers.

Measures:

• Strategic relationships developed with supply chain, customer service, and support teams.
• Attendance and contribution at tactical and strategic meetings.
• Engagement with product development teams, including feedback and market insights.
• Ability to facilitate open conversations and guide pilots of new products/services.

Main Job Dimensions

• Adaptability: Adjusting effectively to major changes in tasks, environment, or structures.
• Aligning Performance for Success: Guiding others to accomplish objectives.
• Building a Successful Team: Using flexible interpersonal styles to build a cohesive team.
• Building Strategic Relationships: Developing collaborative relationships to achieve goals.
• Coaching: Providing timely guidance and feedback.
• Communication: Clearly conveying information to engage and inform.
• Follow-up: Monitoring results of assignments and projects.
• Sales Ability/Persuasiveness: Gaining acceptance of products, services, or ideas.
• Strategic Decision Making: Committing to actions that achieve long-term goals.

Main Challenges

• High Responsibility/Accountability: Managing tasks with significant demands.
• Influencing Others: Inspiring and guiding individuals.
• Coaching Others: Fostering job-related development.
• Relationship Building: Maintaining ongoing working relationships.
• Customer Focus: Maximizing customer satisfaction.

Key Relationships / Stakeholders

• Director – Higher Education
• Higher Education Sales team
• Operations: Demand Planner, Supply Planner, Customer Service teams
• Marketing team
• Product team
• Customer Success team
• Finance and HR teams
• Customers and strategic account stakeholders

Qualifications and Experience

Mandatory:

• Regional sales experience across Southeast Asia in the education industry.
• 10 years of sales experience, with at least 4–5 years managing a cross-cultural team.
• Digital literacy and familiarity with Microsoft Office.
• Experience with Salesforce or similar CRM software.
• Ability to travel regionally (25%–50%), strong organizational skills, work ethic, presentation, and solution selling skills.

Preferable:

• Tertiary qualification.

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