ABOUT THE ROLE
We are looking for an International Sales Director to join our high performing Executive Team. This role will provide strategic and tactical leadership to OUP’s International Schools Sales team, aiming to set and meet strategic objectives, exceed financial targets, ensure maximum customer retention, and drive growth through new business opportunities in a constantly changing business environment.
The Press’s Education Division provides educational resources and solutions to teachers, parents, learners, and institutions. We cover Primary, Secondary, Trade, and early learning markets, both for the UK and for customers around the world. The International Schools business creates products across 5 curricula, comprising blended and digital resources, assessment, curriculum, and qualifications through our OxfordAQA joint venture.
The Education International Sales team works with schools, distributors, partners, and education organizations worldwide to deliver solutions that maximize impact on learning and educational outcomes. Working in a fast-paced and varied environment across diverse markets, we build relationships and foster connections to drive growth across our product, qualifications, curriculum, assessment, and professional development offerings.
Recognized for our expertise, responsiveness, and adaptability, we embrace innovation, are customer-focused, committed to excellence, and have talented teams based all over the world.
Key Responsibilities:
* Provide leadership and strategic direction to all sales teams. Oversee the design and implementation of innovative data-backed sales strategies for all our products and services.
* Identify, evaluate, and prioritize opportunities in key market segments to formulate sales plans, set key performance indicators, and monitor progress.
* Proactively manage priorities, budgets, forecasts, and timelines in conjunction with Sales leadership. Ensure teams are driving sales growth and customer retention across our product portfolio.
* Keep up to date with market trends, education policy changes, and plans made by Ministries of Education and school chains in all markets we operate in. Proactively evaluate and prioritize new business opportunities.
* Work with the Sales team and cross-functionally to build and update comprehensive customer profiles and personas, ensuring these are central to the overall business strategy. Synthesize and share customer feedback in the business and suggest appropriate responses. Be the voice of the customer in the business and advocate for products that solve customer pain points and for improved customer experience.
* Analyze market data to identify trends and opportunities, and lead on the use of our Salesforce CRM system and data collection tools to drive data-driven decisions.
* Monitor the changing competitor landscape and customer needs to adjust sales strategies accordingly.
* Build and maintain strong relationships with partners and stakeholders, both internally and externally.
* Collaborate with other departments to ensure seamless execution of sales initiatives and alignment with overall business goals.
* Prepare and present sales forecasts, reports, and performance metrics to senior management.
We operate a hybrid working policy that requires a minimum of 2 days per week in the Oxford office.
ABOUT YOU
With significant experience of leading large, high-performing sales teams in a senior management role, you’ll have strong interpersonal skills with the ability to communicate and manage well across a matrixed organization. You’ll also have:
* A proven track record of setting and leading sales strategy, managing budgets, achieving sales growth, and exceeding sales targets.
* Proven track record of business development, including designing and implementing innovative business models and partnerships.
* Strong business acumen along with knowledge of financial, commercial, and business processes.
* The ability to communicate and manage well across a matrixed organization at all levels and with staff in remote locations. Ability to multi-task and handle a fast-paced work environment.
* Strong analytical skills and experience of Salesforce CRM management, data insight creation strategy, and data-led sales strategies.
* Experience of selling blended/digital products and solutions, assessments, and/or qualifications.
Knowledge of the education sector, and in particular the International Schools sector, is desirable.
This role will involve international travel, with approximately six trips per year (market dependent).
BENEFITS
We care about work/life balance here at OUP. With this in mind, we offer 25 days’ holiday that rises with service, plus bank holidays and Christmas closure (3-days) and a 35-hour working week. We are open to discussing flexibility in respect to working patterns, dependent on the role. We also have a great variety of active employee networks and societies.
We help make your money go further by contributing to your pension up to 12%, offering loans and savings schemes through our partnership with Salary Finance, in addition to travel to work schemes and access to a wide range of local discounts.
This role comes with the added benefit of private medical insurance, a car/allowance, and a management bonus or sales bonus.
Please see our Rewards and Recognition page for more information.
QUERIES
Please contact claire.rees@oup.com with any queries relating to this role.
We are committed to supporting diversity in our workforce, and ensuring an inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive. We seek to employ a workforce representative of the markets that we serve and encourage applications from all.
* Division: Education
* Department: OEINT Senior Leadership Team
* Closing Date: 1 December 2024
* Salary: Dependent on skills and experience
* Location: OUP UK - Oxford
* Postcode: OX2 6DP
* Full Time / Part Time: Full Time
* Ref: 4544
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