Sales Director, International

at  OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS

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 organisation. 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 organisation 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).

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, with the aim of setting and meeting strategic objectives, exceeding financial targets, ensuring maximum customer retention, and driving 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 product across 5 curricula, comprising of blended and digital resources, assessment, curriculum, and qualifications through our OxfordAQA joint venture.
The Education International Sales team work with schools, distributors, partners, and education organisations worldwide to deliver solutions that maximize impact on learning and educational outcomes. Working in a fast-paced and varied environments across diverse markets, we build relationships and foster connections to drive growth across our product, qualifications, curriculum, assessment and professional development offer.
Recognized for our expertise, responsiveness, and adaptability, we embrace innovation, are customer-focussed, committed to excellence, and we 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 prioritise 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 the 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 prioritise new business opportunities.
• Work with the Sales team and cross functionally to build and update comprehensive customer profiles and personas and ensure that 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.
• Analyse 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.

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 organisation. 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 organisation 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 qualification