Business Development Manager - South India

Position: Business Development Manager – Higher Education (South India)
Division: Higher Education
Location: Bangalore, Karnataka or Chennai, Tamil Nadu
Grade – C1

About the Division:
The Higher Education division focuses on delivering high-quality courseware and innovative digital learning solutions to support learners and educators in the tertiary sector.

Key Responsibilities:

• Drive Higher Education (HED) sales revenue in South India through strategic partnerships with key accounts.
• Develop and implement business strategies and sales priorities to meet revenue goals.
• Manage a network of authorized distributors for sales, supply management, and payment collections.
• Organize exhibitions and book displays in colleges for library purchases.
• Conduct digital product demos on college campuses for faculty and students.
• Collaborate with product and marketing teams to run targeted campaigns at colleges and retailer hubs.
• Build and maintain relationships with key university stakeholders (e.g., Teaching & Learning, IT, Procurement, Educational Designers, Finance, and Library) to promote Pearson products and grow institutional sales.
• Present Pearson's products and technology solutions to groups and individuals.
• Work with instructors to align Pearson products with their programs and drive adoption sales.
• Develop new accounts and revenue streams through proactive prospecting, including cold calls and social media outreach.
• Meet or exceed KPIs and financial targets set by the company.

Other Responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the operations team to provide efficient customer support.
• Stay informed about Pearson products, platforms, and industry trends impacting the educational market.
• Manage production forecasts, sales pipelines, and inventory for the Higher Education division.
• Maintain accurate sales records in OneCRM (Salesforce.com).

Qualifications:

Education: Bachelor’s degree required.

Experience: 5-8 years of proven success in working with channel partners, bookstores, sales, or customer-facing roles, preferably in higher education or a related field.
Executive Engagement: Ability to interface with executive management and conduct high-level sales meetings with Deans, Vice-Chancellors, and other senior leadership.
Negotiation Skills: Strong negotiation skills with a track record of closing deals and driving revenue growth.
Strategic Thinking: Ability to think creatively and strategically to develop innovative ideas that increase sales throughput.
Commercial Acumen: Demonstrates strong business insight and commercial judgment.
Solution Selling: High level of experience in solution selling, especially with digital products.
Passion for Education: A genuine passion for higher education and learner success, aligned with Pearson's mission.
Networking & Social Selling: Strong networking abilities, including familiarity with social media selling and prospecting techniques.
Field Sales: Willingness to spend a significant portion of time on field sales activities.
Language Skills: Fluent in the local language and intermediate-level English communication skills.
Tech Skills: Experience with Salesforce and Tableau would be a significant advantage.