Fast Facts

Cengage Group is seeking a Business Development Director for the West Coast to drive sales growth in higher education and institutional markets, adopting a collaborative approach to meet customer needs.

Responsibilities: Key responsibilities include identifying growth opportunities, developing sales strategies, managing customer relationships, and enhancing revenue through tailored solutions for institutional accounts.

Skills: Candidates should have 5+ years in educational sales, a strong understanding of higher education financial processes, and excellent communication and presentation skills.

Qualifications: A BA or BS degree is required, and preference is given to candidates with experience in enterprise sales of learning technology products.

Location: This is a remote position based in California, with expected travel of 35-50%.

Compensation: $88600 - $141800 / Annually

We believe in the power and joy of learning

At Cengage Group, our employees have a direct impact in helping students around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose – driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

Our culture values diversity, engagement, and discovery

Our business is driven by our strong culture, and we know that creating an inclusive and diverse workplace is absolutely essential to the success of our company and our learners, as well as our individual well-being. We recognize the value of diverse perspectives in everything we do, and strive to ensure employees of all levels and backgrounds feel empowered to voice their ideas and bring their authentic selves to work. We achieve these priorities through inclusive programs, benefits, and initiatives that are integrated into the fabric of how we work every day. To learn more, please see https://www.cengagegroup.com/about/inclusion-and-diversity/

As a key member of the Higher Ed Institutional Sales, the Business Development Director (BDD) will play a pivotal role in driving the growth of enterprise products and services across a diverse range of institutional accounts, including Higher Education/Non-Profit, Career/For-Profit Institutions, and our Professional sales team. Adopting a growth mindset, the BDD will closely collaborate with various internal partners, such as District Managers, Strategic Account Managers, Sales Growth Specialists, and Account Executives, to proactively address the evolving needs of each Institutional customer and unlock new opportunities for expansion and success.

What you'll do here:

• Strategically identify and capitalize on high-impact opportunities, ensuring alignment with institutional objectives and improving student outcomes
• Spearhead new business development opportunities through personal sales calls, networking, market research and targeted campaigns
• Implement a comprehensive Institutional territory and sales plan focused on driving revenue growth
• Cultivate and maintain long-term relationships with executive-level contacts, key decision makers and influencers at target institutions to ensure consistent engagement throughout the sales and renewal cycles
• Optimize pipeline/opportunity management, account/contact management and strategic documentation for new and Tier 1 & 2 renewal sales opportunities within a CRM (Salesforce)
• Articulate the value proposition of Cengage products and services, aligning it with key institutional goals such as affordability, equity of access and academic achievement
• Skillfully navigate sophisticated customer business and academic buying criteria, crafting compelling proposals and presentations that successfully promote Cengage Institutional products and services, while expertly negotiating final contracts with mutually beneficial terms to drive deal momentum and closure.
• Exhibit thought leadership in the institutional sales process by championing collaborative relationships with internal sales and marketing colleagues positioning oneself as the Subject Matter Authority (SME) for Cengage Institutional business models (CUI)
• Forge strategic relationships with regional education policy makers and influencers, using these connections to uncover new sales opportunities, gather policy level intelligence and advise territory plans

Skills You Will Need Here:

• BA or BS degree
• 5+ years of successful educational sales experience – with special preference given to executive level enterprise sales of learning technology products.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing and implementing effective sales strategies in complex purchasing environments with collaborative decision making processes
• Adept at understanding and assimilating customer needs, industry trends, and market dynamics, and translating them into tailored solutions that meet or exceed customer expectations and deliver positive return on investment
• Strong understanding of Higher Education and Career institutional financial processes and budget/revenue models and consistent track record to influence senior level financial and business operations managers.
• Comprehensive understanding of Institutional financial processes and a proven track record to influence financial, revenue operations and strategic business partners
• Outstanding written and verbal communication, analytical and presentation skills
• Proficient with Microsoft Office Suite products and CRM platforms, preferably Salesforce
• Experience with virtual meeting tools and an ability to conduct highly effective internal and external (customer) meetings
• Deep understanding of the primary business drivers for Higher Education Institutions and the broader marketplace

Travel requirements:

35-50% travel expected

Cengage Group's Higher Education business, Cengage, supports learning and student success by providing materials and digital solutions to faculty and students enrolled in two-year, four-year and vocational programs. We currently serve more than 10 million of the 18 million students in US higher ed. Setting a new standard of service for our customers, we deliver quality, easy-to-use course materials from textbooks and eBooks to courseware such as MindTap and WebAssign. In the US, we offer Cengage Unlimited and Cengage Unlimited for Institutions. We help instructors be better teachers, we help institutions solve problems and we empower students to leverage the power and joy of learning to transform lives.

Cengage Group is proud to be an Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action employer. We do not discriminate based upon race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, veteran status, marital status, parental status, cultural background, organizational level, work styles, tenure and life experiences. Or for any other reason. You may view Cengage’s EEO/Affirmative Action Policy signed by CEO Michael Hansen and Equal Employment Opportunity is the Law notice by visiting their corresponding links.

Cengage Group is committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities in our job application procedures. If you need assistance or an accommodation due to a disability, you may contact us at accommodations.ta@cengage.com or you may call us at +1 (617) 289-7917.

About Cengage Group

Cengage Group, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

Compensation

At Cengage Group, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees. Click here to learn more about our Total Rewards Philosophy.

The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location. Sales roles often incorporate a significant incentive compensation program beyond this base pay range.

$88,600.00 - $141,800.00 USD