Advanced specialist, Sales

Job Title: Advanced Specialist, Sales - Enterprise

This Advanced Specialist, Sales - Enterprise, Learning and Skills role is responsible for driving revenue growth across India by generating new business through strategic outbound sales activity and through the active expansion of existing strategic accounts and partnerships. To effectively deliver an annual sales quota, this role requires advanced skills, knowledge and experience in selling HR technology, L&D technology, data science & predictive analytics solutions, assessment technology, and/or learning content solutions.

This role primarily involves presenting and selling complex solutions - focused on Talent planning, Talent sourcing, and Talent Development - at C-suite level to large Indian corporations and government bodies. The key industry verticals for this role is across banking, financial services and insurance, along with government, however all indigenous Indian enterprises are in scope. This role is located in Mumbai, and requires a candidate with strong existing relationships, experience, and motivation to drive business in their region.  

The role also requires a solid understanding of strategic workforce planning concepts, Human Capital Management practice, and HR-related organisational transformation disciplines to align solutions with prospects' evolving workforce needs.

Key responsibilities

• Build and maintain strong relationships with key decision-makers in educational institutions, government agencies, and corporate training organizations. Conduct high-level negotiations and close complex deals to maximize revenue.
• Provide insights on HR-related organisational transformation projects to help internal product and engineering teams to align product roadmap with market needs.
• Act as a trusted advisor to clients, understanding their business needs and offering tailored solutions.
• Represent the company at industry events, conferences, and networking forums. Contribute to team-based solutioning efforts by collaborating on complex, multi-stakeholder deals.
• Collaborate with HR and workforce planning leaders to support organizational transformation initiatives.
• Identify key market segments, emerging trends, and competitive positioning to inform business strategy. Identify, engage, and cultivate relationships with key decision-makers and stakeholders in enterprises at C-suite level.
• Collaborate with Pan-Pearson cross-functional teams, including marketing, product development, and operations, to ensure alignment with ELS business objectives.
• Utilise data-driven insights to forecast sales performance and optimise sales strategies.

Qualifications and skills

• High-level communication skills – ability to engage, persuade, and build strong relationships.
• Advanced negotiation skills – expertise in structuring and closing high-value deals.
• Analytical thinking – ability to assess market data, sales trends, and customer needs.
• Storytelling – capacity to articulate the value proposition in a compelling manner.
• Numeracy – proficiency in interpreting financial and sales metrics.
• Team solutioning – experience in collaborative problem-solving and cross-functional teamwork.
• Strategic workforce planning – ability to align sales efforts with workforce transformation and HR priorities.
• Territory planning – expertise in managing and optimising sales coverage across diverse APAC markets.
• Sales pipeline management – proficiency in tracking, forecasting, and optimizing sales opportunities.
• Human Capital Management knowledge – solid understanding of HR technologies, workforce analytics, and talent strategies.

Qualifications & Experience:

• 5+ years of strategic sales and/or sales engineering experience in education technology, data services, or a related industry.
• Proven track record of achieving and exceeding sales targets in India and/or South Asia.
• Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles.
• Ability to work independently while collaborating effectively with global teams.
• Deep understanding of workforce planning, HR transformation, and organizational change.
• Willingness to travel up to 40% of time.
• Bachelor’s degree in business, Marketing, or related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.