Business Development Director for Middle East

EF Education First Gruppe; Dubai; Hybrid; AED 200,000 - 300,000; Full time

Job summary

A global education company is seeking a Business Development Director for the Middle East to drive growth initiatives in public and private education sectors. The role involves developing market strategies and managing sales cycles. Ideal candidates should have at least 5 years of B2G or B2B sales experience and be fluent in Arabic and English, along with strong negotiation and relationship-building skills. Competitive salary and benefits offered.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Global Experience Program

Collaboration with a talented international team

Paid sabbaticals

Qualifications

• Minimum 5 years’ sales experience within B2G or B2B.
• Proven ability to close complex high-value deals with Government and Institutions.
• Understanding of government procurement policy and education priorities.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute go-to-market plans for educational programs.
• Engage and influence policymakers and education administrators.
• Manage full sales cycles: prospecting to closure.

Skills

Sales experience

Relationship building

Fluent in Arabic

Fluent in English

Negotiation skills

Job description

Overview

Job Position: Business Development Director for Middle East

Reporting to: Senior Vice President

Office Location: Dubai or remote.

Efekta provides the world’s leading AI-powered learning technology. Our mission is to help everyone learn faster and go further by making personal tutoring affordable and accessible. Providing AI Personalized Learning that works alongside human teachers in schools, universities, and global companies. With an AI-driven curriculum, personal AI tutor, and AI teaching assistant, we deliver proven results at large scale.

We have extremely ambitious growth plans and are looking for highly talented and motivated salespeople to join us to help fuel these plans. A career with us offers the scale and support of a global organization, and the pace, purpose, and energy of a fast-growing business. We look for thinkers and doers: creative, collaborative, and motivated people who are excited by education, language, and, in a world of AI, the art of the possible.

Who you are

A driven self-starter with a good instinct, strong ethics, and a proven ability to close complex, strategic deals.

Entrepreneurial and resilient, thriving with autonomy and driving results through creativity and persistence.

Credible in senior stakeholder conversations, communicating with confidence, empathy and active listening.

Naturally curious and commercially sharp, with commitment to continuously learning and adapting.

A networker and relationship builder with communication skills that can ‘sell’ us.

Exceptional organizational skills and can work accurately in a fast-paced environment.

What you’ll do

• Develop and execute go-to-market plans tailored to public school entities, private schools and universities, for our educational programs.
• Engage and influence policymakers, regulators, state legislators, and education administrators to drive initiatives aligned with Efekta's mission.
• Influence or respond to public policy and regulatory changes, often collaborating with lobbyists or Efekta's internal teams.
• Manage full sales cycles: prospecting, proposal design (RFP/RFQ), negotiation, and closure.
• Oversee KPIs such as new partnerships secured, revenue growth, sales funnel velocity.

What you’ll bring

• Minimum 5 years’ sales experience within B2G or B2B.
• Proven ability to close complex high-value deals with Government and Institutions in your region/country.
• Understanding of government procurement policy and process, education priorities and ideally a network in the education sector.
• Fluent in Arabic and English.
• Experience in EdTech, SAAS, or Publishing is a plus.

Why working at Efekta is great

• A balance of autonomy and support to develop and follow your own sales strategy.
• A startup fast-paced environment with real potential to create transformative impact in schools and universities around the world if we succeed.
• Surrounded by passionate talented international teammates who are experts in education, technology and growth and who believe nothing is impossible.
• A chance to participate in our Global Experience Program, spending time in other offices and teams around the world.
• A competitive salary (based on track record) and benefits packages.
• Celebrations, global gatherings and anniversary markers, including paid sabbaticals.

About EF Education First and Efekta

Founded in 1965, EF (Education First) is a global association of education companies with people and innovation at its heart, that shares a common mission of opening the world through education, offering language, academic, cultural exchange and education travel programs.

Efekta is the fastest growing of these companies providing the world’s leading AI-powered learning technology to schools, universities and organisations.

Efekta is proud to be an equal opportunity employer and we are committed to inclusion and belonging across race, ethnicity, gender, age, religion, disability, parental status, identity, experience and everything else that makes you unique.

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