Madrid-Based Strategic Partnerships Director (9-Month FTC)

Times Higher Education; Madrid; On-site; EUR 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Times Higher Education in Madrid, Spain, is seeking a Business Development Director on a maternity cover contract. You will lead enterprise sales, identify strategic opportunities, and build partnerships with universities and corporate partners to drive growth.

You will manage end-to-end deal processes, mentor a growing team, and navigate complex procurement, tenders and RFPs while traveling to key markets.

Qualifications

• Significant experience in business development or enterprise sales within a data, information or SaaS business, including leading or mentoring others.
• Proven record of winning large new logos and closing complex, multi-stakeholder deals.
• Experience selling into higher education (or adjacent corporate organisations) with understanding of university decision-making.
• Experience building partnerships or channels (e.g. government bodies, consortia, foundations).
• Credible with senior leaders such as Vice-Chancellors, DVCs, Registrars and CIOs or equivalent stakeholders.
• Grounded in a formal sales methodology and qualification framework (e.g. BANT); confident Salesforce user with disciplined forecasting.
• Experience across international markets; willingness to travel.
• Experience with tenders and RFPs, including public-sector, private-sector or university procurement processes.

Responsibilities

• Develop market-entry and growth strategies for priority regions and segments, contributing to go-to-market planning and sales strategy.
• Identify and pursue high-value institutional opportunities, leading complex sales involving multiple stakeholders.
• Build relationships with senior university leaders and sector influencers.
• Develop strategic partnerships that support growth objectives.
• Support, train and mentor Business Development Managers.
• Qualify new opportunities quickly and route through the Deal Desk for approval; log contract value and dates.

Skills

Enterprise sales

Strategic partnerships

Mentoring

Forecasting

Salesforce

Deal negotiations

Public-sector procurement

Travel willingness

Higher education sales

Job description

Times Higher Education in Madrid, Spain, is seeking a Business Development Director on a maternity cover contract. You will lead enterprise sales, identify strategic opportunities, and build partnerships with universities and corporate partners to drive growth.

You will manage end-to-end deal processes, mentor a growing team, and navigate complex procurement, tenders and RFPs while traveling to key markets.