Academic Sales Consultant, Higher Education

Pearson; Belfast; Hybrid; GBP 25,000 - 45,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player seeks a dynamic Sales Representative to join their UK & Ireland Sales Team. This remote/field-based role offers an exciting opportunity to engage with Higher Education institutions, driving the adoption of innovative digital and print products. You will build relationships with university leaders and teaching teams, maximizing sales and delivering tailored solutions. If you are a motivated self-starter with a passion for education and sales, this role promises diverse challenges and the chance to make a significant impact in the Higher Education sector, supported by a collaborative team environment.

Qualifications

• Degree-level education preferred with a strong drive for achieving targets.
• Proven track record in a competitive sales environment.

Responsibilities

• Manage territory to drive revenue generation in Higher Education.
• Engage with lecturers and departments to understand challenges.

Skills

Sales Experience

Communication Skills

Negotiation Skills

Organizational Skills

Customer Focus

Time Management

Adaptability

Presentation Skills

Technology Aptitude

Education

Degree-level education

Tools

CRM Software

Job description

About the role

Our Higher Education business brings our leading content and digital courseware to university leaders, teachers and students to support teaching and learning across courses from business to the sciences, psychology and law. We partner with customers to provide world-class products and services that meet their needs, and those of their learners, both today and tomorrow.

We’re seeking a Sales Representative to join our UK & Ireland Sales Team, to be part of our forward success and support of Higher Education customers. You’ll be a highly motivated self-starter who enjoys building networks and meeting new people. Articulate, curious and eager to win, you’ll be energised by spending time in the market to assess opportunities available across a range of university campuses from the diverse campuses of Dublin, Cork, Limerick and beyond, to Belfast and across the major cities of North West England. You’ll introduce our newest innovations across teaching and learning tools alongside our globally renowned authors to deliver support to departments, teaching teams and their students. No two days will be the same and you’ll be well supported by your manager and wider team to enable you to maximise your time and success.

Location - This is a remote/field-based role, with the expectation of 3 – 4 days on campus each week and will involve frequent travel and overnight stays. Candidates must be based within North West England or Northern Ireland due to the location of major accounts and be able to travel as per business requirements.

What you can expect:

Reporting to the Regional Sales Manager, you will manage a territory spanning North West England & Ireland to drive revenue generation at module/lecturer and departmental level within Higher Education Institutions.

According to the account strategy you will engage with lecturers, Module Leaders, Course Directors, and Heads of Departments to understand instructor and learner challenges at the module, program, and departmental levels. You will then work with them to embed print and digital products based on account needs, ensuring effective product delivery to learners, whether digitally, directly to institutions, or through local bookshops.

Key Accountabilities:

• Execute the account strategy to maximise sales of Pearson digital and print products into Higher Education institutions in territory.
• Identify and prioritise target modules in target accounts.
• Sell Pearson products directly to Module Leaders, Course Directors and Heads of Departments.
• Accelerate the institutes transition from print products to digital services.
• Accountable for timely delivery of digital products to modules.
• Drive usage of Pearson products within modules, maximising digital registrations and minimising print returns.
• Deliver year-on-year growth of key accounts.
• Analyse pipeline information and other sales intelligence in order to prioritise Account Team activities.
• Deliver accurate and timely sales proposals at module level.
• Lead effective negotiations to secure and close sales.
• Deliver compelling product demonstrations to highlight Pearson capabilities in line with teaching and learning requirements.
• Maintain accurate and current details of contacts, calls and opportunities in CRM.
• Use CRM to inform sales planning, territory prioritisation, market share analysis and forecasting.
• Provide regular sales reports as required by the Regional Sales Manager and senior management.
• Work effectively with territory sales colleagues and other functions to build a base of high quality, long term adoptions in target accounts to support institution-wide sales.

What we are looking for:

This Sales Representative role provides a great opportunity to develop understanding of the Higher Education sector at a time of exciting change that can be supported and enriched by Pearson’s products and services. The successful candidate would manage their own business, with support from the Regional Sales Manager – and could be a great role for new graduates looking for their first sales role or candidates with sales experience looking to broaden their responsibilities and gain greater commercial exposure within an organisation that invests in professional development.

As part of the role, you will be expected to develop and maintain in-depth knowledge of Pearson print and digital products, including key book titles and their accompanying digital resources. Additionally, you will stay informed about our key digital offerings (Revel, enhanced eBooks etc.) and any technological enhancements to our platforms.

Essential Experience and competencies:

• Degree-level education (preferred) with a strong drive for achieving targets and performance goals.
• Proven track record of delivering results in a competitive sales environment.
• Highly motivated, customer-focused, and committed to excellence.
• Exceptional organisational, planning, and time-management skills.
• Strong communication, interpersonal, and negotiation abilities.
• Flexible and adaptable, demonstrating a collaborative mindset aligned with team and organisational values.
• Proficient in selling, presenting, and influencing decision-makers.
• Quick learner with an aptitude for new technologies, comfortable working with both digital and print media.
• Excellent presentation skills, with the ability to engage and persuade diverse audiences.
• Resilient under pressure, especially during peak ‘Back-to-University’ periods.

Who we are:

At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are.

Pearson is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. We want a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, perspectives and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law.