Head of Business Development, Southeast Asia

Oxford International Education Group; United Kingdom; Remote; GBP 125,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

A prominent education provider is seeking a Head of Business Development for Southeast Asia. The role involves developing strategic partnerships and driving revenue growth in international education markets. The ideal candidate has a Master's degree, proven experience in business development within education, and excellent negotiation skills. This position offers flexible remote working arrangements across multiple Southeast Asian locations.

Benefits

Competitive salary

Great place to work certification

Qualifications

• Proven track record of educational business development.
• Strong experience in developing and managing high-value partnerships.
• Demonstrated success in generating revenue through commercial ventures.

Responsibilities

• Develop and implement a comprehensive business development strategy.
• Identify and pursue new business opportunities.
• Build and maintain relationships with international partners and funding agencies.

Skills

Excellent written and spoken English

Negotiation skills

Stakeholder management

Relationship-building

Commercial acumen

Education

Degree-level education; ideally Master’s degree

Tools

Knowledge of CRM systems

Job description

Head of Business Development, Southeast Asia- Oxford International Digital Institute

Location: Remote/ Thailand, Hong Kong and Singapore

Salary: Competitive

About Oxford International Education Group and the Oxford International Digital Institute (OIDI)

Oxford International Education Group is a renowned institution dedicated to providing exceptional educational experiences to international students. With a global presence and a commitment to academic excellence, we strive to empower students to achieve their full potential and thrive in a dynamic, interconnected world. We are proud of our culture and have recently been officially certified as a Great Place to Work ©!

Our extensive portfolio covers university pathway programmes in the UK, Canada and USA; English language schools for adult and junior students; a range educational services including recruitment and processing facilities for universities; and a comprehensive range of online academic and vocational courses offered through the OIDI.

The rapid growth of OIEG has seen the recent creation of a Business Development team to establish relationships with potential partners across all our activity areas. OIDI has grown particularly rapidly since it was established to meet the needs to students and other stakeholders during the Covid pandemic and we are looking for a talented and committed individual to join the Business Development team, working alongside OIDI staff, to accelerate the growth in the number of partners OIDI works with and so increase the numbers students benefitting from OIDI programmes.

Job Purpose

Reporting into the Managing Director for China and Northeast Asia and with the direction from the OIDI Global Commercial Director, the Head of Business Development for Southeast Asia will lead our growth and partnership agenda, identifying and securing new opportunities that enhance institutional recognition, revenue growth, reputation, and strategic influence in the higher education sector in the Southeast Asia market. The role will focus on developing innovative partnerships with HEIs, industry, government, and international stakeholders; expanding commercial education offerings; and driving diversification of income streams in alignment with our mission and values.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic Development

1. Develop and implement a comprehensive business development strategy aligned with institutional priorities and market trends.
2. Identify, evaluate, and pursue new business opportunities as they arise – including commercial education, Government recognitions, transnational education (TNE), and strategic partnerships.
3. Provide insights on market trends, competitor activities, and policy developments in higher education.
4. Contribute to the broader institutional planning as part of the team.

Partnership Development

1. Build and maintain high-value relationships with industry, government bodies, international partners, and funding agencies.
2. Lead the negotiation and management of partnership agreements, contracts, and memoranda of understanding (MOUs).
3. Develop scalable models for collaboration in English training, assessment, and pathways.

Commercial Growth

1. Drive the growth of revenue-generating activities across SE Asia.
2. Oversee bid development for commercial, government and funding opportunities.
3. Work with existing agent network to promote the portfolio of OIDI products.
4. Work with local Governments and Government bodies to maximize commercial potential.

Performance & Reporting

1. Set, monitor and report performance indicators for business development activities.
2. Regularly report progress to Senior Management and stakeholders, highlighting achievements, risks, and opportunities.

Person Specification

Essential

1. Degree-level education; ideally Master’s degree.
2. Language skills: Excellent written and spoken English.
3. Proven track record of educational business development, partnerships, or enterprise initiatives – ideally within higher education or a complex, knowledge-based organisation.
4. Strong experience in developing and managing high-value partnerships.
5. Demonstrated success in generating revenue through commercial or collaborative ventures.
6. Excellent negotiation, stakeholder management, and communication skills.
7. Experience working collaboratively to meet all targets and budgets effectively.
8. Demonstrate success in working with Government, HEIs and international educational agents.

Desirable

1. Understanding of international education markets and trends.
2. Experience in transnational education (TNE), executive education, or research commercialisation.
3. Knowledge of Global Educational industry.
4. Knowledge of CRM systems.

Key Competencies

1. Strategic and analytical thinking.
2. Entrepreneurial mindset.
3. Strong relationship-building and influencing skills.
4. Commercial acumen.
5. Excellent written and verbal communication.
6. Results-oriented, with the ability to balance innovation and compliance.

This job description is provided as a guide to the role. It is not intended to be an exhaustive description of duties and responsibilities and may be subject to periodic revision.

Oxford International is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children. Recruitment checks, including checks with past employees, are undertaken in accordance with our Recruitment and Selection policy.

Oxford International is an equal opportunity employer. Every applicant and employee has the same opportunities regardless of race, colour, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender, gender identity or expression, or veteran status.