Lead Specialist, Partnership Management

Pearson; Singapore; On-site; SGD 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

A global education firm in Singapore is seeking a Lead Specialist in Partnership Management who will secure transformative partnerships with governments and universities. The role requires 8 years of enterprise closing experience and proven ability to manage complex high-value deals. You will engage with C-level stakeholders and lead cross-functional teams to drive strategic initiatives. The ideal candidate is a compelling storyteller with strong project management skills, familiar with public sector procurement processes and CRM tools.

Qualifications

• 8 years of enterprise closing experience with a proven track record of 6-figure wins.
• Proven track record in securing and managing complex high-value deals.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead cross-functional teams.

Responsibilities

• Lead and orchestrate institutional and government sales engagements.
• Engage senior stakeholders to develop trusted advisory relationships.
• Create and deliver annual account plans for strategic clients.

Skills

Enterprise closing experience

Project management skills

C-level engagement

Strong storytelling ability

Familiarity with Challenger/MEDDICC methodology

Tools

Salesforce

Tableau

MS Office

G-Suite

Job description

Description

Job Title: Lead Specialist Partnership Management

Description: you will pursue and secure transformative multiyear partnerships with governments, universities and enterprise clients across priority markets.

At Pearson our mission is to help people realise the life they imagine through learning. As a Lead Specialist Partnership Management for International Higher Education you will pursue and secure transformative multiyear partnerships with governments, universities and enterprise clients across priority markets.

Reporting to the Director of Strategic Sales and embedded in the central team that leads Pearson's most strategic and complex commercial agreements you bring together the right people, processes and market intelligence, mobilising internal stakeholders and resources at the right moments to shape, pursue and win must‑win programmes. You’ll influence senior leadership and government stakeholders, navigate public‑sector procurement and manage multimillion‑pound solution‑focused programmes, applying authority and credibility at the highest decision‑making levels to deliver measurable revenue growth, reference‑worthy deployments and strategic positioning for Pearson. Every deal you land helps shape our product roadmap and sector narrative.

Key Responsibilities

• Lead and orchestrate institutional and government sales engagements owning the full lifecycle from opportunity identification through contract finalisation and implementation.
• Engage senior stakeholders including, but not limited to, Vice Chancellors, Ministries and procurement bodies, developing trusted advisory relationships that position Pearson as a strategic partner.
• Create and deliver annual account plans for strategic government and institutional clients. Work with clients to define ambitious revenue targets and partnership objectives and execute against these plans to expand Pearson's footprint and influence.
• Run world‑class discovery to uncover institutional pain points and policy drivers; translate findings into crisp problem/solution narratives and bespoke proposals.
• Create and progress pipeline through multiple channels, converting warm leads from events, conferences and marketing programmes, and proactively generate net‑new opportunities through insight‑driven outbound (email, phone, social). You won't wait for leads – you'll own pipeline creation and qualification.
• Build and leverage an internal network across Pearson, knowing when to pull in the right expertise (Product Delivery, Legal, Finance, Marketing) at the right time to accelerate deal strategy and execution.
• Drive RFP responses and complex bids, collaborating with cross‑functional teams to deliver tailored outcome‑focused solutions.
• Close large strategic deals (7‑figure multiyear opportunities) while building reference‑worthy deployments.
• Represent Pearson with authority at policy forums, sector events and senior stakeholder meetings; act as a visible leader in higher education.
• Analyse bid and sales performance, implement continuous improvements and champion enhancements to sales tools and templates.
• Leverage AI as a force multiplier for account research, prospecting, prioritisation, call prep and follow‑through; share what works to uplevel the team.

What You Bring

• 8 years enterprise closing experience (EdTech SaaS or professional services) with a proven track record of 6‑figure wins and participation in 7‑figure multiyear deals.
• Proven track record in securing and managing complex high‑value deals in institutional or government markets.
• Comfort engaging at C‑level and with senior government stakeholders to influence decision‑making.
• Strong project management skills with the ability to lead dispersed cross‑functional teams in a matrixed organization.
• Executive presence and communication skills. Be a compelling storyteller, have strong discovery discipline and the ability to convert insights into business cases.
• Familiarity with Challenger/MEDDICC methodology; rigorous qualification and consensus building.
• Experience with public sector procurement processes (RFPs, RFIs, framework agreements) is highly desirable.
• Proficiency in CRM and collaboration tools (e.g. Salesforce, Tableau, Jira, MS Office, G‑Suite).
• Fluency in English required; additional languages are an asset.

What Success Looks Like

• Ramp quickly: Master Ideal Customer Profiles, policy priorities and talk track; run qualified discovery in months 2‑3.
• Pipeline to quota: Build a healthy self‑sourced partnered pipeline and consistently hit annual targets while maintaining high forecast accuracy through disciplined deal qualification and predictable execution.
• Flagship wins: Close multiple 6‑figure new logos and advance 12 seven‑figure strategic opportunities within the first year.
• Product impact: Deliver prioritised feedback that shapes roadmap; contribute repeatable templates and AI workflows.
• References: Land 23 deployments that become public case studies or sector benchmarks.

Employment Details

• Employment Type: Full‑Time
• Experience: years
• Vacancy: 1