Regional Manager, Solution Sales

Cengage Learning Inc.; Tampa (FL); On-site; USD 89,000 - 115,000; Full time

Job summary

Cengage Learning Inc. is seeking a Regional Manager of Solutions Specialists to lead a team of ~10 sales professionals focused on new business and digital adoption across course and department levels. You will coach, guide strategy, and drive disciplined execution in the sales cycle.

You will partner with cross-functional teams, manage pipeline in Salesforce, monitor KPIs, and recruit top talent to sustain performance. Travel to campuses as needed.

Qualifications

• 5–7+ years of experience in sales, education, or EdTech roles with strong new business performance.
• 1–3+ years of team leadership, coaching, or mentoring experience.
• Demonstrated ability to coach sales talent in discovery, value-based selling, demos, and closing.
• Strong understanding of consultative sales motions and competitive displacement strategies.
• Proficiency with CRM tools (Salesforce preferred), data analysis, and territory planning.

Responsibilities

• Lead and coach a team of ~10 Solutions Specialists across full cycle new business.
• Forecast, monitor KPIs, and drive pipeline hygiene in Salesforce.
• Coordinate with cross-functional teams for strategy and deal support.
• Partner with Account Directors to align with institutional strategy and wins.
• Recruit and develop top performers for future leadership roles.
• Provide coaching on discovery, demos, messaging, and competitive positioning.
• Ensure high-quality discovery, demo excellence, and value messaging.

Skills

Team leadership

Sales coaching

Discovery

Demos

Consultative selling

CRM Salesforce

Territory planning

Communication skills

Travel flexibility

Tools

Salesforce

Job description

We believe in the power and joy of learning

At Cengage, our employees have a direct impact in helping learners around the world discover the power and joy of learning. We are bonded by our shared purpose – driving innovation that helps millions of learners improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

The Regional Manager of Solutions Specialists leads a team of approximately 10 discipline aligned, new business sellers responsible for driving digital adoption, capturing competitive takeaways, and growing market share at the course and department level. This manager is a critical first line sales leader who coaches the team through the entire sales cycle, ensures disciplined execution, and drives accountability against new business and digital adoption targets .

Operating within Cengage’s specialized coverage model, the Regional Manager provides day-to-day coaching, strategic deal guidance, territory prioritization, and partnership with cross functional teams. They ensure Solutions Specialists deliver exceptional discovery, consultative selling, demo excellence, and competitive positioning. The Regional Manager collaborates with the National Director of Solution Sales to help shape national strategy while ensuring strong local execution.

This role requires a leader who is hands-on, data driven, inspiring, and adept at developing a high performing sales team.

Key Responsibilities

Leadership, Coaching & Team Development

• Lead and develop a team of ~10 Solutions Specialists responsible for full cycle course- and department level new business.
• Conduct regular 1:1s, field coaching, and joint customer engagements to strengthen discovery, demo quality, and closing skills.
• Build a culture of performance, accountability, collaboration, and continuous improvement.
• Provide role clarity and coaching to ensure alignment with the specialized new business sales motion.

2. New Business Strategy & Sales Execution

• Guide the team in building and executing discipline aligned, data driven territory plans .
• Ensure high-quality pipeline creation and consistent progression through the sales funnel.
• Review opportunity strategies and provide actionable feedback on positioning, messaging, and competitive differentiation.
• Drive team accountability for achieving discipline specific new business, digital adoption, and competitive displacement targets .

3. Deal Support & Strategic Opportunity Management

• Partner with Solutions Specialists on high potential or complex opportunities, providing coaching and tactical support.
• Coordinate with Product Consultants to ensure timely SME engagement for down funnel support and high stakes presentations.
• Reinforce excellence in demo delivery, solution mapping, and value messaging to improve team win rates.
• Support cross-team collaboration during multi-section or multicourse opportunities.

4. Collaboration With Account Teams

• Maintain tight alignment with Account Directors to ensure departmental wins clearly support broader institutional strategy .
• Share insights from departmental activity that may influence institutional conversations—without handing opportunities off.
• Partner with Account Directors to ensure visibility, consistency, and strategic harmonization across campus stakeholders.

5. Cross Functional Partnership

• Collaborate with Customer Success to ensure adoption considerations are incorporated early in the sales process.
• Work with Product, Marketing, and Technology to share customer insights, support campaigns, and identify solution gaps.
• Participate in cross-functional planning to ensure Solutions Specialists are equipped with the right tools, messaging, and competitive intelligence.

6. Pipeline, Forecasting & Operational Excellence

• Drive accurate forecasting and ensure pipeline hygiene within Salesforce.
• Monitor KPIs to identify coaching needs, performance gaps, and territory optimization opportunities.
• Lead weekly sales reviews and performance checkpoints to ensure focus on the highest value opportunities.
• Support messaging consistency, enablement adoption, and process adherence across the team.

7. Recruiting, Hiring & Talent Development

• Help recruit and onboard high caliber Solutions Specialists with strong consultative selling and digital competency.
• Build a talent pipeline and partner with leadership to expand or scale the team as needed.
• Develop top performers for future leadership or senior specialist roles.

Qualifications

Required

• 5–7+ years of experience in sales, education, or EdTech roles with strong new business performance.
• 1–3+ years of team leadership, coaching, or mentoring experience (formal or informal).
• Demonstrated ability to coach sales talent in discovery, value-based selling, demos, and closing.
• Strong understanding of consultative sales motions and competitive displacement strategies.
• Proficiency with CRM tools (Salesforce preferred), data analysis, and territory planning.
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills.
• Ability to travel to campuses, regional meetings, and events as needed.

Preferred

• Experience leading or supporting specialized, disciplinealigned sales teams.
• Knowledge of higher education markets, faculty workflows, and digital learning solutions.
• Experience collaborating with Product, Marketing, and Customer Success teams.
• Teaching or academic background is a plus.

Cengage is committed to working with broad talent pools to attract and hire strong and most qualified individuals. Our job applicants are considered regardless of any classification protected by applicable federal, state, provincial or local laws.

Cengage is also committed to providing reasonable accommodations for qualified individuals with disabilities including during our job application process. If you are an applicant with a disability and require reasonable accommodation in our job application process, please contact us at [e-mail] .

About Cengage

Cengage, a global education technology company serving millions of learners, provides affordable, quality digital products and services that equip students with the skills and competencies needed to be job ready. For more than 100 years, we have enabled the power and joy of learning with trusted, engaging content, and now, integrated digital platforms. We serve the higher education, workforce skills, secondary education, English language teaching and research markets worldwide. Through our scalable technology, including MindTap and Cengage Unlimited, we support all learners who seek to improve their lives and achieve their dreams through education.

Compensation

At Cengage, we take great pride in our commitment to providing a comprehensive and rewarding Total Rewards package designed to support and empower our employees.

The full base pay range has been provided for this position. Individual base pay will vary based on work schedule, qualifications, experience, internal equity, and geographic location.

In this position, you will be eligible to participate in the company’svariable Salesincentive compensation program.

• $88,600.00 - $115,200.00 USD
• Target Variable Compensation:
• 55,000.00 USD Annual: Individual Target
• annually

Actual incentive earnings are not guaranteed and may be more or less than the target amount based on achievement of performance goals and the terms of the applicable incentive compensation plan.