Hybrid Strategic Sales Executive

at Pearson VUE

• Job title: Strategic Sales Executive
• Job type: Full Time
• Experience level: Senior, Lead
• Salary: Not specified
• Degree requirement: Bachelor's Degree
• Tech skills: Tableau
• Location requirements: Hybrid, Melbourne, Australia

About the role

• Strategic Sales Executive securing transformative multi-year partnerships across higher education and government sectors. Influencing key stakeholders while driving profitable growth and strategic positioning for Pearson.

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, 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, multi‑year 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.

Requirements

• 8+ years’ enterprise closing experience (EdTech, SaaS, or professional services) with a proven track record of 6‑figure wins and participation in 7‑figure, multi‑year 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.

Benefits

• Competitive salary
• Flexible working hours
• Professional development budget
• Home office setup allowance
• Global team events