Head - Inside & Channel Sales - Education

Company Overview:An online program management company working as a strategic partner for top tier education institutes and universities in India and the Middle East and Africa offering services like program development and delivery, market development and growth and student success and support. It is also a leader in the market of student acquisition by way of digital and offline marketing. Job Summary: The Head of Sales will spearhead revenue growth by leading a large-scale Inside Sales function (500+ team members) and a strategic Channel Sales ecosystem. This leader will define and implement sales strategies that drive student acquisition, maximize partner contributions, and ensure world-class execution across the company's online and blended education offerings. The ideal candidate has deep experience in edtech sales leadership, team scaling, performance-driven culture building, and relationship management with institutional, channel, and strategic partners. Key Responsibilities: 1. Sales Strategy & Leadership - Develop and execute a unified sales strategy for Inside Sales and Channel Sales aligned with organizations growth objectives. - Set aggressive enrollment and revenue targets and ensure consistent achievement across both sales channels. - Build and optimize frameworks for forecasting, funnel management, and productivity improvement at scale. - Drive a culture of high performance, discipline, and accountability for a large, diverse sales organization. 2. Inside Sales Leadership (500+ Team Size) - Lead and manage a large Inside Sales organization including sales managers, team leads, counselors, and support staff. - Design high-efficiency inside sales processes for lead handling, counseling, conversions, and student engagement. - Implement strong tracking systems for activities, conversion metrics, quality audits, and performance KPIs. - Establish training, coaching, and capability-building programs for large sales operations. - Drive automation, CRM discipline, and data-backed decision-making across the team. 3. Channel Sales Management - Develop a high-impact network of channel partners, education consultants, and affiliate networks to grow enrollment. - Launch and manage partner programs, incentives, certification processes, and co-marketing initiatives. - Drive partner onboarding, enablement, and ongoing performance monitoring. - Build deep relationships with key partners to ensure sustained channel-driven revenue. - Negotiate strategic alliances and partnerships to expand reach. 4. Revenue & Performance Management - Own end-to-end revenue KPIs including leads, pipeline, conversion, CAC, enrolments, and partner contributions. - Establish dashboards and analytics to track team performance, partner performance, and forecast accuracy. - Continuously optimize sales cycles and remove bottlenecks to increase efficiency. - Ensure compliance with organizational processes, regulatory requirements, and quality standards. 5. Cross-Functional Collaboration - Partner with Marketing for demand generation, lead quality improvement, and performance marketing alignment. - Collaborate with Product & Academics teams to build compelling course value propositions and feedback loops. - Work closely with Student Success/Counseling teams to ensure smooth onboarding and retention.6. Team Building & Culture Development - Recruit, develop, and retain top-performing sales leaders across inside and channel sales. - Build a scalable, positive, and performance-driven culture rooted in student-centricity. - Implement leadership development programs and succession planning to scale sustainably. Bachelor's degree required, MBA or equivalent preferred. - 12 - 18 years of experience in sales, with at least 7+ years in a senior leadership role managing large teams (400- 1,000+ people). - Proven track record in edtech / education services, preferably in online education, universities, or learning platforms. - Extensive experience managing both Inside Sales and Channel/Partner Sales. - Strong understanding of CRM systems (e.g., Salesforce, LeadSquared). - Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder management abilities. - Data-driven, process-oriented, and comfortable working in high-growth, high-scale environments. (ref:iimjobs.com)