Education Sales Manager
Bedford, Bedfordshire, UK
Salary: £35,000 - £40,000 + performance-related commission/bonus
Reporting to: Managing Director
Full time / Permanent
The Role
The Sales Manager will be responsible for driving new business growth while nurturing and expanding existing client relationships. This is a hands-on, consultative sales role, ideal for someone who enjoys building long-term partnerships rather than transactional selling.
You will play a key role in shaping our sales strategy, developing pipelines across education and public-sector markets, and representing us to senior stakeholders including colleges, universities, employers, local authorities, and government-funded bodies.
Key Responsibilities
1. Develop and deliver a sales strategy aligned to our growth objectives
2. Identify, pursue, and secure new business opportunities across education, training, and public-sector markets
3. Build and manage a strong pipeline of leads, partnerships, and contracts
4. Lead sales conversations with senior decision-makers (e.g. Heads of Department, Directors, Procurement leads)
5. Manage and grow existing client relationships to maximise retention and repeat business
6. Support bids, tenders, and funding-related opportunities where required
7. Accurately forecast sales activity and performance using CRM systems
8. Collaborate closely with delivery, curriculum, and leadership teams to ensure proposals are viable and high quality
9. Represent us at events, meetings, and networking opportunities
Person Specification
Essential
10. Proven experience in B2B sales, business development, or sales management
11. Experience selling services or solutions (rather than purely product-based sales)
12. Strong track record of building relationships and closing deals
13. Excellent communication and negotiation skills
14. Comfortable working autonomously in a growing organisation
15. Strong organisational skills and pipeline management capability
Desirable
16. Experience within education, training, EdTech, apprenticeships, or professional learning
17. Knowledge of public-sector or government-funded contracts
18. Experience working with CRM systems (e.g. HubSpot, Salesforce, Keap)
19. Background in construction, the built environment, or STEM-related sectors
20. Experience contributing to bids or tender processes
What We Offer
21. Opportunity to play a key role in a growing, mission-led organisation
22. High level of autonomy and influence over sales strategy
23. Competitive salary with performance-related commission/bonus
24. Flexible working arrangements
25. Opportunity to work at the intersection of education, technology, and industry
26. Potential for progression as the organisation grows
We are dedicated to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and expect all staff to share this commitment. You will have a safeguarding responsibility if appointed.
The successful candidate will be subject to enhanced clearance through the Disclosure and Barring Service and employment will be subject to references.
This post is not exempt from the Rehabilitation of Offenders Act 1974.