POSITION SUMMARY:

The Director, Business Development and Outreach (the Director) leads the B2B strategy for the US market. The Director serves as the primary resource for educational institutions and professional organizations in matters relating to the use of IELTS (International English Language Testing System) results in the admissions process across the United States. Through the creation and execution of a strategic business development plan, the Director leads the effort to: promote evidence-based admission policies; expand the breadth of use of IELTS in admission practices; and deepen the understanding of the IELTS examinations among admission and academic professionals. 

The Director implements an effective support and new business development strategy that will expand IELTS USA’s reach to institutions and organizations, strengthen stakeholder relationships, and provide training and development for direct reports. The Director also incorporates recommendations from the IELTS USA Higher Education Advisory Council in building and enacting strategies that support use of the test by higher and secondary education stakeholders.  Additionally, the Director advises on and supports the implementation of new projects and products for the IELTS partnership.

What Makes IELTS USA Special?

IELTS USA provides information and support to organizations that use IELTS to measure the English language proficiency of international applicants and works with US stakeholders to increase the number of institutions and programs that use the test throughout the United States. We are passionate about creating pathways to secondary, post-secondary, and professional education, employment, and immigration.  We foster an organizational culture that embraces accountability, integrity, communication, innovation, and self-motivation. We understand that we succeed when we work together as a team, and we work diligently to support one another to achieve both individual and organizational goals. 

Requirements

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Higher Education 

• Develop, lead, and execute an annual comprehensive higher education and new business development strategy for the US market and provide quarterly updates on key metrics to the IELTS USA board of directors.
• Utilize data-driven insights to make informed decisions and continuously enhance the effectiveness of the higher education and new business development strategy.
• Partner with the Executive Director to develop and manage the annual departmental budget.
• Host the annual IELTS USA Advisory Council: develop the council’s agenda, manage the execution of projects emerging from Advisory Council meetings, and facilitate effective board/staff communications.
• Serve on joint committees across the partnership as an ex-officio or other member. Serve as a liaison across the global partnership and IELTS USA team providing insights into U.S. recognition and new business development strategies. 

People Management  

• Lead the team’s outreach to strategic higher education accounts and new business opportunities, with a focus on building deeper awareness of test construction, design, validity and scoring methodology to inform institutions’ evidence based IELTS policies.
• Provide guidance and oversight of the Higher Education team’s individual strategic plans to include the development of relationships with key stakeholders to build the IELTS brand and reputation.
• Oversee the direct reports’ development and management of recognition programs including webinars, on-site visits, and follow-ups in support of identified growth, retention, and new business development strategies.
• Collaborate with direct reports to designate team members to represent IELTS USA through presentations and exhibitions at key national and regional conferences; develop opportunities to expand reach through contacts at conferences. 
• Lead the account management process for direct reports, establishing regional account targets and setting and managing key performance indicators. 
• Provide oversight and direction for data projects that inform communication plans, current and new business development strategies and support, and new project and product development.

Project Management 

• Overall project management, including planning and executing projects in the areas of strategy, new project and product launches, and data management.
• Provide guidance on the rollout of new IELTS services and product launches in collaboration with global partners, working groups, and direct reports. Implement evaluation tools to inform product improvements and update releases for products serving enrollment management offices in the US.
• Utilize technology and best practices to improve internal processes for new projects and product launches.
• Oversee efforts to ensure candidates and colleges receive services from partner-managed areas in support of ongoing use of IELTS in admission.

Marketing

• Maintain strategic insights in collaboration with the IELTS global and US marketing team; execute agreed targeted competitor communications.
• Collaborate with Marketing to monitor, analyze and report on competitor activity and information. Create or adjust plans according to shifts in market dynamics. 
• Collaborate with global and US staff to develop and implement creative marketing and outreach initiatives delivered via email, newsletter, social media. 
• Collaborate to ensure marketing communications are reflective of the needs of the US higher education market and new markets, support development of collateral and training materials for higher education constituents.

People Development

• Develop and implement onboarding for new employees and advise on ongoing training opportunities for existing employees.
• Conducts annual training and development needs assessment.
• Serves as a coach to all direct reports to identify employee development opportunities and areas for professional growth. 

Technology

• Experience using CRMs (Salesforce experience preferred), project management tools (Trello preferred), and comprehensive marketing automation tools (Pardot preferred).
• Experience using virtual meeting technology (Zoom, Teams, Google Meet).

Research

• Oversee the maintenance of the IELTS USA Research agenda in collaboration with Graduate and ESL staff, and in consultation with the IELTS Partners Joint Research Council (JRC) and the Executive Director.

Other

• Regular travel, both domestically and internationally.

KEY STAKEHOLDERS:

• College/university Enrollment Management staff
• Secondary school admission and counseling staff
•  English Language faculty
• Higher Education trade associations
• Professional programs and associations
• IELTS Partners, including global internal working groups
• Higher Education Advisory Council members

QUALIFICATIONS, KNOWLEDGE & SKILL REQUIRED:

• Master’s degree and a minimum of 10 years of progressively responsible work experience and developing outreach teams. 
• At least 7 years of experience building data-driven business development strategies and measuring outcomes.
• At least 7 years of experience leading a sales and/or recruitment function within an educational-focused business or higher education institution (with a strong international component), with ability to speak to and demonstrate those outcomes.
• Understanding of and appreciation for the role English language proficiency testing plays in US higher education both at the undergraduate and graduate levels; teaching experience a plus.
• Understanding of current tools used by admission professionals and a vision for how IELTS services can be optimally deployed through those tools.
• Experience managing staff responsible for CRMs (ideally Salesforce, other).
• Experience overseeing recruitment marketing or collaborating with marketing to provide input on recruitment strategies.
• The ability to communicate both up and downstream to team members.
• Excel at and prioritizing multiple projects, including monitoring project timelines and consistently meeting or exceeding agreed-upon deadlines.
• Professionally write and communicate deliverables including but not limited to IELTS USA      team members, global IELTS team members, and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated experience creating and leading large-scale (national, international) initiatives including developing strategy, budget, staffing, and advocacy.
• Solid understanding of US higher education and international education models
• Established network of contacts in U.S. higher education, ideally in international admissions.
• Demonstrated ability to network, consultatively sell, and maintain relationships with key stakeholders.
• Strong presentation skills, with a demonstrated record of presenting at large-scale conferences.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills, writing for academic/trade publications a strong advantage. 
• Superior negotiation and problem-solving skills
• Strong project planning and management skills
• Employee and team development, strategic planning and leadership experience 
• Ability to travel 25%; must hold a passport that allows for travel to and from the US and must be willing to travel internationally 2-3 times/year.