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- Tasks: Lead the EMEA sales strategy and drive digital transformation in education.
- Company: Cengage International, a leader in educational technology and digital learning.
- Benefits: Competitive salary, leadership development, and the chance to shape the future of education.
- Why this job: Join a dynamic team and make a real impact on millions of learners worldwide.
- Qualifications: Proven leadership in sales, digital transformation experience, and strong cross-functional collaboration skills.
- Other info: Opportunity to inspire diverse teams and drive innovation in a fast-paced environment.
The predicted salary is between 72000 - 108000 £ per year.
Cengage International is undergoing a major transformation shifting from a holding-company structure to an integrated operating model while accelerating our transition from print to digital and scaling Cengage Learning Platforms (CLP). We are seeking a highly accomplished, strategic, and execution-focused leader to lead the full EMEA business. This role leads end-to-end commercial performance across Higher Education, Gale, and English Language Teaching (ELT), driving revenue, profitability, digital adoption, customer success, and operational excellence across a diverse and nuanced region.
Key Responsibilities:
- Full ownership of revenue delivery, forecast accuracy, and commercial execution across EMEA
- Scale digital/CLP penetration and accelerate print-to-digital transition
- Lead regional planning, pipeline health, commercial governance, and pricing execution
- Lead pre-sales, sales, channel partners/distributors, and customer success teams
- Build a high-performing, digitally ready sales organisation
- Drive enterprise-level execution rigour supported by RevOps and Enablement
- Strengthen distributor/partner governance, commercial rigour, and performance visibility across EMEA markets
- Deep customer engagement across Higher Ed, Institutions, Ministries, and Channels
- Elevate customer lifetime value, retention, and expansion metrics
- Navigate diverse markets, languages, and regulatory environments
- Drive digital-first mentality, processes, metrics, and operating excellence
- Align EMEA to global GTM model, central playbooks, and operating principles
- Challenge status-quo and anchor continuous improvement and execution accountability
- People-first leadership mentality; culture is the foundation of everything we build
- Inspire high-performing, diverse teams across countries, languages, and customer segments
- Instil a culture of ownership, accountability, and execution excellence
- Develop future leaders and build a strong leadership bench in-region
- Embed BOLD, customer-obsession, and digital-first thinking across the team
Skills you will need here:
- Proven leadership of $100M+ revenue across EMEA
- Built and led high-performing, multi-country Sales and Customer Success organisations
- Deep digital transformation experience
- Proven success transitioning traditional models to digital and SaaS-like models
- Experience working with partners/alliances/resellers
- Operates with high ownership and low supervision
- Evidence of building and scaling data-driven, accountable teams
- Demonstrated operational rigour across forecasting, pipeline health, and full-cycle sales execution
- Proven cross-functional collaborator with strong execution regimen
- Led second- and third-line teams across EMEA with deep understanding of market diversity, cultural nuances, and operating complexities
- Background in EdTech, Learning, SaaS, or Education Services
- Experience in emerging markets, complex government sectors, and channel/distributor models
- Multi-product commercial leadership (solutions + content + platform)
- Customer-obsessed operator
- Challenges conventional thinking; drives transformation
- Leads digital-first transformation with clarity and conviction
- Strategic problem solver who owns execution personally
- Learns fast; adapts quickly to new environments and complexity
- Operates with high accountability and low supervision
- Inspires teams across cultures, languages, and markets
- Demonstrates strong executive presence and clear communication
- Data-driven and performance-oriented
Why Join:
This is a rare opportunity to shape the future of education in one of the most dynamic global markets. You will join a bold, growth-focused leadership team building a high-performing global business, defining the future of digital learning for millions of learners.
Director, Sales - EMEA employer: Cengage Learning (EMEA) Ltd (UK)
Contact Detail:
Cengage Learning (EMEA) Ltd (UK) Recruiting Team
StudySmarter Expert Advice 🤫
We think this is how you could land Director, Sales - EMEA
✨Tip Number 1
Network like a pro! Reach out to connections in the EdTech space, especially those who have experience in EMEA markets. A friendly chat can lead to insider info about job openings or even a referral.
✨Tip Number 2
Prepare for interviews by researching the company’s digital transformation journey. Show us you understand their shift from print to digital and how you can contribute to that vision.
✨Tip Number 3
Practice your pitch! Be ready to articulate your leadership style and how you've driven revenue growth in previous roles. We want to hear about your successes in building high-performing teams.
✨Tip Number 4
Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way to ensure your application gets noticed. Plus, it shows you’re genuinely interested in joining our mission to transform education.
We think you need these skills to ace Director, Sales - EMEA
Some tips for your application 🫡
Tailor Your CV: Make sure your CV is tailored to the role of Director, Sales - EMEA. Highlight your experience in leading high-performing sales teams and driving digital transformation, as these are key aspects of the job. We want to see how your background aligns with our mission!
Craft a Compelling Cover Letter: Your cover letter is your chance to shine! Use it to tell us why you're passionate about education and how you can contribute to our digital-first approach. Be sure to mention specific achievements that demonstrate your ability to drive revenue and customer success.
Showcase Your Leadership Style: We’re looking for someone with a people-first leadership mentality. In your application, share examples of how you've inspired diverse teams and fostered a culture of accountability and execution excellence. Let us know how you challenge the status quo!
Apply Through Our Website: Don’t forget to apply through our website! It’s the best way for us to receive your application and ensures you’re considered for this exciting opportunity. We can’t wait to see what you bring to the table!
How to prepare for a job interview at Cengage Learning (EMEA) Ltd (UK)
✨Know Your Numbers
As a candidate for the Director, Sales - EMEA role, it's crucial to come prepared with specific figures that demonstrate your past successes. Be ready to discuss revenue growth percentages, digital adoption rates, and customer retention metrics you've achieved in previous roles. This shows you understand the importance of data-driven decision-making.
✨Understand the Market Landscape
Familiarise yourself with the diverse markets within EMEA, including cultural nuances and regulatory environments. Research recent trends in EdTech and digital transformation. This knowledge will help you articulate how you can navigate these complexities and drive commercial success across the region.
✨Showcase Leadership Style
Prepare to discuss your people-first leadership mentality. Share examples of how you've built high-performing teams and fostered a culture of accountability and execution excellence. Highlight your experience in developing future leaders and how you inspire diverse teams across different countries.
✨Align with Company Vision
Demonstrate your understanding of Cengage International's transformation goals. Be ready to discuss how you would align the EMEA strategy with the global go-to-market model and central playbooks. Show that you are not just a fit for the role but also passionate about shaping the future of education through digital-first thinking.
