About The Role

Lead Specialist, Sales (Partner GTM Lead, EMEA)

This role is ideal for a commercially driven leader who thrives at the intersection of strategic partnerships, enterprise growth and go-to-market innovation.

As Lead Specialist, Sales, you'll accelerate Pearson's growth across EMEA by developing strategic alliances, shaping go-to-market strategies, and supporting complex enterprise and government opportunities. Working across sales, partnerships, product and solutions teams, you'll help create scalable growth frameworks that strengthen Pearson's market position and drive long-term business success.

The role aligns with industry-level titles such as Partner Developmental Manager, Alliance Manager, Alliance Leader, GTM Lead, Ecosystem Partnerships Lead, Strategic Growth Manager, Consulting Partnerships Lead or Business Development Director.

The Role

As Lead Specialist, Sales, you'll be responsible for creating the strategic conditions that enable Pearson to accelerate sustainable growth across EMEA.

This is more than a traditional sales role. While commercially focused, your success will come from identifying market opportunities, developing strategic partnerships, shaping enterprise propositions, and enabling large-scale customer engagements rather than managing a conventional sales territory or quota alone.

You'll collaborate closely with sales, product, solutions, strategy and delivery teams to build strategic partner ecosystems, develop repeatable go-to-market frameworks, and support major enterprise and government opportunities. You'll also play an important role in strengthening Pearson's external market presence through thought leadership and strategic industry engagement.

Operating across a highly matrixed environment, you'll influence outcomes through expertise, credibility and collaborative leadership, helping Pearson identify where to play, how to win and how to scale growth through partnerships.

The role is UK-based and supports customers, partners and stakeholders across the EMEA region. Travel throughout EMEA will be required to support strategic partnerships, customer engagements and major growth initiatives.

In your first six months, your focus will be on understanding Pearson's enterprise portfolio, building strategic partner relationships, identifying high-priority growth opportunities, and establishing scalable frameworks that support long-term market expansion.

What You'll Own

You'll

Identify, evaluate and develop strategic growth opportunities across enterprise, government and institutional markets.
Analyse market trends and customer challenges to help shape Pearson's long-term growth strategy.
Build and activate strategic partnerships with leading consulting, technology and professional services organisations.
Develop joint propositions, go-to-market strategies and scalable partnership models that drive measurable business outcomes.
Combine Pearson's products, services and capabilities into compelling customer propositions and solution frameworks.
Support major enterprise opportunities by developing executive narratives, strategic positioning and customer engagement approaches.
Facilitate customer workshops, co-design sessions and strategic discussions with senior stakeholders.
Partner with sales and solutions teams to shape complex pursuits and strengthen opportunity conversion.
Create market-facing thought leadership, strategic insights and points of view that strengthen Pearson's market presence.
Represent Pearson at industry events, executive forums, partner communities and customer engagements.
Develop reusable sales playbooks, growth methodologies and engagement frameworks to improve commercial effectiveness across the region.
Coach and support Client Partners, Solution Leads and Sales Directors on opportunity shaping and strategic selling approaches.
Influence stakeholders across sales, product, delivery, strategy and partnership functions to drive successful outcomes.
Track and report strategic partnership performance, growth initiatives and market development activities against agreed objectives.

About You

You're a commercially minded leader who understands how to create growth through strategic partnerships, market development and enterprise engagement.

You bring experience operating within complex organisations and have a track record of translating market opportunities into scalable commercial outcomes. You're comfortable engaging senior executives, building strategic alliances, influencing stakeholders without direct authority, and developing innovative approaches to solving customer challenges.

You enjoy working at both a strategic and practical level, combining market insight, commercial acumen and stakeholder management to create opportunities that deliver long-term business value.

You'll likely bring

Significant experience within enterprise sales, strategic partnerships, consulting, business development or commercial leadership environments.
Proven success building partnerships that drive sustainable business growth.
Experience developing go-to-market strategies and commercial growth initiatives.
Strong executive communication and stakeholder engagement skills.
Experience shaping complex enterprise or government opportunities.
Strong commercial, analytical and problem-solving capabilities.
The ability to influence cross-functional teams and build alignment across multiple stakeholders.
Experience developing propositions, business cases and customer value narratives.
Confidence operating within ambiguous, fast-moving environments.
A collaborative leadership style and a passion for growth and innovation.

Essential

Significant experience within enterprise sales, strategic partnerships, business development, consulting or commercial leadership roles.
Proven track record of driving growth through strategic partnerships, alliance development or enterprise market expansion initiatives.
Experience engaging and influencing executive-level stakeholders and senior decision-makers.
Experience developing and executing commercial growth strategies.
Strong understanding of partnership development, ecosystem engagement and go-to-market approaches.
Experience shaping complex enterprise opportunities and strategic customer pursuits.
Excellent communication, presentation and stakeholder management skills.
Strong commercial acumen and the ability to convert market insights into growth opportunities.
Ability to influence across matrix organisations without direct management authority.
Fluent English communication skills.
Ability and willingness to travel across the EMEA region as required.

Desirable

Experience working with global consulting firms, systems integrators or professional services organisations such as Deloitte, IBM Consulting, Cognizant, HCL, Accenture, PwC, EY, KPMG, Capgemini or similar.
Experience within workforce transformation, skills development, learning, assessment, talent or human capital sectors.
Experience supporting or leading major bids, RFP responses and strategic customer pursuits.
Experience working with government, public sector or large enterprise organisations.
Understanding of labour market trends, workforce planning, talent development or organisational transformation.
Experience developing market-facing thought leadership and industry engagement initiatives.
Experience creating ecosystem-led growth strategies and partnership operating models.

What You'll Get

You'll join a highly visible and strategically important team that is helping shape the future of workforce development, skills transformation and enterprise growth across EMEA.

You'll benefit from

The opportunity to influence Pearson's growth strategy across multiple international markets.
Exposure to senior leaders across enterprise, government and partner organisations.
The chance to develop strategic partnerships with some of the world's leading consulting and technology organisations.
A high-impact role that combines strategy, partnerships, market development and commercial leadership.
Opportunities to shape innovative solutions that help organisations address critical workforce and skills challenges.
A collaborative, forward-thinking and entrepreneurial team environment.
Access to ongoing professional development and career growth opportunities.
Pearson's competitive benefits package and global career opportunities.

Location & Working Pattern

UK-based role supporting EMEA markets
Hybrid and flexible working arrangements available
Regular travel across the EMEA region required
Collaborative working across international teams and stakeholder groups

Ready to Make an Impact?
If you're passionate about strategic partnerships, enterprise growth and helping organisations solve complex workforce and talent challenges, we'd love to hear from you.
Apply now and help Pearson expand its impact across EMEA through innovative partnerships, market-leading solutions and transformational growth opportunities.
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