Senior Education Advisor (Business Development)

Job Title: Senior Education Advisor
Reports To: Business Development & Sales Manager
Location: Cairo, Egypt

Start date: As soon as possible

Contract duration: Permanent contract

Description of the profile:

DRS (DevelopmentAid Recruitment Solutions) is looking for a Senior Education Advisor on behalf of the world-leading academic publisher and assessment organization to build a strong and positive partner network in the Middle East & Africa (MEA). The role supports the Partnership for Education to achieve its business objectives and to deliver on its mission, reach, and impact across the region. Identifying potential new partners, securing new partnership agreements, and maximizing the value of existing stakeholder relationships to advance the commercial strategy.

Key Accountabilities

1. Generate Business and Leads:

• Collaborate with the Commercial Data Analyst and regional teams to gather market intelligence and identify local educational needs aligned with the Partnership for Education’s reform proposition.
• Develop and implement a proactive regional business development strategy that aligns with the overall commercial strategy, identifying new education reform opportunities.
• Monitor RFPs, ITTs, and regional education procurement portals to identify funding opportunities.
• Validate identified opportunities with the UK-based team to ensure alignment with the commercial strategy and resource allocation priorities.
• Leverage research on government strategies, local practices, and competitor approaches to identify effective methods for promoting services to target customers.
• Partner with Marketing & Communications to enhance the visibility and credibility of the Partnership for Education through PR strategies, customer interactions, events, and marketing content.
• Identify and recommend local consultants for relationship-building and delivery support activities.
• Stay informed about changes in regional education policies, trends, and competitor activities to refine the business development approach.

2. Qualify Opportunities and Build Proposals:

• Engage with prospective customers to discuss requirements, present solutions, and demonstrate alignment with their needs.
• Develop business cases, validate opportunities, and submit proposals to the Business Development & Sales Manager or Head of Commercial Strategy.
• Maintain up-to-date records in CRM systems to monitor pipelines and workflow visibility.

3. Win Contracts:

• Collaborate with customers to define technical and service requirements, ensuring effective handovers to the Bids and Proposals team.
• Maintain customer relationships during bid development and oversee proposal progression to ensure alignment with customer needs.
• Support the UK team in sales negotiations, contracting processes, and project onboarding to ensure a seamless transition to the delivery team.

4. Customer Account Management:

• Assist the UK-based team in managing relationships throughout the sales process and delivery phase to ensure quality outcomes and stakeholder satisfaction.
• Provide effective account management for existing customers, ensuring a great experience and maximizing the lifetime value of the relationship.

Role Impact

The Senior Education Advisor directly supports revenue and growth targets in specified regions, contributing to the Partnership for Education’s market position and improving educational outcomes.

Key Responsibilities and Recommendations

• Recommend which opportunities to pursue based on the commercial framework.
• Advise on business development strategies and customer engagement approaches.
• Identify suitable PR activities to raise the local profile of the Partnership for Education.
• Propose opportunities for review and approval by senior leadership.
• Recommend account management support for new customers when needed.

Required Knowledge, Skills, and Experience

Essential Knowledge:

• Degree qualification or equivalent experience.
• Strong commercial understanding and acumen.
• Familiarity with business intelligence for identifying and delivering opportunities.

Essential Skills and Experience:

• 5 years of experience in Business Development, preferably in the education sector.
• High commercial awareness with P&L understanding.
• Proven negotiation and relationship-building skills at senior levels.
• Ability to work under pressure to meet deadlines and achieve targets.
• Strong understanding of diverse education projects with varying complexity.
• Exceptional communication, networking, and diplomatic skills.
• Proven track record in prospecting and securing contracts with ministries of education, NGOs, and similar organizations.
• Experience managing senior-level client relationships across cultures.

Desirable Skills and Qualifications:

• Postgraduate qualification in education.
• Project management certification (e.g., PRINCE2).

Competencies

Organizational Values:

• Sees the bigger picture.
• Decisive and results-oriented.
• Builds trust and acts with integrity.
• Inspires collaboration and innovation.

Functional Competencies:

• Proactive problem-solving with creative approaches.
• Strong organizational, IT, and leadership skills.
• Experience using MS Office and CRM systems.

Leadership Competencies:

• Responsive, decisive, and accountable.
• Motivates and inspires others.
• Open-minded and inclusive, with a strong willingness to learn.