About GUS Education India (GEI)

GUS Education India (GEI) is the education arm of Global University Systems, a leading global education conglomerate. Established in 2017, GEI boasts a portfolio of over 35 institutions and collaborates with prestigious universities and institutions worldwide, offering educational services that enhance their operations and impact.

Nature of The Job

We are looking for a commercially driven Business Development & Growth Lead to build the commercial engine for GUS NewCo from the ground up. The role will focus on acquiring new university partnerships outside the GUS Universe, building a qualified pipeline from scratch, establishing market and brand visibility, and converting opportunities into signed contracts. The incumbent will work with external demand-generation partners while personally driving senior-level conversations, enterprise sales, commercial negotiations and client acquisition. As the business gains traction, the role will design, staff and lead the Business Development function, developing the sales playbook, processes and operating model required to scale into a multi-territory client portfolio.

Job Purpose The incumbent will build the commercial engine from the ground up by opening conversations with universities outside the GUS Universe, creating a robust sales pipeline, closing the first contracts and establishing repeatable routes to market. The role will build brand visibility and market credibility for a current entity, develop the commercial and sales playbook, and create a scalable Business Development function that can support a multi-territory client book. The position carries clear accountability for pipeline creation, client acquisition, contract closures, revenue growth, sales forecasting and achievement of agreed commercial targets.

Key Accountability

Pipeline & Demand Generation

- Build and own the end-to-end sales pipeline from lead generation through signed contract, maintaining healthy pipeline coverage against annual client-acquisition and revenue targets.
- Build and execute a target-account programme focused on senior decision-makers across universities in the UK, Europe, North America, ANZ and other priority territories.
- Appoint and manage external demand-generation agencies, setting clear MQL/SQL quality and volume expectations and holding partners accountable to agreed outcomes.

Personally engage in target accounts through calls, email, meetings and other channels; evaluate opportunities using the GEI ideal customer profile (ICP) framework.
- Leverage the GUS Group institutional network to generate warm introductions and first meetings.

Selling & Client Acquisition

- Lead a consultative, multi-stage enterprise sales process covering discovery, qualification, diagnostic workshops, proposal presentation, due diligence and contracting.
- Build relationships with senior university stakeholders including Pro-Vice-Chancellors (International), Deputy Vice-Chancellors, Directors of International Recruitment, Registrars and university marketing leaders.
- Diagnose institutional needs such as conversion, enrolment volume, operational backlog or market visibility and shape the appropriate service proposition.
- Own opportunities from first contact to signature, including bids and tenders where formal procurement applies.

Commercial, Pricing & Negotiation

- Validate and defend pricing in live market conversations and incorporate buyer feedback into the commercial model.
- Translate the service proposition into measurable buyer outcomes, including cost per enrolled student, ROI and comparison with agent commissions or in-house costs.




- Negotiate commercial terms including minimum commitments, ramp periods, service levels, annual escalation, change control and renewal.
- Support navigation of UK and Australian public-sector procurement requirements, including tenders and framework routes to market.

Market Presence & Positioning

- Build market credibility for GUS NewCo through sector conferences, exhibitions, thought leadership, case studies, speaker opportunities and relevant media engagement.
- Own the annual events calendar and budget and ensure participation converts into qualified pipeline.
- Track competitor activity, market trends and positioning and keep commercial messaging relevant, differentiated and defensible.

Targets, Forecasting & Function Building

- Consistently meet or exceed agreed business development, pipeline, client-acquisition and revenue KPIs.
- Establish CRM discipline, sales reporting, forecasting and proposal standards, with visibility of pipeline health, conversion performance and revenue forecast.
- Recruit, onboard and lead the Business Development team as the function scales from an initial resource to multiple territory pods.
- Develop and institutionalise the sales playbook, operating processes, account strategy and performance cadence required for scale.

Cross-Functional Working & Client Handover

- Work closely with Operations to ensure that proposed solutions can be delivered within agreed scope, team size, timelines, commercial assumptions and service levels.
- Ensure a structured handover of signed clients to Client Delivery teams and support account growth, renewal and expansion opportunities.
- Feed client and market requirements into the product/service roadmap and identify opportunities to sell platform products alongside services.

DESIRED PROFILE

Qualification

- Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, commerce, international relations, education or a related discipline.
- MBA or postgraduate qualification in business, marketing or international education management is preferred.
- Professional certification in sales methodology, key account management or public-sector procurement is valued.

Skills & Abilities

- Strong consultative selling, mix of services + technology sales, solution design and commercial negotiation skills.
- Ability to build and manage target-account programmes, demand generation and long-cycle sales pipelines.
- Strong proposal, pitch and presentation capability, including presenting to senior university panels.
- CRM proficiency (HubSpot, Salesforce or equivalent), including pipeline configuration, reporting and data discipline.
- Working knowledge of account-based marketing, digital demand generation and agency management.
- Comfortable with financial models, margin analysis, pricing and spreadsheet-based commercial work.
- Ability to use AI and automation tools to improve personal and team productivity.
- Strong stakeholder management, communication and relationship-building skills.

Relevant Experience

- 15+ years in B2B business development, enterprise sales or commercial leadership.
- Minimum 5 years in international higher education, EdTech, education services or student recruitment, with an active network among university international offices preferred.
- Minimum 4 years personally closing complex,



high-value contracts (£150,000+ annual contract value) on 6–15-month sales cycles, as the deal owner.
- Minimum 3 years selling into public-sector or regulated procurement environments, including tenders, frameworks and PQQ/ITT processes.
- Minimum 3 years managing a team of three or more, including remote or in-market team members.
- Prior experience building a commercial function from zero, including a new entity, new market entry or new business line with no existing pipeline or brand.
- Experience with outsourcing, BPO or managed-services commercial models is desirable.
- Willingness and ability to travel internationally for approximately 8–12 weeks per year, with valid travel documentation.

GUS Values

- The expectation is that employees will maintain the values of the Group and will comply with the code of conduct as well as equality, diversity, health, and safety policies of the company.
- GEI is an equalopportunity employer and encourages applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply

Personal Attributes

- Credible with senior academic and executive stakeholders and able to engage confidently with university leadership.
- Comfortable building trust, reputation and market presence from a standing start, without relying on an established brand.
- Self-directed, structured and entrepreneurial, with the ability to design processes rather than wait for them.
- Resilient and disciplined across long enterprise sales cycles and complex buying processes.
- Culturally fluent across India, UK and Australian working styles.
- Commercially pragmatic and committed to selling solutions that can be operationally delivered.

Achieve Your Targets

- First 3 months: Target account list built and active; CRM live; demand-generation partner appointed; first warm introductions underway.
- First 6 months: Qualified pipeline of 10-15 genuine prospects; pricing validated through live market feedback.
- First 12 months: 3 large contracts signed; repeatable sales playbook established; robust proposal pipeline (50 – 100) built against annual targets.
- Year 2: Multiple clients live and referenceable; Business Development team recruited and productive; additional territory opened.

What We Offer

- Committed investment in marketing, events and travel to support commercial growth.
- An established delivery capability with a large, trained workforce and seven years of education-sector experience across 35+ institutions.
- Backing of an established international education group and access to a warm institutional network.
- A genuine build mandate to shape the Business Development function, team, operating model and playbook.

Benefits

- At GUSEducation India, GEIwe truly believethat diverse culture, backgrounds, and experiences drive innovation.
- This roleis a full-time position witha competitive salaryand benefits package.
- The company offers comprehensive medical insurance to its employees, which includes hospitalization, accidental insurance, term insurance and Gratuity, whichis over and above the compensation.
- To make the dailycommute easier, safer,and less stressful, the company provides cab facilities to its employees to and from the workplace within 30 kilometers radius.
- The company acknowledges the importance of mental and physical well-being and the needfor rest and relaxation. Workdays are Monday to Friday and a comprehensive leave package for employee well-being is offered, which includes 5 days of medical leave, 5days of casual leave, 24days of earned leave, 1 day of Happiness Leave, apart from 10 days of statutory leave, totaling to 45 days’ time off in a year

📌 Principal Consultant - Business Development (Hyderabad)
🏢 Global University Systems
📍 Hyderabad