: Business Head – English (South Asia)

Job Title

Business Head – English (South Asia)

Region

South Asia

Department

English

Reports to

Managing Director – South Asia

Location

Chennai or Delhi

Contract Type

Full-time / Permanent

Role Type

Leadership (25-member organisation; 3 direct reports)

Direct Reports

Head – Schools English; Head of Publishing; Head – University and Skills

Job Purpose The Business Head – English (South Asia) is a strategic general-management role accountable for the revenue, profits, market-share growth and building organizational capability of the English business across South Asia that includes India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Nepal, Maldives and Bhutan. The role leads three functional areas with respective sales heads reporting into the leader covering Schools English, Publishing, University Engagement and Skills, and integrates sales, publishing, operations and product strategy into one commercial plan.

The Business

Head will work closely with the Country Heads of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, and directly drives sales and partnerships in Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan, to deliver combined Learning and Assessment solutions across K12, Higher Education and Skills segments.

Key Responsibilities / Accountabilities

- Business & PnL Leadership
- Own the consolidated PnL for the English business in South Asia, including top-line revenue, profits, manage cost-of-sales, margin optimization, distribution and revenue collections across Print, Digital, Learning, Assessment solutions and special projects.
- Set, consolidate and deliver the annual business budget and forecasts across all three verticals; review monthly and quarterly performance against budget, analyze variances and take timely corrective action.
- Work closely with Finance and Credit Management to ensure financial governance, accurate customer data, timely collections and adherence to financial policies; use data analytics and Power BI to forecast accurately and inform pricing, investment and portfolio decisions.
- Allocate investment and resources across Schools, Publishing and University and Skills to maximize return, balancing short-term revenue with long-term growth.
- Deliver the current-year business target of approximately 75 to 100 Crores (INR) across Schools, Higher Education and Skills, and Publishing-led products, with a healthy, visible pipeline to support it.
- Strategic Planning & Market Development
- Develop and execute a long-term growth strategy for the English business in South Asia, aligned with global priorities, regional market needs and emerging education and Ed-tech trends.
- Drive adoption of combined Learning and Assessment solutions across K12 (CBSE, ICSE, State Board and international schools), Higher Education (universities, affiliated and autonomous colleges) and Skill Development Missions.
- Ensure alignment between publishing priorities (commissioning, list strategy, digital roadmap) and the sales opportunity in each segment and country.
- Conduct continuous competition benchmarking and market mapping; identify white-space opportunities, partnership models and new revenue streams; share market intelligence with the MD and senior leadership to refine strategy.
- Build and grow Partnership programmes, distributor and channel models, and digital sales and marketing channels for scalable, sustainable revenue.
- Build a healthy sales funnel through market segmentation, recent territories and new opportunities, and strengthen the systems that convert prospects into clients.
- Lead and manage channel partners, distributors and dealers, including partner selection, performance and commercial terms.
- Regional & Country Leadership (Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Maldives, Nepal, Bhutan)
- Partner with the Country Heads of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh to build and deliver joint sales plans, targets and market-entry or expansion strategies, while maintaining clear accountability and governance across the matrix.
- Directly drive sales, partnerships and relationships with ministries, institutions, distributors and key accounts in Maldives, Nepal and Bhutan.
- Adapt product, pricing, curriculum fit and go-to-market approach to the regulatory, language, procurement and funding environment of each country.
- Ensure consistent brand, pricing discipline and customer experience across all South Asian markets.
- Sales Operations, Marketing, CRM & Process Excellence
- Oversee the design and execution of the sales plan and strategy, including promotions, reach agenda and seasonal campaigns, in alignment with CUPA India and regional leadership.
- Ensure effective use of CRM and business-intelligence platforms across the organisation, driving data integrity, pipeline visibility and sales-efficiency metrics.
- Review the consolidated sales and collections forecast, budget-versus-achievement analysis, and variance justifications and mitigation plans from each vertical.
- Monitor and control travel, marketing and free-sample expenses across the business.
- Lead conventional and digital marketing initiatives, including conferences, webinars, SEO, lead databases, promotional offers, affiliate programmes, social media and PR, and deliver a high return on all marketing spend.
- Product, Publishing & Commercial Innovation
- Provide commercial direction to the publishing function on commissioning priorities, new product introductions, product rationalisation, pricing reviews and investment cases.
- Drive integration of print, digital, learning and assessment offerings, so that customers experience a seamless, combined solution.




- Champion innovation in product format, pedagogy and digital delivery, including adoption of new technologies and AI-enabled tools.
- Ensure market readiness and commercial viability of all launches through strong business cases and go-to-market plans.
- Institute a structured market-feedback loop between Sales and Publishing, so that customer insight drives product quality, new product introductions and the pace and efficiency of product delivery.
- Own the quality of examination and assessment services: benchmark exam operations against standards, track defects, and drive corrective action through inspections, delivery reports and audits.
- Build partnerships with institutions and government authorities to expand assessment and learning adoption.
- Stakeholder & Relationship Management
- Build and nurture strategic relationships with High-Value Organisations (HVOs), school groups, universities, government bodies, curriculum and examination boards, authors and industry influencers.
- Represent the English business with credibility and commercial rigour in leadership forums, global and regional meetings, and with external stakeholders.
- Influence stakeholders across the end-to-end value chain, including Product, Marketing, Finance, Operations, Technology and HR, to align priorities and remove blockers.
- Team Leadership, Coaching & Capability Building
- Line-manage the three functional heads; set clear objectives, KPIs and accountability structures, and conduct regular performance reviews, feedback and appraisals.
- Lead, inspire and develop the 25-member organisation as a high-performance unit, fostering a culture of accountability, cross-selling, collaboration across verticals and continuous improvement.
- Hire, onboard and retain high-calibre leaders; design career pathways and succession plans for all three vertical heads and their teams.
- Coach and mentor direct reports to build their commercial, strategic and people-leadership capability; work with HR on talent acquisition, training, retention and organisational design.
- Lead by example, championing diversity, inclusion and organisational values.
- Compliance, Ethics & Organisational Values
- Adhere to all Cambridge University Press & Assessment policies, procedures and codes of ethics, including Health & Safety, data protection, and standards of professional behaviour.
- Champion inclusive practices reflecting Cambridge's commitment to diversity, equity and belonging; uphold rigorous financial governance, intellectual-property compliance, and quality-assurance and reporting standards across all sales, publishing and operational processes.
- Senior Leadership Contribution
- Serve as a member of the South Asia Senior Leadership Team, contributing to regional strategy and undertaking other responsibilities as required.

KEY RELATIONSHIPS (INTERNAL AND EXTERNAL)

- Internal (UK): Global Sales Director and global product and assessment stakeholders.
- Internal (South Asia): Managing Director South Asia • Country Heads of Sri Lanka and Bangladesh
- Marketing Head
- COO / Business Finance
- Operations, P&C; and Technology teams; the three direct reports and their teams.

- External: School principals and trustees, university and college leadership, government and education authorities and Skill Development Missions, curriculum and examination boards, channel partners and distributors, authors and subject-matter experts.

AUTHORITY LEVEL AND FINANCIAL DIMENSIONS

Dimension

Detail

Income (to be delivered) Approximately INR 75 to 100 Crores (INR)

Staff

3 direct reports (functional heads); 25 people across the organisation.

Dotted line reporting of marketing and operations heads

Major impact on the business

Overall strategy, growth and profitability of the English business in South Asia, integrating sales, publishing, product and assessment services

Knowledge & Experience

Essential

- Master's degree in Business Management, Sales, Marketing, Education, Publishing or a related field from a premium university or business school.
- 18–22 years of progressive commercial experience, with at least 8 years in a senior general-management or business-head role within educational publishing, Ed-tech, or the K12 / Higher Education sector in South Asia.
- Demonstrated track record of full PnL accountability and of managing annual budgets and collections of INR 75 crores or more (the current-year target for this business is approximately INR 75 to 100 crores).
- Proven experience of leading multi-functional teams, including sales, publishing / product and market-facing functions, and of managing senior leaders as direct reports.
- Proven success in driving business growth, winning large institutional accounts and increasing market share in competitive educational environments.
- Deep understanding of education systems in South Asia, including CBSE, ICSE, State Boards, international curricula, higher education and skilling ecosystems, and their procurement and adoption cycles.
- Experience of working across multiple countries or markets, and of working effectively with country leadership in a matrix organisation.
- Strong proficiency in data analytics,



business intelligence and CRM platforms (e.g., Salesforce, HubSpot); hands-on experience with Power BI or equivalent tools.
- Strong financial literacy, including pricing strategy, investment appraisal, contract negotiation and royalty management.
- Exceptional leadership, decision-making and people-management skills, with the ability to build, motivate and retain high-performing teams.
- Outstanding influencing, negotiation and interpersonal skills; strong strategic planning and execution capabilities; ability to manage multiple priorities simultaneously.
- Experience in digital sales and online learning, preferably in Ed-tech, and in B2B, B2C and B2I (business-to-institution) sales, with established channel-partner management.
- Experience in training solutions or the Skill Development domain, and in setting up and running national operations.

Desirable

- Prior experience with combined Learning and Assessment solution sales, and with managing integrated print and digital portfolios, including LMS, adaptive learning platforms or assessment-integrated solutions.
- Experience of digital transformation initiatives and AI-driven product or publishing tools.
- Professional certification or executive education in general management, sales leadership, business analytics or project management (e.g., PMP, PRINCE2, Agile, or equivalent).
- Exposure to international markets, global account management or multi-territory rights management within a multinational organisation.
- Multilingual capabilities relevant to the South Asian market (e.g., Hindi, Tamil, Bengali, Sinhala, Nepali).

Skills & Competencies

- Market Knowledge, Commercial Acumen & • PnL Management: Deep commercial literacy owning a full multi-vertical PnL and translating complex market and financial data into profitable action.

- Strategic Leadership & • Decision-Making: Visionary leader who sets direction, builds trust and makes timely, well-informed decisions under pressure.

- Strategic Planning & • Implementation: Designs long-term growth roadmaps across segments and countries, and executes with precision.

- Leading Leaders: Selects, develops and holds accountable senior functional heads; builds succession and a culture of cross-selling and collaboration.
- Regional & • Cross-Cultural Management: Works effectively with country heads and partners across diverse markets, regulations and cultures.

- Stakeholder Management: Diplomatic, influential relationship-builder across institutions, government bodies, partners and internal functions in a matrixed organisation.
- Data, Business Intelligence & • CRM: Uses analytics, Power BI and CRM insight to forecast, prioritise and drive decisions.

- Product & • Portfolio Integration: Aligns publishing, learning and assessment into compelling, commercially viable customer solutions.

- Communication & • Interpersonal Excellence: Persuasive communicator who inspires action and presents vision and business cases with credibility.

- Organisational Agility & • Resilience: Adaptable and resourceful through change, disruption and competitive pressure.

ORGANISATIONAL VALUES

- Empowerment: takes accountability for decisions and creates an environment where people and customers can succeed.
- Collaboration: works effectively as part of an inclusive, diverse global network.
- Responsibility: acts with efficiency and care, so that the business contributes to society and the planet.
- Innovation: learns continuously to improve things for customers.
- Excellence, integrity and inclusion: promotes equality, diversity and belonging, treats everyone with respect and dignity, and upholds health and safety.
- Ethics and respect: conducts business ethically and sustainably, and deals respectfully with learners, customers and partners.

LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES

- Achieving: responsive, decisive and accountable.
- Inspiring: role-models optimism, motivation and authenticity.
- Inclusive: curious, open-minded and ready to learn from others.
- Trusted and trusting: enables people and teams to collaborate with integrity.
- Confidence with humility: confident in their abilities, and willing to learn and adapt.
- Creates conditions for effective delegation, empowerment and results through others, and leads a team that collaborates and decides well together.

Cambridge University Press & Assessment is committed to being a place where anyone can enjoy a successful career, where it's safe to speak up, and where we learn continuously to improve together. We welcome applications from all candidates, regardless of demographic characteristics (age, disability, educational attainment, ethnicity, gender, marital status, neurodiversity, religion, sex, and sexual identity), cultural, or social class/background. We believe that diversity of thought, background, and approach create better outcomes. More importantly, fostering an inclusive culture is the right thing to do, and it's part of how we achieve our purpose: to contribute to society through the pursuit of education, learning and research at the highest international levels of excellence. Ensuring that anyone, no matter who they are, feels they belong here is an essential part of who we are and the contribution we make to society, and to our planet. To enable an environment which our people can thrive in, our customers benefit from, and where work complements life, we empower everyone to manage their time and capacity, and to prioritise their wellbeing. That's why from day one everyone at Cambridge University Press & Assessment can discuss flexible working options to find the best solution for them and their role.

📌 Regional Director, English, South Asia - 7702 (New Delhi)
🏢 Cambridge University Press u0026 Assessment
📍 New Delhi