Business Development Executive; Central Region

About the Role

The Senior Specialist, Secondary Education Relationships is responsible for promoting the use of Clearinghouse offerings to educational organizations, including state education agencies, large school districts, and outreach organizations committed to ensuring student success. The role serves as the primary relationship manager for outreach and educational organizations and supports field efforts related to business with states and large school districts.

• Develop and execute a national approach to sustain and grow Clearinghouse services to educational organizations and support efforts to retain and grow business with all states and leading school districts.
• Serve as the primary relationship manager for outreach and educational organizations and support field efforts related to business with states and large school districts.
• Use a structured approach to opportunity planning to understand customer motivation, buying criteria, selection processes and solution preferences.
• Prepare, set meeting objectives and conduct dialogues to position solutions, handle objections, close and follow up on calls.
• Demonstrate proficiency in relating, questioning, listening, positioning, and checking to determine client needs and concerns.
• Conduct regular client satisfaction visits on-site, virtually, and at conferences and events.
• Build, grow, and maintain profitable long‑lasting relationships with key accounts.
• Accurately record activities within Salesforce.
• Participate in national and regional industry association and themed conferences.
• Build territory, account, and opportunity plans focusing on education solution’s mission and product priorities.
• Use Clearinghouse sources to help clients better use the company’s products and solutions.
• Employ opportunity management practices to prospect, qualify, propose, negotiate, contract, and provide ongoing support to clients.
• Recognize how new processes can make the department more successful and provide input to measure success.
• Partner with other organizational teams (product, implementation, legal, finance) to ensure shared objectives are met.
• Maintain open dialogue to align each party’s interest in solution development.
• Demonstrate problem‑solving skills, including brainstorming options, evaluating alternatives, enlarging benefits, building reciprocity, and applying objective standards.
• Bring energy, curiosity, and conviction to conversations; effective in various settings.
• Build rapport by relating to others, acknowledging, and empathizing; listen to understand business issues.
• Craft questions that convey expertise, elicit information, and drive deeper exploration of needs.
• Use persuasive techniques to overcome objections and demonstrate shared perceptions.
• Regularly elicit feedback and confirm agreements or need for further clarity.
• Demonstrate openness to new perspectives and ideas.
• Build trust with stakeholders by consistency between words and actions.
• Address difficult issues with optimism and confidence.
• Understand which issues to tackle and develop tactics to address concerns.

• Bachelor’s degree in business, marketing, or related field. Military service considered.
• Five years of professional experience in the education industry, business development, and/or sales.
• Experience working in or selling into state educational agencies, school districts, or organizations measuring student success.
• Consistent meeting or exceeding annual sales/business development targets.
• Positive relationship development with internal and external stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability:
  • To work on multiple initiatives simultaneously in a time‑critical environment.
  • To lead complex business development opportunities that are win‑win for client and organization.
• Strong negotiating skills.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite and Salesforce and willingness to learn new applications.
• Excellent communication skills at all staff levels.
• Demonstrates core competencies: customer focus, optimizes work processes, communicates effectively, collaborates, and is open and authentic.
• Resides in an approved state east of the Mississippi River (see HR policies).
• Authorized to work…