Senior Area Manager, Sales in Kolkata, West Bengal at Oxford University Press

• Location: Kolkata

At Oxford University Press, we are committed to advancing education and empowering learners through high-quality educational resources. This is an exciting opportunity to join a globally respected organization and play a pivotal role in driving business growth across one of our key markets in West Bengal.

This role offers the chance to lead regional sales strategy, shape market expansion initiatives, and directly contribute to the success of our School Education business. You'll work closely with senior leadership, cross-functional teams, schools, distributors, and key stakeholders while influencing business outcomes across the region.

If you're currently looking for a role that combines strategic leadership, people management, market development, and commercial impact, this represents an excellent next step in your career. You will have the opportunity to lead a high-performing sales team, identify new business opportunities, strengthen customer relationships, and contribute to the continued growth and reputation of Oxford University Press.

As Senior Area Manager, Sales, you will be responsible for developing and executing sales strategies for the School Education portfolio across Kolkata, East Midnapore, and West Midnapore. Acting as a key regional representative for School Sales, you will drive revenue growth, market penetration, operational excellence, and team performance.

Key responsibilities include:

• Developing sales strategies and implementation plans to drive demand fulfilment for School Education products within the region.
• Managing and improving collections to achieve desired DSO targets and ensure uninterrupted product supply.
• Ensuring stock availability across wholesalers, retailers, distributors, and schools through accurate forecasting and inventory planning.
• Implementing promotional activities and sales initiatives to maximize revenue and market share.
• Identifying and exploring new avenues for business growth and market expansion.
• Managing budgets related to gratis materials and other promotional expenditures effectively.
• Analyzing market trends, customer needs, competitor activity, and business performance, and reporting insights to management.
• Building, developing, and leading a successful sales team through coaching, capability building, and performance management.
• Strengthening team capability in product knowledge, sales effectiveness, account management, supply chain coordination, and collections management.
• Allocating territories and setting performance targets and budgets for sales team members.
• Monitoring individual and team productivity against established performance standards and business objectives.
• Upholding and enhancing the reputation of Oxford University Press by maintaining the highest standards of professionalism, ethics, and business conduct.

Through this role, you will have a direct impact on regional sales performance, customer satisfaction, team development, operational effectiveness, and the broader success of Oxford University Press's Education business.

• A bachelor's degree from a reputed institution.
• Minimum 8-10 years of relevant professional experience.
• Significant experience managing and leading sales teams.
• Strong sales planning, execution, and business development capabilities.
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment and effectively manage multiple priorities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels of the organization.
• Proven ability to collaborate effectively with geographically dispersed teams and stakeholders.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Demonstrated commercial acumen and ability to make informed business decisions based on data and insights.
• High levels of integrity, accountability, and results orientation.
• Strong sense of ownership and urgency in delivering business outcomes.

• Additional professional qualifications relevant to sales, business management, or leadership.
• Experience within the education, publishing, learning solutions, or related sectors.
• Experience in demand planning, forecasting, channel management, and collections management.
• Exposure to distributor, retailer, and institutional sales environments.

Please contact shariq.anwar@oup.com with any queries relating to this role. To ensure a smooth application process, please submit your CV through the application link rather than via email.

We are committed to supporting diversity in our workforce and ensuring an inclusive environment where all individuals can thrive. We seek to employ a workforce representative of the markets that we serve and encourage applications from all backgrounds.