Director, Professional Learning (Central, West, Pacific Markets)

Savvas Learning Company is a global education company that produces award-winning learning solutions that empower educators and engage students with the highest quality content.

Recognized as an industry leader, we serve millions of K-12 learners with innovative, student-centered educational programs that turn today’s classrooms into active learning environments. By embracing technology, personalized learning, and immersive experiences delivered across multiple platforms, we design our learning solutions to be more accessible and relevant to each student.

Our comprehensive solutions for core curriculum, and supplemental and intervention programs - supported by an array of professional development services - allow teachers to use data to inform classroom practices and tailor instructions to an individual’s abilities and learning styles.

Savvas Learning Company is seeking a Director of Professional Learning to lead the Central, West, and Pacific Markets. This Director role will play a critical part in ensuring that managers in those markets are supported as they and the Curriculum Specialist teams sell and service Savvas Learning Company programs. The role is to direct the managers as they collaborate to build the sales and services strategy for the CS teams they support. The sales and services strategy starts with hiring, onboarding and coaching Curriculum Specialist teams that deliver on varied customer touchpoints, both pre-sale (exhibits, conferences, workshops, hearings, caravans, pilots, sales presentations) and post-sale (implementation). The role includes collaborative processes and project creation and implementation for the markets this role will support, based on market-based changes or tweaks to National Strategy. The role will also partner with the Sales leadership within the Central, West, and Pacific markets to ensure the sales and services teams are aligned with the goal to gain new business and in the markets. This role will receive moderate to minimal supervision.

This person chosen for this position will be required to reside somewhere within the markets being supported. Ideally, near a major airport to make travel within the markets easier.

• Preference will be given to candidates who already reside in one of the markets being supported.
  
  

Primary Responsibilities

• Direct Managers in all strategies for Regions, with focus on Manager support of direct reports, FT and PT hiring and onboarding and ongoing goals and individual or team professional development and culture.
• Lead the plan for capacity and utilization with finance and VP for Full-time and Part-time CS in the Regions. Includes all needs for core and supplemental programs, as well as any new acquisitions. Responsible for complete coverage of events year-round.
• Collaborate with National Resource Manager and market Manager to identify training needs (both Sales and Services) and monitor certification status for all CS in the Region (East or West). Collaborate on onboarding strategies to improve early support for new hires.
• Collaborate with Sales Enablement, National Content Area VPs, and Product Teams to review regional presentation strategy (tweaks for state adoption and high profile/influential or high dollar customers).
• Participate in or direct Managers and Regional Specialists to contribute to PA/PD responses within RFPs, sales evaluation tools and informal PD proposals.
• Responsible for all T/E approvals/strategy/understanding for the Manager teams they support. Responsible for the plans and budgetary considerations around yearly meetings for state adoption or Open Territory. Plan and implement these meetings with their manager direct reports. Responsible for out of policy violations, certify fees (if applicable) and overall policy considerations outside of T/E (T/E named in bullet above).
• Responsible for scheduling problem solving either within region or out of market support, ensuring all customer events are covered with the best resource for the assignment,
• Collaborate with the National Resource Manager to implement the customer survey strategy for Program Activation. Responsible for survey results as well as coaching strategies recommended for performance issues. And for validity of results (based on rate of surveys completed).
• Collaborate with the National Pilot Strategy Manager to track and support pilot strategy to improve win rate within the Region.
• Responsible for overall communication plan to support the Managers/CS Team/Sales Partners and Services Partners within the Region.
  
  

SCOPE AND IMPACT

• Balance the capacity and hiring needs to ensure content area assignment coverage commensurate with the given budget.
• Supervisory Responsibilities: Central, Mountain West and Pacific Curriculum Specialist Managers and Teams.
  
  

Qualifications

• B.A. degree, M.A. preferred.
• 8-10 years of relevant experience in the education industry including sales processes and services delivery and implementation plans.
• Experience with customer service skills at a leadership level and in driving customer relationships to execute overall strategy.
• Management of strategic plans in sales and/or services roles, particularly those that sell and service multiple products/platforms/services. Proven success in sales management to achieve goals.
• Ability to coach, mentor, develop and performance manage sales and services leadership teams and direct strategy around customer facing resources.
• Experience with adult learning theory.
• Broad experience with industry standard business applications i.e. Salesforce, Zoom, GoToMeeting/Webinar, Learning Management Systems, Google Drive/Sites/Hangouts/Meet.
  
  

Additional Skills/Qualifications/Experience

• Expert level knowledge and experience in the Educational Sales and Services industry as applies to customer facing teams, including the sales presentation, program activation and pilot strategies, strongly preferred. Able to quickly gain knowledge of Savvas Learning Co. product lines and platforms as well as the competitive landscape.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to interact with entry level through executive level internal and external customers. Must also have skills that inspire collaboration among all levels of team members.
• Proven track record in strategy to achieve established sales/services objectives and to build, manage, and motivate teams on a national level. Experience partnering with customers and being able to coach to close deals and deliver successful services including but not limited to customer exhibits, conferences, pilots, sales presentations, and program introductory services.
• Expertise and proven track record in customer experience strategies i.e., best practices for support, communication, training, data analysis and competitive advantages. Knows how to provide a customer experience that encourages adoptions/partnerships with Savvas Learning Co.
• Proactive, results oriented self-starter. Detail oriented with the ability to prioritize and manage differing needs of sales and services business goals. Established success as a strategic sales thinker with a record of executing sales and services plans.
• Expertise in sales and services messaging and presentation delivery skills. Excellent communication skills- written, verbal, and in person as well as remote/virtual presentation environments with industry standard technology tools and platforms. Expert at leveraging and in coaching others in these skills.
• Flexible and adaptable approach to leading and managing the needs for a changing organization and customer climate. Strong business acumen and ability to think outside the box with good judgement and sound analysis. Experience with change management best practices is a plus.
• Broad experience with industry standard business applications and productivity tools and use to manage and mitigate risk.
• Strong knowledge around technology 3rd party LMS platforms that partner with Savvas Learning Company including, but not limited to, Canvas, Schoology, and Google Classroom
  
  

Additional Job Requirements

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Must be able to sit or stand at a personal computer for a reasonable length of time typing and reading as well as when presenting.
• Handle a high volume of work in a short period of time, handle multiple priorities simultaneously and operate in a demanding work environment is important.
• Reliable attendance and punctuality are critical to successful performance in this role.
• Must be able to travel 60% of time, mainly airline travel but at times long distance in cars. Certain times of year require more travel than others but must be flexible and available to travel at any time of year.
• Must be able to lift 30 pounds.
  
  

Savvas Learning Company provides access to a benefits experience created to offer our employees choice, flexibility, and the opportunity to save money for the future. Benefits include medical, dental, vision, tax-advantaged accounts, pharmacy, life insurance, disability insurance, matching 401(k), and paid time off. Our benefits are part of a total package that is carefully designed to support the total well-being of our employees.

Savvas Learning Company is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Savvas Learning complies with all applicable federal, state and local laws regarding recruitment and hiring. Savvas prohibits discrimination against individuals based on race, color, region, national origin, sex, age, disability, and other protected group status. We strive to create a fair and inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued and respected. Learn more about your EEO rights as an applicant.

Savvas Learning is an affirmative action employer and participate in E-Verify. E-Verify Know Your Rights

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