Sales Manager, Europe – Africa

VitalSource

. Own new business and account growth across Continental Europe and Africa, selling to publishers and directly to institutions .

Posted 11/4/2026full-timeMilton Keynes • United KingdomMid-LevelSeniorWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in B2B sales and business development within the higher education and publishing sectors, with a strong focus on consultative selling, territory management, and relationship building. Proficient in Salesforce for pipeline management and forecasting, with the ability to adapt strategies to diverse European and African markets.

Highest-signal resume keywords

B2B Sales ExperienceConsultative Selling SkillsSalesforce ProficiencyHigher Education KnowledgeNegotiation Skills

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

B2B SalesConsultative SellingPipeline ManagementProposal WritingPresentation SkillsTerritory ManagementRevenue Target AchievementMarket AnalysisAccount GrowthSales Forecasting

Soft Skills

Relationship BuildingOrganizational SkillsAttention to DetailTeam CollaborationCultural Awareness

Tools & Technologies

SalesforceMicrosoft OfficeVideo-Conferencing Tools

Certifications & Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree

Industry Keywords

Higher EducationPublishingEdTechSaaSEuropean MarketsAfrican Higher Education MarketsInstitutional SalesPublisher RelationshipsEcommerce SolutionsLibrary Licenses

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Own new business and account growth across Continental Europe and Africa, selling to publishers and directly to institutions
Sell VitalSource distribution, fulfilment, codes, eCommerce, courseware, platform agreements and usage data solutions to publishers
Sell syllabus intelligence, collections, library licences, fulfilment, enterprise agreements, Bookshelf, LMS integration and renewals to institutions
Prospect for new customers through outreach, networking, events and lead follow-up
Qualify prospects against VitalSource's ideal customer profile
Run the full sales cycle from discovery and solution design through proposals, pricing, negotiation and close
Own renewal and expansion strategy for every account in the territory and protect recurring revenue
Build market-by-market territory plans and prioritise countries by revenue potential and route to market
Take over and grow existing accounts in Spain, Italy and Portugal through a structured handover from the LATAM team
Support strategic publisher relationships and co-sell with publishers' local academic and sales teams
Develop local publishers, distributors and resellers across Europe and Africa
Maintain Salesforce opportunities, next steps, close dates, contract requests and activity
Meet or exceed quarterly and annual revenue targets
Deliver VitalSource capability presentations and product demonstrations
Collaborate with Customer Success, Product, Marketing, Finance and Legal on onboarding and issue resolution
Share market and competitor insights with regional and International teams
Plan customer, publisher and event travel with clear objectives and follow-up
Represent VitalSource at regional conferences and trade events, including the Frankfurt Book Fair
Maintain pipeline coverage of at least three times the next two quarters' target
Ensure written next steps on every open opportunity, renewal retention and forecast accuracy
Complete inherited-account handover, top-20 account and publisher plans, and an agreed territory plan within the first six months

Requirements

What you’ll need

Proven record of meeting or exceeding revenue targets in B2B sales or business development
Experience selling to institutions (universities, colleges or professional bodies), publishers, or both
Knowledge of higher education, publishing, edtech or SaaS, including how institutions and publishers buy
Consultative selling skills and ability to explain technology and business models clearly to non-technical audiences
Strong negotiation, proposal writing and presentation skills
Disciplined pipeline management and forecasting in Salesforce or a comparable CRM
Organised and self-directed; manages a full territory with sound judgement and attention to detail
Builds trusted relationships and works well in a team across time zones
Experience selling across several European markets
Knowledge of African higher education markets, especially South Africa, is an advantage
Excellent written and spoken English required
An additional European language, particularly Spanish, is highly desirable
Cultural awareness and ability to adapt approach to local buying processes and languages
Proficient with Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and video-conferencing tools
Bachelor's degree or equivalent directly related experience
5+ years of B2B sales or business development experience, ideally in higher education, publishing, edtech or SaaS
Hybrid role based in Milton Keynes, with remote within Europe considered for the right candidate
Ability to travel around 50% of working time across Europe and Africa, including overnight and multi-day international trips and conferences
Right to work in the United Kingdom, or in the European country where the candidate is based
Valid passport and ability to travel freely across Europe and Africa
Ability to work effectively using a computer, phone and video-conferencing equipment for extended periods

Benefits

Comp & perks

Hybrid work arrangement; remote within Europe considered for the right candidate
Ability to travel extensively across Europe and Africa, including attendance at conferences and trade events
Opportunity to attend and represent VitalSource at regional conferences and trade events, including the Frankfurt Book Fair