Role: Director of Global Sales Operations and Enablement
Location: UK, London
Job type: Full time, permanent – hybrid
This position offers a hybrid work model, allowing flexibility between working from home and our office. Typically, employees are expected to work 2 days in the office per week.
Why QS?
At QS, we believe that work should empower you. That’s why we foster a flexible working environment that encourages every employee to own their career whilst flourishing personally and professionally. Our commitment to people development is recognised globally: QS is a Gold-accredited Investors in People organisation, placing us among the top 28% of workplaces worldwide. Our company values underpin everything we do – we collaborate, respect and support each other.
It’s our mission to empower motivated people around the world to fulfil their potential through higher education, ensuring that everyone has access to opportunities that change lives.
Our diversity makes us stronger. By sharing our experiences, we learn from one another and achieve more together, driving progress across the sector.
At QS, you’ll be responsible for implementing real change in the international higher education landscape. You’ll take on meaningful challenges that see a positive impact across the business and the wider sector.
We’re confident you’ll feel right at home here. QS was named as one of Newsweek’s Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces® in the UK (October 2023), recognising the respect, trust and appreciation that drive our culture every day.
As a Director of Global Sales Operations and Enablement, this is what you’ll be doing:
You will play a pivotal role in shaping the strategy and execution of our global sales operations.
This is a senior leadership position with broad influence, responsible for optimising sales performance, driving operational excellence, and ensuring our sales teams worldwide are empowered to achieve ambitious growth objectives. You will partner closely senior leaders to align sales initiatives with business priorities, enhance operational efficiency, and provide strategic insights to support data-driven decision-making.
This role is ideal for a strategic, results-oriented leader with deep expertise in global sales operations and enablement, who thrives on driving cross-functional collaboration and scaling high-performing sales teams.
Role responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Team Development
- Lead, mentor, and inspire a high-performing global team of sales operations and enablement professionals.
- Cultivate a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, and operational excellence aligned with QS’s strategic objectives.
- Act as a trusted advisor to senior sales leaders and the Executive Leadership Team, influencing strategic decisions through operational insight.
Sales Strategy & Operational Excellence
- Drive end-to-end sales operations strategy, including territory planning, target setting, pipeline management, and lead tracking.
- Continuously refine sales processes, policies, and methodologies to enhance efficiency, scalability, and team effectiveness.
- Oversee the design, implementation, and governance of sales forecasting, reporting, and performance measurement processes.
Data-Driven Insights & Performance Analytics
- Leverage data and analytics to provide actionable insights on sales performance, market trends, and customer behaviour.
- Develop and maintain executive-level dashboards and reporting for the ELT, sales leadership, and product teams.
- Translate complex data into strategic recommendations to inform business planning and sales initiatives.
Sales Enablement & Technology Management
- Own the evaluation, selection, and optimisation of sales tools and technologies, including CRM platforms, analytics systems, and sales enablement software.
- Ensure global sales teams are equipped with the right resources, training, and collateral to maximise performance and client impact.
- Oversee proposal and tender processes, maintaining a centralised repository of branded sales assets and documentation.
Compensation, Incentives & Global Standards
- Design and implement commission structures and incentive programs that align with business objectives and motivate high performance.
- Own the target setting process for all QS global sales teams with use of a through methodology.
- Collaborate with Finance and HR to ensure accurate, timely compensation and adherence to global compliance standards.
- Standardise global sales operations practices while allowing flexibility for regional business nuances.
Cross-Functional Leadership & Client Engagement
- Partner with Marketing, Product, and other internal functions to drive initiatives that generate high-quality leads and accelerate revenue growth.
- Lead strategic client engagements and manage the full sales cycle, ensuring seamless execution and exceptional customer experience.
- Serve as a thought leader within the organisation, driving innovation in sales processes, tools, and enablement practices.
Any other duties that fall within the purpose and scope of the role.
Key skills and experience
- Proven track record in leading global sales operations, ideally within education, EdTech, or professional services.
- Demonstrated experience leading and developing high-performing teams across multiple regions
- Strong communication, negotiation, and influencing skills with the ability to align senior stakeholders on complex initiatives.
- Expert in interpreting complex sales and operational data, turning insights into actionable strategies.
- Experience with analytics and reporting tools such as Tableau, Power BI, or CRM analytics; SQL proficiency is advantageous.
- Hands-on experience with CRM systems (HubSpot, Salesforce, NetSuite) and sales enablement platforms ( HubSpot proficiency essential).
- Deep understanding of sales processes, target setting, incentive structures, and operational best practices.
- Experience working across diverse, multinational environments with sensitivity to different cultural and business contexts.
- Strong ability to drive cross-functional collaboration and influence decision-making at executive levels.
- Exceptional organisational skills with the ability to prioritise, manage multiple initiatives, and maintain operational integrity.
- Commitment to continuous improvement, professional growth, and delivering measurable business impact.
Please note, if you don't meet all the criteria but believe you have the skills and passion to thrive in this role, we encourage you to apply.
So, who are we and what do we do?
QS is the world leader in higher education services, analytics, insights and intelligence. From consultancy to student mobility, academic partnerships to branding solutions, our services power both institutional and individual success.
We’re behind the world’s most widely read university rankings. With an 85% share of all Google searches for university rankings, the QS World University Rankings® reach hundreds of millions, shaping decisions and guiding futures.
Since launching in 1990, our impact and influence have only grown. Today, we work with more than 2,000 of the world’s leading higher education institutions, over 12,000 employers, and governments seeking change and socioeconomic development through higher education – while helping more than 75,000 students enrol each year.
Join QS and you’ll join an 800-strong community of problem-solvers, creators, collaborators and change-makers based in 40+ countries and 11international offices, including Australia, Malaysia, India, Romania, Singapore, France, Germany, the USA and our headquarters in London.
With every talented new hire, business acquisition and bold initiative, we’re strengthening our reach and delivering even greater value to institutions and learners worldwide. Are you ready to shape the future of higher education?
We take investing in our people very seriously.
As standard you will have:
- Competitive base salary
- Access to an annual bonus scheme (for qualifying roles only)
- 25 days annual leave, plus bank holidays – increasing to 27 days after 5 years’
- Access to a Buy Holiday scheme allowing you to buy up to 5 additional holiday days per year
- Enhanced maternity and paternity leave
- Generous pension through Royal London
- Comprehensive private medical insurance and wellness scheme through Vitality
- Cycle to work scheme
- A vibrant social environment and multicultural and multinational culture
But that’s not all. Outside of these standard benefits we also offer resources to allow professional growth and wellness initiatives to nurture a healthy mindset:
- Free subscription to the Calm App – the #1 app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
- A focus on welfare which is led by our global wellness team, with mental health first aiders globally
- Access to a variety of diversity and inclusion initiatives and groups
- Strong recognition and reward programs – including a peer-to-peer recognition platform, quarterly and annual QS Applaud Awards, Connect with your Career annual PD event
- Support for volunteering and study leave
- Free subscription to LinkedIn learning – with over 5000 courses and programmes at your fingertips
- Options to join our outstanding global Mentorship programme
Like what you’ve heard? Great, apply now!
As a candidate, we know the application and interview process can be daunting and so it’s important that you have a great experience with us. Our dedicated Talent Team will work hard to ensure you are fully informed at all stages and you are really excited by this opportunity to do meaningful work in the education space.
Equal opportunities
QS Quacquarelli Symonds is proud to be a fair and equal organisation where everyone has the same opportunity to achieve their full potential, irrespective of their background or personal attributes. We celebrate our diversity and believe through sharing our experiences we can learn from one another, be stronger together, and enable our business to thrive.
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