Job Information
Pearson Team Manager, Sales (Career Ready Workforce Programming) in Saint Paul, Minnesota
Team Manager, Career Ready Workforce Programming
(Market aligned with Senior Manager / Director roles in Higher Education Partnerships and Workforce Learning)
At Pearson, we believe learning should open doors at every stage of life. As industries evolve and skills shift, institutions are looking for new ways to connect education to real workforce outcomes. Pearson’s Career Ready portfolio is focused on helping colleges and universities deliver workforce-aligned learning programs that support adult learners, career advancement, and employer needs.
We are building a new business focused on workforce programming distributed through higher education partners, including continuing education, professional education, and workforce development channels. This role will help bring that vision to market.
What You Will Do
This role is both strategic and hands-on . You will help launch and scale a new workforce learning portfolio by building partnerships with higher education institutions and shaping the commercial approach for this emerging business.
You will:
Lead the go-to-market strategy for Pearson’s Career Ready workforce programming with colleges and universities
Build relationships with leaders across continuing education, workforce development, and professional education
Source and close new institutional partnerships, helping secure the first wave of partner institutions
Work closely with product, marketing, and strategy teams to shape how the offering is positioned and sold
Translate feedback from universities into insights that improve product-market fit, packaging, and messaging
Establish a repeatable sales motion including target segmentation, pipeline development, and account strategy
Help define how this business will scale, including the future commercial model and team structure
You will also play a key role in representing Pearson externally as a trusted partner in workforce-oriented higher education innovation.
What Success Looks Like
Success in this role means helping turn a promising concept into a scalable business.
You will be successful if you:
Secure early partnerships with institutions that validate the model
Build a strong pipeline of universities aligned to workforce programming growth
Develop a clear and repeatable commercial approach for institutional partnerships
Provide insights that shape product direction, pricing, and positioning
Help Pearson establish credibility as a partner in workforce-aligned higher education programs
This role requires someone who is comfortable building something new , operating in ambiguity, and balancing strategic thinking with direct sales execution.
What Will Challenge You
This is an incubation-stage business inside a large organization.
That means you will need to:
Build structure where it does not yet exist
Navigate complex higher education buying processes
Sell a new offering while helping shape the product itself
Balance long-term strategy with near-term commercial results
Work across multiple internal teams to bring the offering to market
If you enjoy building new markets, forming strategic partnerships, and turning early ideas into scalable growth, this role offers a rare opportunity to do exactly that.
What You Need to Be Successful
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience
10+ years of experience in sales, partnerships, or business development within higher education, workforce education, or adjacent markets
Experience selling solutions to colleges, universities, or postsecondary institutions
Strong understanding of continuing education, professional education, or workforce development ecosystems
Demonstrated ability to navigate complex institutional decision processes
Experience launching or scaling a new product, business line, or commercial channel
Strong commercial judgment and ability to translate market feedback into strategy
Ability to work cross-functionally with product, marketing, and operational teams
Who Thrives in This Role
You are likely someone who:
Enjoys building new initiatives rather than inheriting mature ones
Is comfortable combining strategy and direct selling
Can influence stakeholders both inside Pearson and within partner institutions
Brings curiosity about how education and workforce needs are evolving
Takes ownership and moves quickly in ambiguous environments
Compensation at Pearson is influenced by factors including skill set, experience, and location.
The full-time salary range for this role is $145,000 – $165,000.
This position is eligible to participate in Pearson’s sales incentive plan. Information on benefits can be found here.
Applications will be accepted through March 16, 2026. This window may be extended depending on business needs.
Who we are:
At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.
Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.
If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.
Job: Sales
Job Family: GO_TO_MARKET
Organization: Higher Education
Schedule: FULL_TIME
Workplace Type:
Req ID: 23155
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