Compass Group - Business Development Manager - Education Sector

Job Title: Business Development Manager - Education Sector (K-12 & Higher Education)
Location: Bangalore, South India coverage
Reports to: Sector Sales Lead - Education Sector
Role:
This is a solution-sales expert role focused on acquiring new, relevant educational institutions as clients for our bespoke food service solutions by acting as a bridge between market, regional sales and solution development. The role demands a sharp business developer who can open doors with trustees, promoters, principals, vice-chancellors, and facility heads in India's most prestigious schools and universities. The aim: position our food services as a brand-enhancing, parent-impressing, and experience-defining differentiator.
Key Responsibilities:
New Business Development:
- Identify and create opportunities in premium private schools, IB/CBSE/ISCE institutions, top boarding schools, and tier-1 universities.
- Proactively build and manage a target list of high-potential accounts with multi-year revenue potential.
- Build and maintain a high-quality pipeline through strategic networking, referrals, events, and direct outreach.
- Develop deep account intelligence to map decision-making hierarchies and budget cycles.
- Lead first contact through networking, industry events, referrals, and strategic cold outreach.
- Close working with inside sales and on-ground territory mapping to identify new opportunities and ensure 100% market mapping & coverage
Sales Execution:
- Initiate the new client acquisition process: market mapping, lead generation, sales funnel building (prospect / research / WITY road-mapping), need analysis, and then collaborating with the regional sales teams for proposal development till deal closure.
- Manage long, complex sales cycles with multiple high-level stakeholders.

- Maintain detailed opportunity tracking in CRM to ensure accuracy in forecasting.
Consultative Selling & Solution Crafting:
- Engage clients with insight-led conversations about how food services can strengthen admissions, parent satisfaction, and brand equity.
- Work closely with culinary, nutrition, and design teams to create premium, bespoke proposals - from gourmet menus to world-class dining spaces.
- Integrate health, wellness, sustainability, and cultural sensitivity into pitches for greater impact with discerning clients.
Premium Brand Positioning:
- Position the company as a strategic partner, not a vendor - emphasising contribution to student well-being and campus brand image.
- Use storytelling, case studies, and visual mock-ups to help clients visualise elevated dining experiences on their campus.
- Leverage our brand credentials to gain access to exclusive institutional networks.
Market & Relationship Building:
- Actively participate in education conferences, parent forums, alumni events, and hospitality expos to network with decision-makers.
- Build partnerships with architects, education consultants, and facility designers to gain early visibility on new campus developments.
Key Performance Indicators (KPIs):
- Sales Pipeline volume
- Conversion rates
- Buyer's Grid quality for pipeline before it goes into proposal development
- Number of new premium institutional accounts acquired annually
- Total ARO from new wins initiated by BDM
- Brand perception & Trusted Advisor impact as measured through client feedback post-engagement.
Qualifications & Skills:
- Education: Bachelor's degree in Business, Hospitality, or related field (MBA preferred).
Experience:
- 6-12 years in B2B business development with proven success in service / solution sales in the education sector.
- Strong network in premium/elite school and higher education circles is a major plus.
Skills:
- Exceptional networking, cold outreach, and door-opening capabilities.
- High-level presentation with board/trustee-level stakeholders.
- Ability to translate service quality into brand and perception value for the client.
- CRM & MS-Excel proficiency and disciplined sales pipeline management.
Personality & Attributes
- Polished, confident, and credible in high-net-worth environments.
- Persistent hunter mindset - thrives on opening new doors.
- Ability to inspire trust quickly and sustain relationships through long sales cycles.
- Passion for education, hospitality, and creating memorable experiences.