Position: Business Development Manager (Institutional Partnerships)

Job Type: Full-time

Job Summary

We are seeking a high-performing Business Development Manager to spearhead strategic B2B partnerships with educational institutions for our student housing business. This role is ideal for an individual with a proven track record in institutional sales, particularly within the education or allied sectors. The Manager will be responsible for owning regional BD targets, driving the entire sales cycle, and building long-term relationships with senior stakeholders such as Chairmen, Vice Chancellors, and Deans to position Zolo as the preferred student accommodation partner.

Key Responsibilities

Strategic Sales and Target Ownership:

- Own and aggressively drive regional Business Development (BD) targets focused on acquiring institutional partners (colleges, universities, and large training centers).

- Develop and execute precise sales plans to maximize market penetration within the assigned territory.

Full Sales Cycle Management:

- Drive the full sales cyclefrom targeted lead generation, strategic cold outreach, and compelling pitch presentations to complex negotiation, contract finalization, and successful onboarding.

- Maintain meticulous and detailed funnel tracking, actively driving consistent pipeline hygiene and improving conversion metrics.

Senior Stakeholder Relationship Building:

- Engage directly with key decision-makers at the highest levels, including Chairmen, Vice Chancellors, and Deans, to effectively position and sell Zolo as a trusted student accommodation partner.

- Focus on building long-term strategic relationships with institutions to secure recurring or scaled accommodation partnerships.

Negotiation and Execution Handover:

- Lead contract negotiation and successfully close deals.

- Ensure seamless handover to the operations team for efficient execution and partner activation.

Travel and Reporting:

- Travel extensively within the assigned region (up to 1015 days/month) for crucial on-ground relationship building and deal closure.

- Provide clear, insightful reports on progress and key market insights to the Business Unit Head, ensuring strong cross-functional collaboration with operations and marketing teams.

Qualifications

Experience: Proven experience in B2B, Institutional, or Corporate Sales, with a strong preference for candidates from the Education or allied sectors.

Stakeholder Engagement: Demonstrated ability to successfully build relationships and negotiate with senior institutional stakeholders (e.g., Chairmen, VCs, Deans).

Sales Acumen: Strong proficiency in full sales cycle management, cold outreach, and contract negotiation.

Travel Readiness: Willingness and ability to travel extensively (50%+ travel) within the assigned region.

Soft Skills: Exceptional communication, presentation, and negotiation skills, along with a meticulous approach to pipeline management and reporting.