Commercial Sales Enablement Director - North America (Education)

The Commercial Sales Enablement Director, works as part of the Group Commercial leadership team, leading a program of initiatives aligned with continuously improving the effectiveness of our global commercial function.  The objective of this program is to enable our commercial teams with the necessary methods, insights, skills, and tools to effectively develop client relationships, cross-sell ERM services, increase opportunity pipeline, and close deals.  The initiatives range in scale and complexity and are expected to drive common ways of working across the organization to improve process efficiency and commercial effectiveness, resulting in increased sales and revenue for ERM globally.

The Commercial Sales Enablement Director also serves as the principal Business Process lead for our commercial enablement platforms, most notably Salesforce.  In this role they will work with senior commercial stakeholders across the business to understand and prioritize business needs, and with our technology enablement teams on solution evaluation and recommendations, ensuring optimal usage of our core commercial platforms.   This will include active engagement and senior level oversight of key technology enabled projects and initiatives aligned with the global commercial agenda.

Key Responsibilities and accountabilities

• Commercial enablement and platform optimization:  Works directly with our industry, region and service teams and IT leadership to gather project-related knowledge and acts as a voice for the entire ERM business to ensure that commercial technology platform roadmaps are aligned with customer and business needs. Working within agreed budgets and timelines the focus is on optimizing commercial enablement platforms, monitoring adoption and usage, identifying areas for improvement, proposing enhancements and updates to maintain system effectiveness and driving continuous improvement in support of our commercial priorities. 

• Commercial methodology, skills development and training support:  In collaboration with the Learning & Development team, lead the development and deployment of commercial training programs; and provide individual coaching and support to commercial leaders to remediate specific challenges or address critical needs. 

• Project planning and management: deploy best-in-class project management practices by leading all phases of approved sales enablement projects, including defining scope, confirming resource allocation, budgeting, and scheduling. Develop project charters, support requirements gathering, and create functional specifications to ensure projects align with business objectives and quality expectations.
• Stakeholder communication and coordination: establish and implement communication plans to keep senior stakeholders informed with regular updates and facilitate project review meetings. Ensure alignment and collaboration among internal teams and external service providers in addressing any risks or decision points as they arise.  Collaborate with key stakeholders across the commercial organization to gather feedback, address concerns, and maintain alignment throughout the project. 
• Risk management and continuous improvement: identify and understand project risks and develop mitigation strategies, tracking project milestones and deliverables. Lead and motivate functional and technical project teams, maintaining high standards for documentation and reporting, including weekly status updates, while ensuring the project is delivered on schedule and within budget. 

PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

The Commercial Excellence Sales Enablement Program Manager is a tactical leader dedicated to facilitating complex sales enablement program management and overseeing business transformation. The ideal candidate will possess:

• 15+ years of proven experience in Project/Program Management. Proficient in managing full project life cycles from initiation to closure.  PMP or equivalent certification desired.
• Proficient in Salesforce Sales Cloud and Marketing Cloud Account Engagement (formerly Pardot), with experience implementing other sales enablement technologies.
• Ability to adapt methodologies to meet project and organizational needs.
• Ability to analyze complex business processes and identify opportunities for improvement through Salesforce and other sales tool automation. 
• Strong influencing and negotiation skills for successful stakeholder engagement and contract negotiations.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills for clear engagement with diverse stakeholders.
• Proficient in facilitating meetings and providing updates on project status, risks, and decisions.
• Deep understanding of business needs to build trust and confidence with stakeholders.
• Skilled in identifying project risks and implementing effective mitigation strategies.
• Committed to delivering projects on time, within budget, and to quality standards through diligent monitoring.
• Flexible and adaptable to changing project demands, showing resilience and a positive attitude.
• Strong organizational skills for prioritizing tasks in high-pressure situations.
• Ability to guide clients through change management processes to ensure smooth adoption of new Salesforce and other sales tool functionalities.
• Flexibility to work across global time zones to accommodate stakeholders.