About Grok
Founded in 2005, Grok Global Services is a rapidly expanding, privately owned, best-in-class provider of international engagement services for higher education institutions. Having served nearly 150 global institutions, the firm is ambitiously pursuing its goal of being the leading professional services company in the international education sector.
A pioneer of in-country staffing in the industry, Grok remains at the forefront of this model while it has simultaneously expanded its service range and geographic coverage over the years. In addition to in-country staffing, it currently boasts industry-leading divisions in digital marketing and strategic consulting and is actively delivering services across 5 continents.
About the Role
The Director of Business Development will be responsible for driving the growth of Grok’s business in the United States. Working in collaboration with the Managing Director and other executive management stakeholders, the position's foremost responsibility will be the achievement of significant sales targets, in addition to a range of contributions that span planning, training, problem-solving, and strategizing with the business development team and service line heads.
Grok has big aspirations but we are not a huge company; the Director will need high degrees of tenacity and energy to achieve ambitious growth expectations. From a skills perspective, it’s important that the Director possess an expertise in consultative sales / relationship sales, as well as advanced capabilities across the business development funnel: opening leads, progressing deals, and closing contracts. Grok’s contract value can range from $20,000 to $1M+ and clients can be small, private colleges or major research-intensive public institutions. Flexibility, open-mindedness, and relational awareness are keys to success at each stage of the funnel.
The position involves significant collaboration and interaction with other team members at Grok. The Director will collaborate closely with the Managing Director on creating annual sales targets for the US market, as well as on the creation and execution of growth plans that encompass strategies, initiatives, and investments for both inside and outside sales. Over time, the Director will be expected to build out a U.S. BD team, and will oversee the management, training, and success of the team.
As a smaller company, everyone at Grok has the opportunity to wear more than one hat – a strength that we seek to perpetuate as we grow. Grok’s business development philosophy relies on team members having deep situational fluency, which means involvement in broader initiatives. Primary among these, the Director will be expected to serve as the Relationship Coordinator (Grok’s version of account management) for 2-3 Grok client institutions. As a RC, the Director will serve as the client institution’s main point of contact, helping to provide guidance, coaching, and feedback to the institution, while doing the same for staff deployed in-market. Our experience has shown that this increases a salesperson’s effectiveness consulting with prospects while also providing the salesperson with a testbed for new BD initiatives and ongoing industry insights. In addition, the Director will have the opportunity to participate in the design and rollout of new commercial and delivery initiatives.
What Type of Candidate Are We Looking For?
We understand that everyone brings their own unique background of experiences and skills. If you do not tick all the boxes, we’ll help you learn what you need to know, but the essence of a Grokker is someone who is humble, confident, culturally aware, curious about others, comfortable with uncertainty, eager to try new things, and collaborative.
Essential:
- Minimum of 6 years work experience in either an institutional or commercial setting. Preference for candidates with:
- 7 to 12 years of experience, and/or
- work experience in both institutional and commercial settings.
- Industry Knowledge: Deep understanding of the international higher education landscape, including a solid grounding in international student recruitment.
- Consultative Selling Skills: Demonstrated aptitude for consultative selling, with a focus on listening to prospects, understanding their needs, and crafting tailored strategies that align with their goals.
- Negotiation Expertise: Proven ability to navigate and close complex deals, showcasing strong negotiation skills and creativity.
- Business Development and Growth Planning: Ability to collaborate with executive management stakeholders in creating annual targets, devising growth plans, and executing strategies.
- Proposal and Tender Writing: Experience in developing compelling proposals, writing bids, and crafting tender responses to effectively communicate value propositions to prospective clients or stakeholders.
- Relationship Management: Excellent communication and relationship management skills to effectively interact with clients, executive management, and other team members at Grok.
- Highly Collaborative and Adaptable: Desire and willingness to be an integral part of a diverse, growing, and busy management team, contributing actively to the organization's success.
- Must have the legal right to work in the United States
Compensation and Benefits
Salary Range: Competitive
Sales and Performance Bonus: Yes
Benefits include:
- Competitive Health, Dental, and Vision Coverage
- 401K
To Apply
If you meet these requirements and have the drive to take on this exciting position, please click the Apply button where you will be directed to our hiring portal to submit your resume and complete a few questions, in lieu of a cover letter.
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Grok Global is an equal-opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.
For more information about Grok please visit our website: grokglobal.com
