Commercial Director

Role Overview

• Lead the organisation’s overall commercial strategy to deliver sustainable and profitable revenue growth.
• Develop and implement long-term revenue and business model strategies.
• Ensure alignment between sales, marketing, product development and organisational goals.
• Identify opportunities for revenue diversification and market expansion.
• Design the organisation’s commercial ecosystem, determining what products and services should be offered, to which markets, through which channels, and at what price.
• Monitor commercial performance and profitability across all business areas.
• Develop and lead the organisation’s global recruitment strategy.
• Define market prioritisation and geographic distribution strategies.
• Develop pricing strategies and commission structures for partners and agents.
• Build and maintain high-quality international agent networks.
• Strengthen engagement within the International House World Organisation (IHWO) network.
• Negotiate and manage exclusivity agreements and distribution partnerships.
• Develop strategic partnerships that support student recruitment, programme development, and commercial growth.
• Build relationships with international education partners, institutions and government bodies.
• Shape and develop the organisation’s programme portfolio to ensure competitiveness and market relevance.
• Ensure that commercial decision-making across the organisation is informed by robust data and market intelligence.
• Provide leadership and direction to the commercial team.

Requirements

• Significant senior leadership experience (5 years +) in commercial operation, revenue generation, business development or marketing role within the international education sector or a comparable global service industry.
• Demonstrable experience of delivering sustained profitable revenue growth and commercial transformation.
• Experience leading international student recruitment strategies and managing global distribution channels including agents and partners.
• Experience managing senior commercial teams, including sales and marketing functions.
• Demonstrable experience developing partnerships with educational institutions, corporate clients, or government organisations.
• Experience working with data, analytics, and market intelligence to inform commercial strategy and decision-making.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to translate market insight into strategic action.
• Ability to design and implement long-term revenue strategies and sustainable business models.
• Deep understanding of international education markets and student recruitment ecosystems.
• Experience managing pricing strategies, commission structures, and partnership frameworks.
• Ability to analyse complex commercial data including acquisition costs, profitability, and channel performance.
• Excellent negotiation, partnership development, and relationship management skills.
• Highly developed leadership skills with the ability to inspire and align teams behind clear commercial objectives.
• Graduate level or above educational grounding in business management, marketing, and/or other relevant fields would be considered a plus with evidence of ongoing professional development.

Benefits

• Professional development opportunities