Manager, Partnership Management (Publisher Partnerships & Licensing)
Sales Director, Publisher Partnerships & Licensing
Location: UK/EMEA/Egypt Flexible
The Opportunity
Pearson is seeking a high-impact Manager, Partnership Management (Publisher Partnerships & Licensing) to lead and transform a core global business into a scalable partnerships and platform growth engine. This role aligns to industry titles such as Sales Director, Publisher Partnerships & Licensing.
This role owns and grows an established ~£8.8m global revenue base, while unlocking new revenue streams across strategic publisher partnerships, multi-publisher content aggregation, and SaaS/platform opportunities.
You will operate at the intersection of sales, partnerships, and digital innovation, building a global ecosystem of publisher partners and positioning Pearson as a platform partner of choice in the evolving learning landscape.
What You’ll Do
Drive Revenue & Growth
Own and grow ~£8.8m global licensing and partnership revenue
Build and deliver a strong commercial pipeline, driving new business and expansion
Develop new revenue streams across:
Licensing
Content aggregation
SaaS and platform partnerships
Build Strategic Publisher Partnerships
Create and scale a global network of publisher partners, including local-language and regional providers
Shift from transactional licensing to long-term, value-based partnerships
Expand third-party content into Pearson’s platforms to strengthen the overall portfolio
Lead Platform & SaaS Partnership Development
Identify and develop platform-led and SaaS opportunities with global publishers
Position Pearson platforms as solutions for partner growth, not just content distribution channels
Work closely with Product and Sales to bring new partnership models to market
Lead Complex Negotiations
Own and lead high-value global negotiations with publishers and strategic partners
Evolve and standardize contract frameworks to support scalability and growth
Optimize commercial outcomes across new deals, renewals, and partnerships
Deliver Through a Global Team
Lead and develop a globally distributed team of partnership and licensing specialists
Build capabilities in:
Strategic partnerships
SaaS / platform selling
Data-led decision making
Drive a mindset shift from transactional to growth-oriented partnerships
Influence Across the Business
Act as a key leader across Sales, Product, Finance, Legal, and regional teams
Align stakeholders around partnership strategy and growth priorities
Provide insights and strategic direction to support portfolio expansion and innovation
What We’re Looking For
We’re looking for a commercially driven leader with a strong partnership mindset and digital fluency:
Proven experience owning and growing multi-million revenue targets
Strong track record in complex deal-making and negotiations
Experience building and scaling strategic partnerships or ecosystems
Exposure to digital, SaaS, platform, or marketplace business models
Ability to lead global, cross-functional teams in a matrixed environment
Strategic thinker with the ability to translate vision into commercial execution
Why This Role
This is a transformation role with real strategic impact:
Shape the evolution of Pearson’s global partnerships model
Build a scaled, multi-publisher content ecosystem
Drive the shift toward platform and SaaS-based revenue streams
Operate with visibility and influence across senior leadership and global markets
About Pearson
At Pearson, we are committed to building a more accessible, digital, and globally connected learning ecosystem. This role plays a key part in how we partner, scale, and deliver content to learners worldwide.
Your rewards & benefits
We know you’ll do great work, so we give a lot back with some of the best benefits in the business. We know one size doesn’t fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams, and their families too.
Please see our attractive benefits here: Pearson Jobs – Benefits