About this role
Job Purpose This is a business development role primarily responsible for expanding Oxford International Digital Institute’s presence across Europe by securing institutional recognition and adoption of our English language and pathway portfolio, with a specific remit to drive income. This position is responsible for shaping OIDI’s university recognition strategy across Europe. The successful candidate will develop long-term partnerships with higher education institutions, government agencies, sector bodies and strategic stakeholders to establish OIDI as a recognised and trusted education partner. Working closely with the Commercial Director, Partnership, Recruitment and Academic teams and Product specialists, you will identify market opportunities, influence institutional decision-makers and secure recognition of OIDI qualifications that support international student recruitment and progression. Strategic Market Development Refine and execute OIDI’s European University Recognition Strategy. Identify priority universities and higher education systems for institutional recognition. Build long-term market development plans aligned to commercial objectives. Identify emerging opportunities resulting from changes in international recruitment, admissions policy and English language requirements. Develop country-specific strategies recognising differences in higher education systems across Europe. University Partnerships Identify, engage and secure new university partnerships throughout Europe. Build trusted relationships with senior university stakeholders including: Pro Vice Chancellors (International), Directors of International, Admissions Directors, Registrars, Academic Deans and English Language Centre Directors Lead consultative discussions around English language recognition and international student preparedness. Negotiate commercial partnership agreements and institutional recognition arrangements. Develop tailored proposals aligned to institutional internationalisation strategies. Recognition & Institutional Adoption Lead the recognition of OIDI’s portfolio across European universities including: Oxford ELLT, Online Pre-Sessional English, International Foundation Year, Pre-Masters Programme and International Year One Managing institutional approval processes. Supporting academic due diligence. Coordinating recognition documentation. Working alongside academic colleagues to address university quality assurance requirements. Ensuring successful implementation following approval. Sector Engagement & Market Influence Represent Oxford International Digital Institute across the European higher education community. Building relationships with national higher education bodies. Engaging with university associations and sector networks. Developing relationships with ENIC-NARIC recognition organisations where appropriate. Attending and presenting at international education conferences. Building OIDI’s profile as a trusted education partner. Partnership Growth Develop account plans for strategic university partners. Identify opportunities to expand product adoption across faculties and departments. Support universities in maximising student recruitment through OIDI products. Ensure high levels of partner satisfaction and retention. Work collaboratively within the Partnership team to support partner engagement. Market Intelligence Monitor competitor activity across English language testing, pathways and digital learning. Analyse changes in European admissions requirements. Track government policy affecting international education. Share market intelligence to support future product development and commercial strategy. Identify opportunities for innovation and new market entry. Revenue Generation & Commercial Performance The Business Development Manager will carry a defined annual revenue target and will be expected to make a direct contribution to the growth of OIDI’s European income. While the primary focus of the role is developing university partnerships and securing recognition of the OIDI portfolio, the successful candidate will be expected to identify and convert commercial opportunities arising from these relationships. Key expectations include: Owning an agreed annual revenue target for the European market, with responsibility for delivering against defined income objectives. Building and managing a commercial pipeline of university opportunities that can generate revenue across Oxford ELLT, Online Pre-Sessional English and pathway programmes (IFY, PMP and IY1). Identifying opportunities to expand existing university relationships through increased product adoption, student volumes and additional partnership opportunities. Converting university recognition and partnership discussions into commercially sustainable agreements and measurable revenue opportunities. Maintaining accurate pipeline, forecasting and revenue reporting, providing regular visibility of opportunities, expected income and conversion rates. Balancing longer-term strategic university development with a clear focus on generating near- and medium-term income. The revenue target will be appropriately sized for a market-development role, recognising the longer sales cycles associated with university partnerships. Performance will therefore be assessed against both revenue generated and the quality and progression of the commercial pipeline, new partnerships secured and longer-term revenue potential created.