About Athena Education:
Athena is India's largest institution in the premium undergraduate study abroad space.

Founded 12 years ago by two Princeton graduates, Poshak Agrawal and Rahul Subramaniam, Athena is headquartered in Gurgaon, with offices in Mumbai and Bangalore, and caters to students from 29 countries.

Athena's vision is to help students become the best version of themselves. Our transformative, holistic life coaching program embraces both depth and breadth, sciences and the humanities. Athena encourages students to deepen their theoretical knowledge and apply it to address practical issues confronting society, both locally and globally.

Through our flagship program, our students have gained admission to universities such as Harvard University, Princeton University, Yale University, Stanford University, University of Cambridge, MIT, Brown, Cornell University, University of Pennsylvania, and University of Chicago, among others.

Role Overview:
As the Associate Manager/Manager -Business Development and Partnerships, your primary responsibility will be to drive Athena's business growth by converting leads into actual customers and establishing strategic partnerships. This role involves a mix of sales and partnership-building, requiring you to identify new business opportunities, cultivate relationships with prospective clients, and close sales deals. You will collaborate with various teams to ensure that partnership strategies align with Athena's long-term objectives.

This role demands a sales-driven mindset, excellent relationship-building skills, and a keen understanding of the education sector, particularly in the premium study abroad space.

Skills

Strong sales acumen and lead conversion
Business development and relationship management
Excellent communication and negotiation skills
Ability to work collaboratively across departments
Entrepreneurial mindset with a focus on results
Market research and competitive analysis
Project management and execution

Education And Experience

Bachelor's/Master's degree from a top college in India or abroad
Preferred experience: 2-5+ years in business development, sales, or partnerships

Key Responsibilties

Convert Leads into Customers: Engage with prospective clients, guide them through Athena's offerings, and convert leads into paying customers through persuasive sales techniques
Sales Strategy: Develop and implement sales strategies to meet targets, leveraging both inbound and outbound leads
Business Development: Identify and pursue new business opportunities, including partnerships with schools, universities, and other organizations
Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including academic institutions, educational platforms, and industry leaders
Lead negotiations and manage contracts with new and existing partners, ensuring mutually beneficial outcomes
Conduct market research to identify trends, customer needs, and competitive landscapes, and leverage this data to inform sales and business development strategies
Collaborate with the marketing, operations, and consulting teams to ensure alignment in achieving sales targets and business objectives
Represent Athena at industry events, conferences, and networking opportunities to build brand visibility and strengthen partnerships
Manage key partnerships, ensuring long-term engagement, collaboration, and success for both Athena and its partners
Prepare reports and presentations for senior management, providing updates on business development activities, sales performance, and market opportunities

Why Should You Be Interested

Sales Impact: Directly contribute to Athena's growth by converting high-value leads into customers and building strategic partnerships that drive long-term business success
Growth Opportunities: Be a key player in Athena's expansion efforts and play a critical role in shaping the future of the company
Dynamic Culture: Join a team of passionate, goal-driven individuals who are committed to innovation and excellence in education
Professional Development: At Athena, you'll have opportunities to collaborate across departments and with external partners, enhancing your professional growth and learning

Work Environment: At Athena, we encourage independent thinking, innovation, and collaboration. If you are passionate about driving sales, building strategic partnerships, and working in a dynamic, fast-paced environment, we'd love to hear from you!

We may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of the hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, or assessing responses and identifying potential inconsistencies or verification signals in application materials based on available information. These tools assist our recruitment team but do not replace human judgment. Final hiring decisions are ultimately made by humans. If you would like more information about how your data is processed, please contact us.

Senior Associate / Associate Manager - Business Development and Partnerships