Job Description
Role title Territory Manager
Role reports to Regional Manager
Level 4
Department Academic
Location Pune / Ahmedabad/ Jaipur
- Revenue generation and cost of sales for the academic vertical in India
- Creation and Tracking of Sales and Collections: Budget & Achievement (variance if any to be tracked)
- Execution of Sales Plan in alignment with the CUP India and Vertical's (Including promotions and reach agenda) in alignment with the CUP India
- Support sales function effectively and ensuring sales capacity building for the vertical in India
- Promotion of Print Book, eBook & Journals
- Coverage of academic institutions for demand generation and follow-up for orders
- Drive new business acquisition while growing existing institutional accounts
- Track and manage sales pipeline to ensure predictable closures
- Log in to Salesforce regularly and ensure all activities are recorded daily (and weekly, where applicable)
- Share monthly reports – internal updates as well as external market changes and trends
- Own and deliver territory-wise revenue targets and achievement against budget
- Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders (librarians, faculty, Deans, procurement teams)
- Ensure timely collections and monitor outstanding payments within the territory
- Develop and execute a structured territory plan aligned with business priorities
- Maintain accurate forecasting and pipeline hygiene for better visibility and planning
Internal: Frequent communication with reporting manager, colleagues and cross functional teams in the vertical.
External: Meeting Channel Partners, Faculty Members, Librarian, Authors, Industry peers and other stakeholders periodically. Conduct Book exhibitions and displays, User Awareness Workshops, and other engagement activities.
Responsibilities-
The Territory Manager is responsible for driving revenue growth and market presence within the assigned region by executing sales across print, digital, and journal portfolios. The role directly impacts business performance through achievement of sales targets, pipeline development, and conversion of institutional opportunities, while ensuring strong customer relationships and retention.
The role also contributes to demand generation, brand visibility, and market insights, supporting strategic decisions and effective positioning of offerings. Responsibility for collections and compliance ensures financial discipline and risk control.
In the absence of this role, the business would face reduced market coverage, weaker customer engagement, and loss of revenue opportunities, along with limited visibility into pipeline and market dynamics. The role is also critical in supporting internal teams (product, marketing, leadership) through on-ground execution and insights, making it an essential link between strategy and delivery.
Decisions and Recommendations
The Territory Manager independently manages day-to-day sales execution within the assigned territory, including account prioritization, pipeline management, and customer engagement strategies. The role makes decisions on opportunity qualification, follow-ups, and pricing discussions within defined guidelines to drive closures.
The job holder also develops and executes territory plans and coverage strategies to maximize revenue outcomes, while providing recommendations on market opportunities, customer needs, and competitor insights.
While overall strategy is guided by leadership, the role operates with significant autonomy in translating plans into on-ground execution and results.
- Strong understanding of the academic publishing and digital products landscape in India
- Sound knowledge of institutional sales processes and procurement systems within academic institutions
- Awareness of market dynamics, competitor offerings, and pricing trends in the academic segment
- Good understanding of sales planning, pipeline management, and forecasting principles
- Familiarity with compliance requirements and business practices in assigned territories
- Working knowledge of CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce) and MS Office applications
- Minimum 8+ years of experience in academic publishing or digital products sales
- Postgraduate degree/diploma in Marketing or related field (preferred from a reputed institute)
- Proven experience in managing sales budgets and collections of a comparable scale
- Demonstrated experience in sales management within the academic market in India
- Strong ability to manage the end-to-end sales cycle (lead generation to closure)
- Track record of driving business growth and achieving revenue targets
- Strong business acumen and problem-solving skills
- Ability to work in a matrix organization and collaborate across teams
- Excellent relationship management and stakeholder engagement skills
- Strong communication and negotiation abilities
- Ability to work under deadlines with a proactive and positive approach
Integrity & Accountability – Acts with honesty and transparency; takes ownership of commitments, compliance, and business outcomes
Customer Commitment – Demonstrates a strong focus on understanding and meeting the needs of academic stakeholders
Collaboration & Inclusivity – Works effectively across teams and functions, valuing diverse perspectives in a matrix environment
Ownership & Drive (Achieving) – Takes proactive responsibility for delivering results and consistently strives to exceed targets
Trust & Relationship Building – Builds credibility and long-term trust with internal and external stakeholders
Adaptability & Resilience – Remains agile and solution-oriented in a dynamic and evolving market environment
Sales & Negotiation Skills – Strong ability to drive conversations, position value, and close institutional deals
Territory & Account Management – Ability to plan, prioritize, and effectively manage a defined territory and key accounts
Pipeline & Forecast Management – Maintains strong pipeline discipline, ensuring accurate forecasting and visibility
Business & Commercial Acumen – Understands market dynamics, pricing, and revenue levers to drive growth
Relationship Management – Effectively engages with senior stakeholders (librarians, faculty, Deans, procurement teams)
Market Intelligence & Insight Generation – Gathers and applies competitive and customer insights to inform strategy
Execution & Planning – Strong ability to translate plans into actionable outcomes with consistent follow-through
CRM & Data Management – Maintains high standards of Salesforce hygiene and leverages data for decision-making
- Achieving
- Inspiring
- Inclusive
- Trusted & trusting
- Confidence with humility
