Business Development

Business Development & Sales Executive

Works closely with: Advancement, Admission, Finance, Marketing and Communications, Leadership.

Location: Brussels; regular external meetings and occasional evening events

Working pattern: Approximately 80% of working time visiting prospective and existing partners, with the remaining time for planning, CRM updates, reporting and internal coordination.

Areas of focus: Embassies and diplomatic missions; international organisations and institutions, including NATO, the United Nations and the European Commission; and multinational companies and other corporate businesses.

Size of team: 3

Reports to: Director of Advancement

Role purpose

Build and nurture lasting working relationships with embassies and diplomatic missions, international organisations and institutions, and multinational companies and other corporate businesses, making ISB a trusted choice for their employees’ children. Translate these relationships into new student enrolments through proactive outreach and selling, regular partner visits, attentive account management and consistent follow-up with partners and families, from first introduction through to each student’s start at ISB.

Partnership growth and enrolment outcomes

Take responsibility for growing a portfolio of lasting, productive partnerships that lead to new student enrolments at ISB. Develop and agree annual targets and key performance indicators (KPIs) with the Director of Advancement, aligned with the school’s recruitment priorities and available places. Own delivery against these targets, regularly monitor and report progress, and adjust outreach and sales activity to improve results. Measures will cover partnership development, qualified enquiries and conversion into enrolled students, working closely with Admissions to track outcomes.

Key responsibilities

• Build a priority account portfolio. Identify organisations with potential to introduce families to ISB. Understand posting cycles, education benefits, decision makers and likely student demand. Maintain a ranked account plan with named contacts and clear next actions.
• Design strategies for each group. Develop tailored outreach plans depending on the focus of the area. Set measurable opportunity and enrolment goals for each group, review results and adjust activity. Own and deliver the annual portfolio sales plan, aligning visits and outreach with expected student start dates, available places by grade and agreed enrolment priorities.
• Generate new opportunities. Proactively contact decision makers, secure face-to-face meetings, visit prospective partners and request introductions. Meet interested families where appropriate, present ISB’s educational offer accurately, address initial questions and follow up to generate qualified enquiries.
• Develop new revenue initiatives and ideas. Identify and propose opportunities to generate additional revenue for ISB through sponsorships, new partnerships, services or commercial activities. Develop sponsorship proposals that offer clear value to ISB and prospective sponsors. Assess feasibility, costs and potential returns with the Director of Advancement and Finance, and support delivery of approved initiatives.
• Grow existing relationships. Conduct regular partner visits and account reviews, respond to changes in contacts or family needs, and develop recurring referrals. Involve the Director of Advancement or School Director where senior-level engagement would help.
• Progress referrals with Admissions. Follow agreed qualification criteria and record families’ schooling needs, likely entry dates and consent to contact. Make timely introductions, agree ownership of each next step and continue sales follow-up as agreed with Admissions. Keep the CRM current so families do not receive duplicate contact or lose contact. Admissions leads the formal application process and admission decisions.
• Develop partnership proposals. Identify barriers such as education allowances, tuition caps, transport and timing. Work with Finance and Admissions to assess proposed arrangements against expected enrolment, delivery costs and net tuition contribution. Make commitments only within approved school policy.
• Own the portfolio pipeline and results. Record each opportunity’s source, owner, stage, expected start date and next action. Follow up outstanding enquiries, act on stalled opportunities, forecast starts by organisation groups and implement corrective outreach when results lag.
• Coordinate across the team. Report visits, qualified enquiries, applications, conversion, productive accounts and verified starts. Share partner and family feedback with school leadership