Sales Support Manager

Job Description: Sales Support Manager – Academic Business

Location: New Delhi

Department: Academic Sales
Reports to: National Sales Head – Academic

Role Overview

The Sales Support Manager will be responsible for providing comprehensive operational, commercial, and administrative support across the Academic Sales portfolio, encompassing print books, eBooks, and journals. This role is pivotal in ensuring seamless sales execution, invoicing, payment collections, customer onboarding, and global coordination. Acting as the backbone of the sales function, the Sales Support Manager will collaborate with internal stakeholders in India and international offices (particularly the UK Credit Management and Operations teams), as well as with customers, distributors, and institutional partners, to deliver superior service and efficient processes.

The ideal candidate will bring strong analytical ability, financial acumen, and customer management skills, with the confidence to liaise at senior levels both internally and externally.

Sales Operations & Coordination

• Provide end-to-end operational support for Academic Sales across print, eBooks, and journals.
• Drive efficiency in sales order processing, pipeline tracking, and business reporting.
• Liaise with regional and global teams to ensure accurate pricing, discount structures, and agreements are implemented.
• Support the sales leadership team in preparing business reviews, data packs, and strategic presentations.

Invoicing, Collections & Credit Management

• Oversee invoicing for journals and eBooks, ensuring timeliness and accuracy.
• Proactively follow up with customers and institutions for outstanding payments.
• Work closely with the UK Credit Management team to align on credit approvals, payment terms, and escalations.
• Track receivables and reduce debtor days through structured follow-ups and reporting.

Customer Engagement & Onboarding

• Manage onboarding of new eBook customers, ensuring contracts, licenses, and access arrangements are completed smoothly.
• Coordinate with global operations, tech, and customer service teams to enable seamless platform access and account setup.
• Serve as a primary contact for institutional customers on agreements, renewals, and operational queries.
• Build strong relationships with key stakeholders in libraries, procurement offices, and distribution partners.

Data Management & Pipeline Governance

• Maintain and update customer and sales data in CRM/ERP systems with high accuracy.
• Own the end-to-end sales pipeline management process, ensuring opportunities are tracked, updated, and reported regularly.
• Monitor conversion rates, deal stages, and pipeline health to provide early warning signals and growth opportunities.
• Partner with sales managers to ensure forecasting accuracy and visibility of key opportunities.

Reporting & Business Insights

• Develop and deliver MIS reports, dashboards, and analytics covering sales performance, invoicing, collections, and pipeline status.
• Provide management with actionable insights into revenue trends, customer buying behaviour, and process bottlenecks.
• Support quarterly and annual planning cycles with data-driven inputs.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Partner with sales, marketing, operations, finance, and legal teams to ensure seamless execution of business priorities.
• Act as a process bridge between India and UK offices for approvals, escalations, and global alignment.
• Support promotional activities, sampling, and campaigns to enable sales growth.

Qualifications & Skills

• Postgraduate degree Preferred (Computer Degree preferred).
• 10+ years of experience in sales operations, data management preferably in publishing, education, or subscription-based industries.
• Strong knowledge of invoicing, collections, and credit processes.
• Hands-on experience with ERP, CRM, and reporting tools (SAP and Power BI experience desirable).
• Advanced skills in MS Excel, reporting, and analytics.
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills, including global collaboration.
• Ability to manage multiple priorities, think strategically, and resolve issues proactively.

Key Competencies

• Commercial acumen with a strong understanding of academic publishing models.
• High degree of ownership, accountability, and problem-solving.
• Customer-centric approach with a service excellence mindset.
• Data-driven decision-making and strong reporting orientation.
• Proven ability to influence and collaborate with senior stakeholders.
• Resilient, adaptable, and capable of thriving in a dynamic business environment.