About this role.
Read the complete description, responsibilities, qualifications, and employer instructions before applying.
Pearson is seeking a Sales Specialist based in Reno, NV to sell digital, print, and service solutions to higher education institutions. The role involves daily travel to college campuses, consultative selling, collaboration with specialists, and maintaining CRM records. Candidates need a bachelor's degree and 2+ years of sales experience in higher education or related industry. This remote position offers a competitive base salary with uncapped bonus potential and comprehensive benefits.
Role DNA
A quick view of the complexity, pace, ownership and collaboration implied by the job description.
Job Complexity
3/5Pace & Pressure
4/5Autonomy Level
4/5Communication Load
4/5Salary analysis
Estimated compensation compared with the broader US market for similar roles.
Core skills
Skills and capabilities most closely associated with this opportunity.
Cover letter sample
I am excited to apply for the Sales Specialist position at Pearson. With over two years of outstanding sales performance in higher education, I have consistently exceeded targets and built strong relationships with faculty and institutions.
My consultative approach and proficiency with digital solutions align perfectly with Pearson's mission to drive teaching innovation. I am adept at using Salesforce for tracking and forecasting, and I thrive in a remote, travel-intensive environment.
I am eager to contribute to your team by accelerating the shift to subscription-based materials and enhancing student success. Thank you for considering my application.
Sample interview questions
I have 3 years of experience selling digital course materials to colleges, using a consultative approach to understand faculty needs and demonstrate how our solutions improve student outcomes.
I segment my territory by potential revenue and relationship strength, scheduling regular visits and virtual check-ins. I use CRM data to plan effective routes and ensure high-value accounts receive focused attention.
In my previous role, I updated Salesforce daily with meeting notes and pipeline stages. I used the forecast module to predict quarterly revenue, which helped my manager allocate resources and adjust strategies.
I would work with bookstore managers to ensure proper inventory and marketing materials. I'd also train staff on our products and coordinate back-to-school campaigns to increase student adoption.
I subscribe to higher ed publications, attend webinars, and participate in industry conferences. I also network with colleagues and use competitive intelligence tools to adapt my sales approach.
Join Our Team as a Pearson Education Sales Representative!
At Pearson, we believe in the power of education to transform lives. As a Pearson Education Sales Representative, you’re on the front lines of driving teaching and learning innovation, and your role is crucial in helping 2/4-year college institutions meet their educational goals of access, achievement, and affordability, ultimately enhancing student success.
Your Role
Your primary responsibility is to sell effective and innovative digital, print, and service solutions that address the challenges faced by students, faculty, and institutions today. To excel in this role, you’ll need a strong drive for achievement, a proven track record of meeting or exceeding goals, comfort with digital media, and a genuine passion for education.
- Achieving or surpassing territory sales targets by offering course-based solutions to faculty, thereby gaining market share.
- Accelerating the shift toward subscription-based materials to tackle student affordability and access challenges.
- Collaborating with specialists and account executives to implement effective program-wide or institution-wide solutions.
- Conducting impactful back-to-school campaigns that boost student engagement.
- Collaborating with bookstores to drive sell-through.
- Crucially, tracking and forecasting in our SalesForce.com database.
The Role
This is a remote/home-based position with regular daily travel to and from college campuses in Reno, Nevada and the surrounding area. Travel to our Sales Meetings (various locations nationally) is also required. Please note that we do not offer relocation packages for this position. The ideal candidate should be based in or near Reno area.
This position is eligible to participate in a sales incentive plan, and information on benefits offered is here.
- Using a mix of campus visits and virtual campus days to consistently connect with 15+ faculty members daily, employing effective consultative sales techniques.
- Demonstrating excellent organizational and follow-up skills.
- Maintaining accurate and timely tracking and forecasting in OneCRM (Salesforce.com).
- Collaborating with enterprise account level salespeople to drive course adoption into Inclusive Access and upsell additional services.
- Strategically planning at both the territory and adoption levels.
- Delivering effective technology sales presentations to faculty and technology training sessions for students.
- Working closely with the Customer Success organization to ensure effective support for key customers.
- Implementing company initiatives within your sales territory.
- Staying up-to-date on Pearson products, platforms, and capabilities.
- Keeping informed about issues impacting the educational industry and market environment.
- Demonstrating collaboration by sharing successful tactics across your district, region, and nationally. Willingness to take on assignments with cross-functional task forces when needed.
Outcomes
Your role’s success will be measured by meeting and exceeding revenue targets.
- As a Pearson Education Sales Representative, you’ll enjoy:
- A highly competitive base salary and uncapped bonus potential.
- Coverage of all travel expenses.
- An excellent benefits package.
- Extensive training and ongoing professional development opportunities.
- Promotional prospects spanning various positions and levels within sales management, marketing, editorial, digital solutions, and more.
Qualifications
- A bachelor’s degree or an equivalent combination of education and successful work experience.
- A minimum of 2 years of outstanding sales performance in the higher education market or a related industry.
- Proficiency with Office tools, mobile technologies, computer applications, and business systems.
Essential Attributes
- Your success will be driven by:
- Determination and a strong desire to achieve results.
- Optimism and a positive outlook.
- Initiative-taking and self-direction.
- A consistent track record of excelling in a fast-paced business environment.
- Enthusiasm for investigating needs, solving problems, and meeting educational needs.
- The ability to build trust-based relationships with customers and colleagues and maintain those relationships through professional empathy and trust-building behaviors.
- Strong written, oral, and presentation communication skills.
- Resilience and the ability to overcome challenges to achieve outcomes.
- Strong organizational skills and the ability to prioritize tasks and meet deadlines.
- Collaboration skills, allowing you to interact and engage with others while working toward a common goal.
- Analytical skills, enabling you to prioritize based on data and manage tracking toward goals.
- Change agility, the ability to adapt quickly and lead others through change.
- Learning agility, showing an aptitude for learning new technologies and skills.
Ready to Join Us?
Compensation at Pearson is influenced by factors including skill set, experience, and location.
The full-time salary range for this role is $65,000 – $75,000.
This position is eligible to participate in Pearson’s sales incentive plan. Information on benefits can be found here.
Applications will be accepted through 6/26/2026. This window may be extended depending on business needs.
Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.
If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.
Upload your resume now
- To unlock remote work opportunities and be discovered by global employers.
This job listing has been manually reviewed by the Jobicy Trust & Safety Team for compliance with our posting guidelines, including verification of the company's legitimacy, accuracy of job details, clarity of remote work policy, and absence of misleading or fraudulent content.
