Head of Asia Core Markets

Job description

About the Role We are looking for a talented Head of Asia Core Markets to join our Sales Team who will lead the strategy, commercial performance and organisational effectiveness of OUP ELT across the Asia Core Markets of Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan. The individual will manage and develop the Area Managers for the respective countries, ensuring that market plans, people capability, channel strategies and investment decisions are aligned with OUP’s mission, divisional priorities and financial goals. The ideal candidate will provide clear regional leadership while enabling each Area Manager to respond effectively to distinct customer, regulatory, curriculum, digital and distribution environments. Key Responsibilities: Lead, coach and hold accountable the Area Managers for Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan, building a high-performing, inclusive and respectful leadership team with clear objectives, succession plans and development priorities. Own the Asia Core Markets strategy and annual business-planning process, translating divisional priorities into differentiated country plans, targets, investment choices and resource allocation. Deliver agreed revenue, contribution, adoption, assessment and overhead objectives across the portfolio, using disciplined forecasting, pipeline management, CRM data and regular performance reviews. Challenge and support Area Managers to identify sustainable growth opportunities across institutional, school, higher-education, private-language, assessment, digital and direct or partner-led channels, according to local market relevance. Oversee distributor and strategic-partner performance across the territory, ensuring clear annual plans, appropriate coverage, strong governance, commercial discipline and recommendations for change where needed. Build senior relationships with education authorities, institutions, key accounts, distributors and sector partners where appropriate, representing OUP with credibility and ensuring that customer and policy insight informs decisions. Provide a strong regional view of market developments. Work with Publishing, Product, Marketing, Assessment, Digital, Finance, Operations, Legal, HR and regional colleagues to shape propositions, launch plans and service models that are locally relevant, scalable and commercially viable. Identify and mitigate strategic and operational risks, including regulatory change, credit exposure, currency movements, channel dependency, data and compliance requirements, competitor action and changes in government or institutional policy. Create a consistent operating rhythm across the four markets, sharing effective practice and enabling cross-market collaboration while maintaining appropriate local accountability. Ensure compliance with OUP policies, local laws, contractual obligations, competition requirements, data protection standards and the OUP Code of Conduct. About You Essential: Proven senior commercial leadership experience across multiple countries or complex education markets Demonstrable success leading, coaching and developing experienced country or Area Managers Strong business and financial acumen, including planning, forecasting, investment prioritisation and budget management Ability to translate varied market, policy and customer insights into clear portfolio and go-to-market choices Strong influencing, negotiation, communication and presentation skills with senior internal and external stakeholders Analytical capability and disciplined use of CRM, performance data and market intelligence High cross-cultural awareness and ability to lead effectively across remote, multilingual teams Sound judgement in complex, ambiguous and fast-changing environments Commitment to an inclusive, safe and respectful working environment and high standards of integrity Willingness and ability to travel regularly across Thailand, Vietnam, South Korea and Taiwan Fluent in English Desirable: Experience in ELT, educational publishing, assessment, education technology or related sectors Experience managing distributors, institutional partnerships or public-sector opportunities Knowledge of one or more of the four markets and their education systems Proficiency in Thai, Vietnamese, Korean or Mandarin Chinese Degree-level education or equivalent professional experience