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The Business Development Manager is one of the most strategically important commercial roles in any EdTech organisation. Sitting between SDRs who generate interest and Account Executives who close deals, BDMs drive pipeline growth, market expansion and strategic partnerships. In EdTech, where sales cycles are lengthy, stakeholders are complex and procurement can be slow, BDMs act as the connective tissue between product, marketing, partnerships and executive leadership.
In the UK, particularly in and around London, BDMs influence revenue, shape market positioning and accelerate entry into new regions. They are instrumental in building partner ecosystems that reduce customer acquisition costs and bridge the gap between commercial strategy and operational delivery. Their role is both outward‑facing, building relationships with potential clients and partners, and inward‑facing, providing insights that shape go‑to‑market plans and product strategy.
A BDM in EdTech spends much of their time identifying new markets, sectors and regions that match the company’s growth ambitions. Deep research into schools, multi‑academy trusts, universities, ministries of education and other public and private institutions helps the BDM map decision‑making structures, understand priorities and tailor outreach. Effective BDMs build multi‑channel strategies across email, telephone and social platforms that speak directly to the needs of stakeholders. They run discovery conversations, qualify opportunities, manage pilots and proof of concept projects, and navigate multi‑stakeholder procurement processes that can involve senior leaders, IT directors and procurement officers. Influencing complex buying groups requires a blend of strategic commercial thinking with nuanced understanding of the education context.
Partnership activity is also a core part of the role. BDMs identify and negotiate with resellers, distributors and consultants, and then support partner activation and co‑selling efforts that expand reach and share risk. They also manage pipeline forecasting and CRM updates, while prioritising opportunities in collaboration with Account Executives and sales leadership. Feeding market insight back to product and marketing teams is essential in shaping messaging that resonates with users and buyers alike.
In London‑based and UK EdTech companies, BDMs work with a range of internal stakeholders. They collaborate closely with Account Executives, marketing and demand generation teams, customer success functions, and senior sales leadership such as Heads of Sales or Vice Presidents of Sales. Early‑stage companies may also see BDMs working directly with founders, giving them an opportunity to shape commercial strategy at a high level. This breadth of interaction requires strong internal relationship management, influencing without authority and the ability to drive alignment across teams.
Externally, BDMs engage with teachers, senior leadership teams in schools and universities, IT directors, CEOs of multi‑academy trusts and government education officials. They also work with procurement officers who often control purchasing decisions. Successfully navigating both the operational and political layers of education ecosystems is a skill that distinguishes high performers.
Salary expectations for BDM roles vary by region and employer. In the United States, BDMs typically see base salaries between 80 000 and 110 000 USD with on‑target earnings often between 120 000 and 180 000 USD. In the United Kingdom, base salaries usually fall between 45 000 and 65 000 GBP with OTE often in the 65 000 to 100 000 GBP range. In Europe, typical base salaries range from 50 000 to 75 000 EUR with OTE often between 75 000 and 110 000 EUR. Candidates with education sector experience usually command higher compensation due to faster trust building and shorter ramp time.
A day in the life of a BDM can vary depending on whether the role is more outbound‑led or inbound‑focused. Outbound BDMs start the day reviewing target accounts, conducting deep stakeholder research and crafting personalised outreach. Midday might include discovery calls, demonstration coordination and handling objections. Afternoons often involve proposal writing, partner conversations, pilot planning and CRM updates. Inbound‑focused BDMs, common in well‑known brands or funded scaleups, might spend mornings reviewing demo requests, trials or webinar leads, prioritising high‑intent opportunities and holding qualification calls. Collaborations with marketing, nurturing warm accounts and preparing insight reports are also core activities.
Most BDM roles in EdTech combine elements of both outbound and inbound work. Outbound requires patience, confidence and strategic messaging, while inbound involves a faster pace and higher intent conversations. The best BDMs are comfortable in hybrid environments, adapting to shifting market signals and buyer behaviour.
Domestic BDM work in the UK benefits from familiarity with local curriculum standards, procurement models and academic calendars. International BDM roles, by contrast, require understanding of diverse frameworks such as IB, MoE and other national systems, working across multiple time zones, adapting messaging for cultural nuances and managing relationships with global partners or ministry level buyers. This kind of international experience is highly valued by companies seeking global growth.
People enter BDM roles from a range of backgrounds. Commercial experience as Account Managers, SDRs, Customer Success Managers or Sales Executives is common. Many candidates also come from education backgrounds, including teachers, heads of department and university outreach roles. Industry experience from publishing, learning and development or education policy organisations is also relevant. Hiring managers often prioritise strong communication, an understanding of school workflows, relationship building, comfort with ambiguity and data‑informed decision making.
Career progression from BDM can lead to senior BDM positions, Account Executive roles, enterprise sales, regional leadership, head of sales or vice president positions. Parallel tracks into partnerships, revenue operations, product marketing or customer success are also common, reflecting the cross‑functional exposure BDMs gain.
Success in EdTech BDM roles is measured through a variety of KPIs including qualified opportunities created, revenue pipeline generated, opportunities passed to Account Executives, completeness of stakeholder mapping, partner activations, pilot conversions, regional growth and forecast accuracy. Education‑specific measures such as academic cycle adaptability and multi‑stakeholder engagement are also important.
Core skills for BDMs include strong discovery abilities, stakeholder mapping, negotiation, storytelling, relationship building, strategic thinking, market insight and CRM fluency. EdTech specific skills that give candidates an edge include understanding curriculum context, awareness of safeguarding and compliance and sensitivity to the culture of education. Upskilling in areas such as AI prospecting tools, LinkedIn thought leadership and data analysis further strengthens a candidate’s effectiveness.
When interviewing BDM candidates, hiring managers often ask about territory planning, tailoring approaches for different education stakeholders, experience selling into multi‑stakeholder environments and navigating long procurement cycles. Candidates who prepare real examples of personalised outreach and demonstrate international awareness tend to perform well.
Standing out as a BDM requires visibility both online and offline. Building a LinkedIn presence, attending key industry events and sharing insights that reflect understanding of pedagogy and education systems helps candidates differentiate themselves. RecruitHer candidates consistently outperform because they bring market insight, sector fluency and a genuine connection to education outcomes.
Gender representation in BDM roles still skews male, particularly in outbound or technical solution selling. Women often excel in trust building, multi‑stakeholder engagement and consultative selling. Hiring more women into BDM roles improves commercial performance, team cohesion and alignment with a predominantly female education workforce. RecruitHer plays a key role in expanding this pipeline.
Knowing when to ask for a promotion from BDM to senior BDM or Account Executive should be evidence‑based and collaborative. Consistency in hitting KPIs over multiple quarters, influencing deals beyond core responsibilities, understanding the full sales cycle, visibility in the EdTech community and initiative outside the job description all indicate readiness. Open conversations during performance reviews or hiring phases, supported with clear evidence, help ensure promotions align with business needs.
RecruitHer also recommends that hiring plans focus on education‑informed commercial talent, prioritise hybrid skills, ensure diversity in sales teams, consider internationally aware candidates for global expansion and reduce ramp time by hiring those familiar with the sector.
