Director - Business, Corporate Development & Strategy

Internal Grade: E

About Pearson

Learning is the most powerful force for change in the world. More than 20,000 Pearson employees deliver our products and services in nearly 200 countries, all working towards a common purpose – to help everyone achieve their potential through learning. We do that by providing high quality, digital content and learning experiences, as well as assessments and qualifications that help people build their skills and grow with the world around them. We are the world s leading learning company. Learn more at pearsonplc.

About the team

Strategy and Corporate Development is a small, high–profile team reporting to the Chief Strategy Officer and based across UK and US. This team works hand in hand to drive all group strategy, venture & investment, strategic partnership, and M&A activity across the Pearson group. Within the department, our team – Group Strategy – is responsible for providing strategic thought leadership by working collaboratively with colleagues across all areas of the business to develop Pearson s strategic direction and identify what Pearson needs to do to succeed. We collaborate closely with the M&A and Venture & Investments teams, as well as with Pearson s business divisions, to ensure our projects will provide many learning and networking opportunities. Our team has a significant amount of exposure to the Pearson CEO, CFO, Executive team and Board.

About the role

Reporting to the VP Group Strategy, the Director – Business, Corporate Development & Strategy this role s key responsibilities include:

• Challenge our businesses to push beyond the status quo and manage stakeholders across our businesses to ensure we re progressing the right initiatives to maximise the value of the Pearson portfolio.

• Leading the?corporate?strategy?planning?process?– this?will go beyond the aggregation of business–unit strategies; and include both designing and implementing a corporate strategy process that is continuous, with a strong focus on execution,?and driven by?regular?and effective decision making.

• Work closely with group–wide three–year planning process to translate the long–term strategy into short and medium–term financial plans.

• Responsible for?helping?us to?drive?our?strategy?and?priorities?working?closely?with. the?wider?corporate?development?team across?acquisitions,?divestitures, investment?partnerships and?venture?investments,?ensuring?progress across?our?various?strategic themes.

• Planning, shaping and delivering multiple strategic projects. Working collaboratively and cross–functionally on the execution of the strategic initiatives in partnership with other members of the senior leadership team, which will also involve monitoring strategies from idea through to action, and execution; and identifying and monitoring capability gaps.

• Ensuring active course correction where needed, both in terms of targets / ambition, and also stopping or accelerating exiting funding and any reprioritisation.

• In partnership with the Heads of Strategy, challenge the strategy owners to ensure alignment and efficient realisation of the strategy.

• Collaborating with cross functional stakeholders to critically assess portfolio performance against strategic priorities.

• Present findings to and influence Pearson s executive team on a broad range of strategic questions; and be a subject matter expert in one or more strategic areas, providing guidance to Pearson s executive team.

• Defining and tracking a focused set of KPIs and supporting the external and internal communication narrative from a strategy perspective.

About You:

This role requires a strategic thinker who can see the big picture but is equally able to focus on strategy execution and supporting the delivery of results to turn vision into reality. You will have:

• relevant experience gained working in a strategy consulting or private equity. Alternatively, you might have worked in the strategy or business development functions of a multinational corporate organisation.

• experience of working in / with multiple geographies.

• curious and a fast learner who enjoys working in environments that challenge you to think laterally and creatively and force you to stretch yourself.

• Strong commercial acumen and skills in financial analysis, business case development & interpretation with extensive experience managing strategic projects teams.

• Confidence to establish credibility and work with senior/executive management as well as build strong networks and business relationships with influence across a complex, organisation.

Your rewards & benefits

We know you ll do great work, so we give a lot back with some of the best benefits in the business. We know that one size doesn t fit all, so our workplace programs meet the different needs of our diverse teams, and their families too. There is a range of options, see some of them shared here:

• A competitive salary

• 25 Days annual leave, this increases by 1 day each year up to 30 days with the option to buy and sell up to 5 days per year on top of this.

• A fantastic pension plan, where Pearson double what you contribute.

• Pearson s other benefits also include private dental care, private medical insurance, digital GP service, season ticket loan, eye tests, cycle to work scheme, volunteering days, employee wellbeing assistance discounted retail and leisure products and services from leading companies and much more.

Job: STRATEGY

Organization: Corporate Strategy & Technology

Schedule: FULL_TIME

Req ID: 6929