Global Academic Market Manager

About the role

Centr is seeking an experienced and commercially driven Global Academic Market Manager to lead the growth of the Centr fitness brand across the global education market.

Responsibilities

• Develop and execute a comprehensive global sales strategy for the K–12 and higher education markets.
• Establish market priorities, revenue targets, account segmentation, and growth plans by region.
• Identify high-potential institutions, school systems, universities, athletic departments, campus recreation programs, and educational networks.
• Build a repeatable sales model that can be executed directly and through Centr’s global dealer and distributor network.
• Position Centr as a preferred fitness equipment and training solutions provider within the academic market.
• Build and manage relationships with key decision-makers, including:
  • Athletic directors
  • Strength and conditioning coaches
  • Campus recreation leaders
  • Physical education departments
  • Facilities and procurement teams
  • School administrators
  • University wellness leaders
  • Architects, designers, and fitness consultants
• Lead direct sales efforts for strategic academic accounts and large-scale projects.
• Develop multi-year relationships with school districts, university systems, athletic conferences, and institutional purchasing organizations.
• Conduct presentations, needs assessments, product demonstrations, and facility planning discussions.
• Manage opportunities from initial qualification through proposal, negotiation, purchase order, installation, and post-sale follow-up.
• Work closely with Centr’s dealer and distributor partners to identify, pursue, and close academic market opportunities.
• Train dealer sales teams on the academic market, Centr’s value proposition, product portfolio, and institutional selling strategies.
• Support dealers with account planning, presentations, product selection, facility layouts, bids, proposals, and project specifications.
• Evaluate dealer capabilities by market and identify geographic areas requiring additional coverage or support.
• Conduct regular pipeline reviews with regional sales teams, dealers, and distributors.
• Develop new business across K–12 schools, private schools, colleges, universities, community colleges, vocational institutions, and campus recreation facilities.
• Identify opportunities within:
  • Physical education programs
  • Student recreation centers
  • Colegiate athletics
  • Strength and conditioning facilities
  • Sports performance centers
  • Faculty and staff wellness facilities
  • Student housing and residential fitness
  • Medical wellness and kinesiology programs
  • Research and human performance laboratories
• Work with Marketing to develop academic market campaigns, content, case studies, digital assets, and lead-generation initiatives.
• Partner with Product teams to communicate institutional requirements, product gaps, and emerging market needs.
• Coordinate with Operations and Logistics to support complex global projects, delivery requirements, and installation timelines.
• Work with regional leaders to align academic market priorities with broader commercial sales strategies.
• Monitor academic fitness trends, institutional spending, procurement practices, facility design trends, and competitor activity.
• Track major construction projects, campus expansions, athletic facility investments, and government education funding programs.
• Provide regular reports to senior leadership outlining:
  • Sales performance
  • Pipeline development
  • Key account activity
  • Dealer performance
  • Market trends
  • Competitive insights
  • Risks and opportunities
  • Recommend actions to improve Centr’s competitiveness and market penetration.
  • Represent Centr at education, fitness, athletic, recreation, and facilities industry events.
  • Attend trade shows, conferences, association meetings, dealer events, and customer presentations.
  • Serve as Centr’s subject-matter expert and primary commercial representative for the global academic market.
  • Maintain a professional brand presence and ensure Centr’s standards are consistently represented.

  Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in business, sales, sports management, exercise science, education, or a related field preferred.
  • Minimum of 5–7 years of experience in commercial fitness equipment, institutional sales, education sales, dealer management, or a related industry.
  • Proven ability to manage direct sales and dealer-supported sales channels.
  • Experience with complex, project-based, and capital equipment sales.
  • Strong understanding of institutional procurement, bid processes, budgeting cycles, and purchasing requirements.
  • Demonstrated success developing strategic accounts and building long-term customer relationships.
  • Experience working across multiple countries or regions is strongly preferred.
  • Knowledge of fitness equipment, strength and conditioning, campus recreation, athletics, or physical education is highly desirable.
  • Proficiency with Salesforce platforms, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, presentation software, and sales reporting tools.
  • Fluency in English required; additional languages are beneficial.
  • Valid passport and ability to travel internationally.

  Qualifications and Experience

  • Bachelor’s degree in business, sales, sports management, exercise science, education, or a related field preferred.
  • Minimum of 5–7 years of experience in commercial fitness equipment, institutional sales, education sales, dealer management, or a related industry.
  • Proven ability to manage direct sales and dealer-supported sales channels.
  • Experience with complex, project-based, and capital equipment sales.
  • Strong understanding of institutional procurement, bid processes, budgeting cycles, and purchasing requirements.
  • Demonstrated success developing strategic accounts and building long-term customer relationships.
  • Experience working across multiple countries or regions is strongly preferred.
  • Knowledge of fitness equipment, strength and conditioning, campus recreation, athletics, or physical education is highly desirable.
  • Proficiency with Salesforce platforms, Microsoft Office, Google Workspace, presentation software, and sales reporting tools.
  • Fluency in English required; additional languages are beneficial.
  • Valid passport and ability to travel internationally.

  Pay Range

  The Pay Range For This Role Is 80,000 - 90,000 USD per year(Remote)