Counsellor Team Lead - AU/NZ (Sales Lead)

Role purpose

• Achieve short-term goals in Student Placement while executing the long-term strategy of the company to strengthen its position as a leading student placement service provider. This will be accomplished by balancing local customer needs with the global operating model.

• Strengthen IDP's leadership presence in AU/NZ, ensuring the company remains a key player in the student placement industry in these regions.

• Develop and execute destination-specific activity calendars to drive leads and meet conversion targets per intake.

• Provide strong business leadership, instilling IDP’s organisational vision and a performance-driven culture within the office team.

• Offer mentoring, coaching, and ongoing communication to drive high engagement and excellent business results.

• Build and maintain strong client relationships through ongoing engagement and support.

• Foster effective working relationships with country teams, including destination and marketing teams, to deliver optimal results.

• Contribute to creating a world-class operating environment by exhibiting a collaborative yet decisive operating style.

• Effectively implement global priority projects at the country/office level.

• Work collaboratively with the Student Placement Assistant Manager AU/NZ, country finance team and people experience teams to ensure compliance with all relevant country and local laws and policies.

Key performance areas & Responsibilities

• Timely preparation, in collaboration with Marketing, of intake-based pipeline plans and activity calendars.

• Execute activity calendars, ASCENT reports, Counsellor Productivity reports, and commission calculations as per defined dates and timelines.

• Achieve targets for Leads, Applicants, and Finalised volumes by destination and intake. Ensure positive client satisfaction ratings.

• Meet company targets for Staff Engagement ratings.

• Recruit, train, and retain certified counselors, ensuring project success across the region.

• Develop and implement office business plans aligned with AU/NZ market needs and IDP’s strategic goals.

• Set and track KPIs to ensure business plan alignment.

• Leverage knowledge, skills, and infrastructure across offices to enhance performance.

• Contribute to budget planning and monitor pipeline/revenue, collaborating with finance to ensure performance and corrective action.

Other Responsibilities

• Work with Finance and Student Placement Assistant Manager AU/NZ to implement accurate forecasting for pipeline and revenue.

• Cultivate a strong sales and service culture within the team.

• Develop and implement strategies to achieve sales targets, adjusting as needed.

• Partner with Marketing Manager to create lead-generation programs, ensuring adequate counselling capacity.

• Establish best practices based on IDP SOPs and boost sales productivity with CRM adoption and pipeline management.

• Lead a high-performing Counselling and Sales team, fostering an inclusive and performance-driven culture.

• Represent IDP AU/NZ in regional and global forums (e.g., AIEC, Going Global).

• Identify issues for escalation and provide timely feedback to the Student Placement Assistant Manager AU/NZ.

Required experience

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent.

• Over 5+ years of experience leading teams in a customer-facing, multinational environment, with expertise in business planning, budgeting, and tracking progress.

• Proven success in motivating and leading large, diverse teams to achieve measurable outcomes.

• Strong track record of managing diverse stakeholders (clients and students), balancing their interests while staying focused on organisational goals.

• Exceptional problem-solving abilities and experience with CRM systems is a plus.

• A principled, ethical leader who prioritises integrity and the best interests of the business. Values and promotes diversity within teams.

• Excellent presentation, communication, and interpersonal skills. Proficient in written and spoken English.