OPT Sales Specialist Jobs
Sales Specialist jobs are among the more OPT-friendly roles in business, with many employers in SaaS, healthcare, and financial services regularly hiring candidates on F-1 OPT. Your 12-month standard OPT window is enough to prove quota performance, and STEM OPT extension eligibility depends on your degree field.
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The Specialist, Channel Sales recruits and onboards new and replacement Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center (PVTC) partners to expand and maintain a high-quality testing network. The role manages prospects from initial market research and outreach through contract execution, readiness coordination, and handoff for installation. This role works closely with prospects and customers along with operations, capacity planning, technical, security, client, finance, legal, and marketing teams. The Specialist, Channel Sales, helps grow channel footprint and ensures each new site supports client coverage, capacity, quality, and compliance.
This is a relationship-focused, target-driven role for someone who can build a qualified partner pipeline, maintain accurate records, remove onboarding obstacles, collaborate with others to solve problems, listen and advocate for testing centers, and think creatively to find solutions in challenging markets.
Key Responsibilities
1. Market Analysis and Partner Recruitment
- Research and qualify prospective testing organizations, including educational institutions, training providers, corporate locations, military institutions, correctional facilities and other suitable organizations.
- Use coverage, capacity, client, market, and pipeline information to identify priority recruitment locations and replacement-site needs.
- Conduct targeted outreach, explain the PVTC value proposition, assess interest and fit, and build a sustainable pipeline of qualified prospects.
- Coordinate recruitment campaigns and collaborate with marketing or regional stakeholders when additional lead generation is required.
- Represent Pearson VUE professionally in virtual presentations and partner discussions.
2. Partner Qualification, Contracting and Onboarding
- Guide prospective partners through the recruitment and onboarding journey from initial inquiry through contract signature and operational handoff.
- Collect, review, and coordinate required application, business, facility, security, technical, and readiness information in accordance with current Pearson VUE requirements.
- Coordinate due diligence and internal reviews, identify gaps, and communicate required actions clearly to prospects and stakeholders.
- Support contract preparation, negotiation, amendments, and approval routing within delegated authority and established policies.
- Maintain momentum across onboarding activities by tracking dependencies, following up on open items, escalating blockers, and providing clear status updates.
- Collaborate across internal teams and with prospective partners to solve problems, remove barriers, and keep site recruitment and onboarding activity moving forward.
- Partner with activation, technical, quality, security, capacity, and operational teams to support a smooth transition from contracted prospect to active PVTC.
3. Pipeline, CRM and Performance Management
- Maintain complete, timely, and accurate prospect, activity and onboarding records in Salesforce and approved reporting tools.
- Monitor pipeline health, aging, conversion progress, onboarding milestones, risks, and next actions; provide routine and ad hoc updates to leadership and stakeholders.
- Balance recruitment priorities across territories or programs as business needs and deadlines change.
- Contribute to achievement of assigned recruitment and activation metrics.
- Use data and partner feedback to recommend improvements to recruitment processes, tools, communications, and reporting.
4. Partner and Stakeholder Relationships
- Build trusted relationships with prospects, new partners, and internal stakeholders through responsive, clear, and consultative communication.
- Help prospective partners understand the operational model, scheduling considerations, testing expectations, and business requirements relevant to becoming a PVTC.
- Advocate for prospective and newly contracted sites by helping stakeholders understand site needs, clarifying requirements, and identifying practical paths forward when challenges arise.
- Manage expectations, document decisions, and hold owners accountable for agreed actions in a constructive and action-oriented manner.
- Maintain awareness of relevant client requirements and contractual obligations and raise potential conflicts or risks promptly.
- Provide limited post-contract support during transition and route established partners to the appropriate operational owner after handoff.
Required Skills
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
- Experience in sales, partner recruitment, business development, account management, customer relationship management, or a comparable client-facing role.
- Experience recruiting, onboarding, or supporting channel partners, testing centers, franchisees, resellers, vendors, or other third-party locations.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple prospects, tasks, deadlines, and cross-functional dependencies through a defined process.
- Experience supporting contracts and gathering requirements.
- Experience working across regions, time zones, or languages.
- Experience working toward recruitment, sales, activation, or service-level targets.
- Experience using Microsoft Office applications and a CRM or comparable tracking system.
- Excellent written, verbal, listening, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Strong attention to detail, organization, follow-through, judgment, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently, adapt priorities, and collaborate effectively with culturally and professionally diverse teams and partners.
Compensation at Pearson is influenced by factors including skill set, experience, and location.
The full-time salary range for this role is $38,000 – $48,000 annually.
This position is eligible to participate in Pearson’s sales incentive plan. Information on benefits can be found here.
Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2026. This window may be extended depending on business needs.
Who we are:
At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.
Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.
If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.
Job: Sales
Job Family: GO_TO_MARKET
Organization: Assessment & Qualifications
Schedule: FULL_TIME
Workplace Type: Remote
Req ID: 25995
Role Overview
The Specialist, Channel Sales recruits and onboards new and replacement Pearson VUE Authorized Test Center (PVTC) partners to expand and maintain a high-quality testing network. The role manages prospects from initial market research and outreach through contract execution, readiness coordination, and handoff for installation. This role works closely with prospects and customers along with operations, capacity planning, technical, security, client, finance, legal, and marketing teams. The Specialist, Channel Sales, helps grow channel footprint and ensures each new site supports client coverage, capacity, quality, and compliance.
This is a relationship-focused, target-driven role for someone who can build a qualified partner pipeline, maintain accurate records, remove onboarding obstacles, collaborate with others to solve problems, listen and advocate for testing centers, and think creatively to find solutions in challenging markets.
Key Responsibilities
1. Market Analysis and Partner Recruitment
- Research and qualify prospective testing organizations, including educational institutions, training providers, corporate locations, military institutions, correctional facilities and other suitable organizations.
- Use coverage, capacity, client, market, and pipeline information to identify priority recruitment locations and replacement-site needs.
- Conduct targeted outreach, explain the PVTC value proposition, assess interest and fit, and build a sustainable pipeline of qualified prospects.
- Coordinate recruitment campaigns and collaborate with marketing or regional stakeholders when additional lead generation is required.
- Represent Pearson VUE professionally in virtual presentations and partner discussions.
2. Partner Qualification, Contracting and Onboarding
- Guide prospective partners through the recruitment and onboarding journey from initial inquiry through contract signature and operational handoff.
- Collect, review, and coordinate required application, business, facility, security, technical, and readiness information in accordance with current Pearson VUE requirements.
- Coordinate due diligence and internal reviews, identify gaps, and communicate required actions clearly to prospects and stakeholders.
- Support contract preparation, negotiation, amendments, and approval routing within delegated authority and established policies.
- Maintain momentum across onboarding activities by tracking dependencies, following up on open items, escalating blockers, and providing clear status updates.
- Collaborate across internal teams and with prospective partners to solve problems, remove barriers, and keep site recruitment and onboarding activity moving forward.
- Partner with activation, technical, quality, security, capacity, and operational teams to support a smooth transition from contracted prospect to active PVTC.
3. Pipeline, CRM and Performance Management
- Maintain complete, timely, and accurate prospect, activity and onboarding records in Salesforce and approved reporting tools.
- Monitor pipeline health, aging, conversion progress, onboarding milestones, risks, and next actions; provide routine and ad hoc updates to leadership and stakeholders.
- Balance recruitment priorities across territories or programs as business needs and deadlines change.
- Contribute to achievement of assigned recruitment and activation metrics.
- Use data and partner feedback to recommend improvements to recruitment processes, tools, communications, and reporting.
4. Partner and Stakeholder Relationships
- Build trusted relationships with prospects, new partners, and internal stakeholders through responsive, clear, and consultative communication.
- Help prospective partners understand the operational model, scheduling considerations, testing expectations, and business requirements relevant to becoming a PVTC.
- Advocate for prospective and newly contracted sites by helping stakeholders understand site needs, clarifying requirements, and identifying practical paths forward when challenges arise.
- Manage expectations, document decisions, and hold owners accountable for agreed actions in a constructive and action-oriented manner.
- Maintain awareness of relevant client requirements and contractual obligations and raise potential conflicts or risks promptly.
- Provide limited post-contract support during transition and route established partners to the appropriate operational owner after handoff.
Required Skills
- Bachelor’s degree or equivalent combination of education and relevant work experience.
- Experience in sales, partner recruitment, business development, account management, customer relationship management, or a comparable client-facing role.
- Experience recruiting, onboarding, or supporting channel partners, testing centers, franchisees, resellers, vendors, or other third-party locations.
- Demonstrated ability to manage multiple prospects, tasks, deadlines, and cross-functional dependencies through a defined process.
- Experience supporting contracts and gathering requirements.
- Experience working across regions, time zones, or languages.
- Experience working toward recruitment, sales, activation, or service-level targets.
- Experience using Microsoft Office applications and a CRM or comparable tracking system.
- Excellent written, verbal, listening, presentation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Strong attention to detail, organization, follow-through, judgment, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to work independently, adapt priorities, and collaborate effectively with culturally and professionally diverse teams and partners.
Compensation at Pearson is influenced by factors including skill set, experience, and location.
The full-time salary range for this role is $38,000 – $48,000 annually.
This position is eligible to participate in Pearson’s sales incentive plan. Information on benefits can be found here.
Applications will be accepted through September 30, 2026. This window may be extended depending on business needs.
Who we are:
At Pearson, our purpose is simple: to help people realize the life they imagine through learning. We believe that every learning opportunity is a chance for a personal breakthrough. We are the world's lifelong learning company. For us, learning isn't just what we do. It's who we are. To learn more: We are Pearson.
Pearson is an Equal Opportunity Employer and a member of E-Verify. Employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit and business need. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, ethnicity, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, national origin, protected veteran status, disability status or any other group protected by law. We actively seek qualified candidates who are protected veterans and individuals with disabilities as defined under VEVRAA and Section 503 of the Rehabilitation Act.
If you are an individual with a disability and are unable or limited in your ability to use or access our career site as a result of your disability, you may request reasonable accommodations by emailing TalentExperienceGlobalTeam@grp.pearson.com.
Job: Sales
Job Family: GO_TO_MARKET
Organization: Assessment & Qualifications
Schedule: FULL_TIME
Workplace Type: Remote
Req ID: 25995
See all 514+ OPT Sales Specialist Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Sales Specialist Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Sales Specialist
Lead with quota performance, not visa status
Employers sponsoring Sales Specialists want to see pipeline numbers, close rates, and revenue impact up front. Quantify your results on your resume before any discussion of work authorization. Strong performance data makes the sponsorship conversation easier.
Target companies with established OPT hiring history
SaaS companies, staffing firms, and enterprise software vendors file H-1B visa petitions regularly and are familiar with OPT paperwork. Prioritize roles at organizations with a track record of sponsoring international hires over smaller startups with no immigration infrastructure.
Clarify your STEM OPT eligibility early
If your degree is in a STEM field like information systems, statistics, or economics, you may qualify for a 24-month extension. Knowing this before interviews lets you tell employers they have 36 months total, which significantly changes their sponsorship calculus.
Address the timeline before they ask
Sales hiring managers think in quarters and annual targets. Frame your OPT window in those terms: you can start immediately, contribute through a full fiscal year, and H-1B filing would align with Q1 of the following year. Concrete timelines reduce sponsorship anxiety.
Use your OPT start date strategically
USCIS recommends applying for OPT up to 90 days before your program end date. Timing your start date to align with a company's Q1 or Q3 hiring cycle increases your chances of landing a role before your authorization begins, avoiding costly gaps.
Negotiate a structured ramp period that fits your OPT window
Most Sales Specialist roles have a 30-to-90-day ramp before quota kicks in. Ask about ramp structure during interviews and ensure your OPT authorization covers the full ramp period plus at least one full quota cycle before any H-1B transition is needed.
Sales Specialist OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Sales Specialist on F-1 OPT?
Yes. Sales Specialist roles qualify for F-1 OPT as long as the position is directly related to your field of study. A business, marketing, communications, or economics degree typically supports eligibility. If your degree is in a STEM-designated field, you may also qualify for the 24-month STEM OPT extension, giving you up to 36 months of work authorization total.
Do Sales Specialist employers commonly sponsor H-1B visas?
Sponsorship rates vary significantly by employer size and industry. Large SaaS companies, financial services firms, and enterprise technology vendors sponsor H-1B petitions regularly and have internal immigration teams familiar with the process. Smaller companies and commission-only sales roles are less likely to sponsor. Migrate Mate filters for OPT-friendly employers, so you can focus applications on companies with a real sponsorship track record.
Does a Sales Specialist role count as directly related to my degree for OPT purposes?
USCIS requires that OPT employment be directly related to your major area of study, but that connection does not need to be one-to-one. A business administration, marketing, economics, or communications degree typically supports a Sales Specialist position. If your degree is in engineering or a technical STEM field, sales engineering or technical sales roles tend to be a stronger fit. Your Designated School Official can confirm the connection before you accept an offer.
What happens to my OPT if I lose my Sales Specialist job?
F-1 OPT students are allowed a maximum of 90 days of unemployment during the standard 12-month OPT period. STEM OPT extension holders are limited to 150 days total across both the standard and extension periods. If you lose a Sales Specialist role, you must report the change to your DSO and actively pursue new employment. Gaps beyond these limits can result in a status violation.
Are commission-based Sales Specialist jobs valid for OPT employment?
USCIS does not require OPT employment to be salaried, but the position must be a legitimate job directly related to your degree. Commission-based roles at established companies with formal employment agreements generally meet this standard. Fully independent contractor arrangements with no base pay or employer relationship are more likely to raise questions during a status review. Confirm the employment structure with your DSO before accepting.