Senior Director, University Partnerships

Accountabilities:: Lead the end-to-end launch of new university partnerships, overseeing project priorities, timelines, cross-functional dependencies, and delivery milestones to ensure successful and timely implementation. Act as the primary point of contact for university partners, establishing and maintaining trusted relationships with executive sponsors and key stakeholders. Guide university leadership and partner teams through the organizational and operational changes required for successful launches. Influence stakeholders at all levels to adopt recommended operational practices, proven methodologies, and partnership best practices. Use higher education industry developments, market trends, and previous partnership experiences to identify operational gaps and recommend improvements. Drive change management initiatives, ensuring partner teams understand, embrace, and successfully implement the processes and practices required for launch. Coordinate cross-functional execution across Business Technology, Marketing, Marketing Operations, Academic Services, and other internal departments, establishing clear responsibilities and accountability. Resolve competing priorities, address implementation challenges, and ensure internal teams deliver their assigned launch workstreams according to agreed timelines. Collaborate with Business Development teams to establish realistic launch expectations for prospective university partners before agreements are finalized. Lead partner readiness assessments to evaluate alignment with established operational standards and best practices, using findings to develop tailored launch strategies. Continuously improve launch processes by capturing lessons learned, refining implementation playbooks, strengthening cross-functional handoffs, and improving future launch efficiency. Monitor launch performance through key indicators, including on-time delivery, project scope, workstream completion, partner readiness, and executive sponsor feedback. Ensure new university partners receive a coordinated, consistent, and high-quality launch experience that establishes the foundation for sustainable long-term collaboration. Requirements: At least 10 years of progressive professional experience in project management, program management, partnership management, or a related field, including leadership of complex cross-functional initiatives and multiple concurrent projects or partner launches. Bachelor's degree in Business Administration, Higher Education, Project Management, or a related discipline, or equivalent relevant professional experience. Working knowledge of partnership contract structures, commercial agreements, and partnership economics. Strong understanding of higher education operations, particularly online education models, university processes, and the operational requirements involved in launching and growing online academic programs. Demonstrated experience building and maintaining strategic relationships with executive sponsors, senior leaders, and stakeholders across different organizational levels. Proven ability to influence decision-makers, gain stakeholder buy-in, and drive the adoption of new processes and operational best practices. Experience leading organizational change management initiatives and guiding teams through complex transitions. Strong cross-functional leadership skills, with the ability to establish accountability, coordinate deliverables, and drive results across teams without direct reporting authority. Excellent project and program management capabilities, including planning, prioritization, risk management, stakeholder alignment, and delivery oversight. Exceptional written, verbal, and presentation skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with university executives, external partners, and internal leadership. Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities, with the capacity to assess operational readiness, identify performance gaps, and develop practical recommendations. Preferred Qualifications: Experience supporting business development initiatives, particularly establishing implementation expectations and managing transitions from prospective client engagement to partnership launch. Previous experience designing or leading operational readiness assessments, maturity evaluations, or similar processes to measure alignment with established best practices. Familiarity with online education growth strategies, university partnership models, and the challenges associated with expanding digital learning programs. Demonstrated ability to develop scalable processes, implementation frameworks, and continuous improvement strategies. Benefits: Fully remote working opportunity within the United States. Full-time employment in a strategic senior leadership position. Opportunity to build and manage high-impact partnerships with universities and higher education institutions. Exposure to the education technology sector and innovative online learning solutions. Opportunity to influence the growth and operational development of university partnerships. Collaborative, cross-functional working environment involving business development, technology, marketing, and academic services teams. Meaningful opportunity to contribute to expanding access to affordable, career-focused education and improving student outcomes. Professional growth opportunities through strategic leadership, executive stakeholder engagement, and large-scale program management.