DescriptionThe Partnership Lead is responsible for building, scaling, and leading the Partnerships function across the US and LATAM, with a primary focus on Career partnerships and the US market. This is a hands-on leadership role combining strategic ownership with direct execution. The Partnership Lead will define partnership strategy, build and optimize the partnership pipeline, establish scalable outreach processes, and support the development of the Partnership Management team.
The role will directly manage Partnership Managers across regions, working closely with Career Leadership and cross-functional stakeholders to build partnerships that primarily support Career outcomes (employment and Industry Experience), while also driving strategic partnership opportunities for other business functions, including Marketing and Product initiatives.
What you will do1. Partnership Strategy & Growth- Own the overall partnership strategy across the US and LATAM, with the primary focus on Career partnerships while supporting strategic partnership initiatives for other business functions when appropriate.
- Define partnership priorities, target segments, and outreach strategies.
- Build scalable partnership acquisition and retention processes.
- Continuously optimize partnership performance based on data and results.
2. Partnership Development- Personally develop relationships with strategic partners, primarily in the US market.
- Build and maintain a sustainable pipeline of Tier-1 and high-impact employers.
- Lead negotiations with strategic partners.
- Develop partnerships supporting Career Services, employment, Industry Experience, employer engagement, and cross-functional business initiatives, including Marketing and Product partnerships where relevant.
- Identify and validate new partnership opportunities that create long-term value for the business.
3. Team Leadership & Development- Directly manage Partnership Managers across the US and LATAM.
- Coach and mentor the team through regular pipeline reviews, outreach strategy discussions, and performance coaching.
- Support the professional development of Partnership Managers by sharing best practices and providing ongoing guidance.
- Ensure consistent partnership management standards and operational processes across regions.
4. Pipeline & Performance Management- Monitor partnership pipeline health and conversion metrics.
- Review outreach quality, messaging, and engagement strategies.
- Identify bottlenecks and adjust partnership strategy when necessary.
- Establish reporting, KPI tracking, and operational visibility across the Partnerships function.
5. Cross-functional Collaboration- Partner with Career Leadership, Product, Marketing, Student Experience, and other business stakeholders to identify and develop partnership opportunities aligned with company priorities.
- Align partnership initiatives with Career strategy and broader business objectives.
- Support the launch of new Career offerings and other strategic company initiatives requiring external partnerships or employer engagement.
- Represent the Partnerships function in strategic planning and cross-functional initiatives.
RequirementsRequired- Proven experience building employer or strategic partnership functions from scratch.
- Demonstrated success securing strategic partnerships with large organizations, preferably Tier-1 employers.
- Experience building and maintaining long-term partnership pipelines rather than one-off collaborations.
- Experience with non-revenue partnership models (Career, Education, Industry Experience, Talent, Community, Marketing, CSR, or similar).
- Strong stakeholder management, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
- Experience leading, mentoring, or developing partnership teams.
- Strong analytical mindset with experience using partnership metrics to drive decisions.
- Excellent English communication skills.
Nice to Have- Existing Tier-1 employer network, particularly in the US market.
- Experience in EdTech, HRTech, recruiting, workforce development, or talent partnerships.
- Experience building global or multi-regional partnership functions.
- Experience coaching and developing junior Partnership Managers.
