Associate Managing Director, University Partnerships

Higher Ed Partners; St Albans; Hybrid; GBP 90,000 - 130,000; Full time

Job summary

Higher Ed Partners seeks an Associate Managing Director, University Partnerships to lead commercial growth across university partners. You will manage day-to-day relationships, develop new programmes, and coordinate cross‑functional teams to deliver growth and renewals.

You’ll build trust with partners, drive opportunities, and shape governance discussions while maintaining momentum and profitable portfolio performance.

Qualifications

• Commercial account management or business development experience.
• Proven ability to grow accounts and manage stakeholders with pace.
• Experience partnering with universities or complex partnership environments.

Responsibilities

• Act as day-to-day contact for university partners and maintain trusted relationships.
• Identify and develop new business opportunities and programme growth.
• Prepare commercial analyses, business cases and proposals.
• Coordinate internal teams to deliver partner requirements and launches.
• Track performance, risks and opportunities to improve results.

Skills

Commercial growth

Relationship management

Drive to deliver

Organisation & prioritisation

Analytical capability

Stakeholder influence

Clear communication

Adaptability & initiative

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree (advantage)

Job description

Associate Managing Director, University Partnerships

Location: Hybrid – St Albans, with regular travel to university partner campuses
Reports to: Managing Director, University Partnerships

About the role

Are you commercially minded, highly organised and someone who thrives on making things happen? Do you enjoy building strong relationships, spotting opportunities and bringing people together to deliver results?

At Higher Ed Partners (HEP), we partner with universities to grow their online and blended education provision, opening up higher education to students around the world. We’re looking for an ambitious, proactive Associate Managing Director, University Partnerships to work closely with a Managing Director, helping to grow and strengthen a portfolio of university partnerships.

This is a commercially focused, fast-paced role for someone who can build credibility with university partners, take ownership of day-to-day relationships and turn opportunities and decisions into tangible outcomes. You’ll be a key point of contact for partner colleagues, ensuring that commitments are followed through, opportunities progress and internal teams deliver what is needed to support partnership growth.

You’ll work across both relationship management and business development, helping to identify and progress opportunities for new programmes, additional intakes, partnership expansion and new business. Success will depend on your ability to build trust, influence stakeholders, maintain momentum and keep multiple priorities moving at once.

What you’ll be doing

Building and developing university partnerships

Act as a key day-to-day contact for university partners, building strong, trusted relationships with academic, professional services and programme teams.

Maintain regular contact with partners, ensuring actions are followed up, challenges are addressed and opportunities are progressed.

Develop a strong understanding of each university’s priorities, decision-making processes and governance structures.

Work alongside the Managing Director on partner meetings, reviews and senior stakeholder engagements, ensuring discussions lead to clear actions and outcomes.

Driving commercial growth and new opportunities

Support the identification and development of new business and growth opportunities across existing university partnerships.

Help progress opportunities for new programmes, additional student intakes, new faculties, partnership extensions and renewals.

Prepare commercial analysis, business cases and proposals to support growth plans and partner discussions.

Monitor enrolment, revenue and pipeline performance, identifying risks and opportunities to improve results.

Work with the Managing Director to progress opportunities from initial discussion through approval, agreement and launch.

Making things happen

Translate agreed priorities into clear actions, owners and deadlines, ensuring progress is maintained and commitments are delivered.

Coordinate internal teams across marketing, admissions, student support, programme design, technology, legal and finance to deliver partner requirements.

Keep programme approvals, contract changes, renewals and launches moving through the relevant processes.

Anticipate delays and challenges, resolve issues where possible and elevate matters that require senior input.

Maintain accurate pipeline, action plans and reporting, giving the Managing Director a clear view of progress, risks and next steps.

Supporting performance and continuous improvement

Track partnership initiatives against agreed plans, milestones and commercial objectives.

Use data and insight to identify areas for improvement and support informed decision-making.

Ensure partner commitments are delivered to a high standard, protecting trust and supporting long-term commercial relationships.

Take a proactive approach to improving processes, removing obstacles and making partnership delivery more effective.

What we’re looking for

We’re looking for someone with strong commercial instincts, excellent relationship-building skills and a real bias for action. You’ll be comfortable working at pace, managing competing priorities and taking responsibility for ensuring things get done.

You’ll ideally bring:

• Commercial and business development experience: A track record in account management, partnerships, business development or a similar commercially focused role, with an understanding of how relationships translate into growth and revenue.
• Relationship management: The confidence and credibility to work directly with university partners and build effective relationships across academic, operational and commercial teams.
• A drive to deliver: Someone persistent, proactive and solutions-focused, who follows up, overcomes obstacles and keeps initiatives moving through to completion.
• Strong organisation and prioritisation: The ability to manage multiple workstreams, deadlines and stakeholders in a fast-paced environment without losing sight of the detail.
• Commercial and analytical capability: Confidence working with data, preparing business cases and reports, tracking performance and identifying opportunities to improve results.
• Stakeholder influence: The ability to coordinate cross‑functional teams, gain commitment and hold people accountable for agreed actions, even without direct line management authority.
• Excellent communication: Clear, confident written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at different levels.
• Adaptability and initiative: A hands‑on approach, sound judgement and the confidence to take ownership, make progress independently and know when to elevate.

Experience within higher education, university partnerships or an organisation operating in a complex partnership environment would be an advantage. An understanding of academic governance and university approval processes would also be beneficial.

A degree is required; a Master’s degree would be an advantage.

What success looks like

You’ll help the Managing Director build a stronger, more commercially successful portfolio by ensuring that:

University partners receive responsive, reliable and high-quality support.

Growth opportunities are identified, developed and progressed.

Agreed initiatives, programme launches and partner commitments are delivered on time.

Commercial targets and partnership plans remain firmly in focus.

Internal teams work effectively together to deliver results.

Potential risks and delays are identified early and addressed proactively.

At HEP, you’ll have the opportunity to make a tangible contribution to the growth of university partnerships and the expansion of accessible, high-quality higher education.

You’ll work closely with senior leadership, gain exposure to commercial strategy and business development, and play a key role in turning opportunities into successful outcomes. This is an opportunity for someone who wants to make an impact, take on responsibility and grow within an ambitious, international education business.

The role is hybrid, based around our St Albans office, with regular travel to university partner campuses. A competitive base salary is offered, alongside incentive compensation linked to agreed performance indicators and portfolio results.

About Higher Ed Partners

Higher Ed Partners (HEP) partners with public universities to expand access to high-quality higher education through scalable, technology-enabled delivery. As part of the Best Associates group, we provide a comprehensive Global Campus Management solution spanning programme design, digital infrastructure, student recruitment, enrolment and retention.

We help universities grow their online and blended degree offerings, attract students from around the world and build sustainable revenue streams while preserving academic control and institutional integrity.

If you’re commercially driven, relationship-focused and motivated by making things happen, we’d love to hear from you.

HEP is an equal opportunities employer, committed to creating an inclusive workplace where everyone feels valued, respected and able to thrive.

Experience

Commercial account management or business development. Proven track record of growing accounts. Stakeholder management and delivery at pace.