Account Executive, Education, Student Connect

US News & World Report ,L.P.; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 70,000 - 80,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Paid vacation time

Medical benefits

Tuition reimbursement

Training

Job summary

U.S. News & World Report is seeking an Account Executive for Education, Student Connect to build partnerships with colleges, universities, and vendors.

You will craft a B2B book of business, drive sales growth in the education vertical, and collaborate with product teams on strategic initiatives. The role requires 1–3 years in B2B SaaS sales or enterprise account management, excellent communication, and CRM experience.

Qualifications

• One to three years’ proven success in B2B SaaS sales or enterprise account management, closing large-scale marketing/advertising deals.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to engage with high-level university administrators (Deans, Directors of Admissions, CMOs).
• Strong familiarity with Customer Relationship Management systems (preferably Zoho), Google Suite and Gemini.
• Adaptability: juggle multiple projects with high attention to detail.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field or equivalent experience.

Responsibilities

• Strategic Prospecting: Identify and qualify high-value B2B opportunities within higher education and corporate brand sectors.
• Pipeline Management: Build a robust sales pipeline of B2B marketing and advertising prospects.
• Market Research: Stay current on higher education trends to position Student Connect solutions.
• Consultative Discovery: Conduct discovery meetings to understand institutional goals and present tailored solutions.
• Onboarding: Oversee seamless transition of new clients from sales to active accounts.
• Campaign Management: Oversee digital advertising and branding campaigns with marketing/production teams.
• Reporting: Review ROI-delivery reports to clients.
• Administrative Excellence: Maintain records in Zoho and manage contracts and billing inquiries.

Skills

Communication

B2B SaaS sales

Account management

High-level university administration

Education

Bachelor’s degree in Business/Marketing/Communications

Tools

Zoho

Google Suite

Gemini

Job description

Account Executive, Education, Student Connect

We reach millions of people monthly during moments when they are most in need of expert advice and motivated to act on that advice directly on our platforms. Our signature franchises include our "Best" series of consumer guides on colleges, graduate schools, hospitals, diets, cars, financial services and more. These guides provide an easy-to-digest list for consumers to better understand and compare when making their decisions. We continue to publish annual guides of the authoritative Best Colleges and Best Hospitals rankings on our website and in print. And our U.S. News Live flagship conferences highlight important national conversations such as Healthcare of Tomorrow .

We believe in having a broad range of talent and backgrounds at U.S. News. We strive to maintain a welcoming and inclusive workplace where everyone is given an opportunity to succeed and contribute to their fullest.

Your role in helping us shape the future:

U.S. News empowers everyone to thrive. In this position you will have the opportunity to leverage your strengths and skills to build partnerships with colleges, universities and vendors in order to create greater visibility for higher education. You will build a B2B book of business that will help you reach your sales goals and ensure that U.S. News sees year over year growth in the education vertical.

This hands-on role is ideal for someone with a strong background in B2B sales, client relations, and marketing strategy, as well as exposure to working with product teams. The ideal candidate is self-motivated with an entrepreneurial attitude and able to work independently in a sales capacity, demonstrating initiative and ownership across the full sales cycle.

Are you up to the challenge?

Strategic Prospecting: Identify and qualify high-value B2B opportunities within the higher education and corporate brand sectors through multi-channel outreach and network leveraging.

Pipeline Management: Cultivate a robust sales pipeline of B2B marketing and advertising prospects, focusing on both an increasing number of B2B entry-level partners as well as identifying and securing enterprise partnerships.

Market Research: Stay current on higher education trends and the competitive landscape to effectively position Student Connect data and branding solutions.

Consultative Discovery: Conduct discovery meetings to understand institutional goals and present tailored solutions.

Account Executive

Onboarding: Oversee the seamless transition of new clients from sales to active accounts, ensuring all deliverables and timelines are met.

Campaign Management: Oversee the execution of digital advertising and branding campaigns, working closely with internal marketing and production teams.

Reporting: Review and oversee the delivery performance reports to clients, highlighting the ROI of their U.S. News partnerships.

Administrative Excellence: Maintain accurate records in Zoho, process contracts, and manage billing inquiries for the Student Connect team.

Position Requirements

You should definitely have:

• Experience: One to three years’ of proven success in B2B SaaS sales or enterprise account management, specifically closing large-scale marketing/advertising deals.
• Communication: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills; ability to engage with high-level university administrators (Deans, Directors of Admissions, CMOs).
• Technical Proficiency: Strong familiarity with Customer Relationship Management systems (preferrably Zoho), Google Suite and Gemini.
• Adaptability: Proven ability to juggle multiple projects at once while maintaining a high level of attention to detail.
• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Business, Marketing, Communications, or a related field or equivalent experience.

What it’s like to work with us:

Talent is our best asset!

We invest in people with passion and potential who understand U.S. News’ dedication to our consumers.

• Entrepreneurial, mission-driven culture with core values of quality and integrity
• Focus on fostering personal and professional growth
• Competitive benefits including paid vacation time, medical, tuition reimbursement, and training
• Collaborative Work Environment ~ Fun, diverse, inclusive and ambitious co-workers

Other Job Info:

• These statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work being performed by employees assigned to this job. This is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required of employees assigned to this job.
• U.S. News & World Report strongly encourages all employees to be fully vaccinated (including boosters).
• This position follows a hybrid work model, requiring 2 days per week in either our New York, NY or Washington, D.C. office.
• The anticipated base salary for this position is $70,000 to $80,000. This position is eligible for commission. The actual base salary offered will depend on a variety of factors, including without limitation, the qualifications of the individual applicant for the position, years of relevant experience, level of education attained, certifications or other professional licenses held, interview performance, and if applicable, the location in which the applicant lives and/or from which they will be performing the job.

Full-Time/Part-Time Full-Time

Number of Openings 1

About the Organization U.S. News & World Report is a publisher of news and information that empowers people to make better, more informed decisions about important issues affecting their lives.

EOE Statement We are an equal employment opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status or any other characteristic protected by law.

This position is currently accepting applications.