Manager EA Operations

Follett Higher Education; Westchester (IL); On-site; USD 96,000 - 104,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player in educational services is seeking an Equitable Access Operations Manager to lead a dynamic team. This role involves overseeing equitable access operations, ensuring timely delivery of course materials, and developing a high-performing team. The ideal candidate will have a strong background in higher education operations, exceptional leadership skills, and the ability to foster relationships with campus stakeholders. Join a forward-thinking organization that values innovation and collaboration, and play a key role in enhancing the educational journey for millions of students across North America.

Qualifications

• 5+ years of leadership experience in course materials or higher education.
• Strong understanding of Equitable Access programs and campus integrations.

Responsibilities

• Lead a team to ensure timely delivery of equitable access programs.
• Manage operations and maintain compliance with program goals.

Skills

Leadership

Analytical Skills

Problem-Solving

Communication Skills

Relationship Management

Education

Bachelor's degree in business, education, or a related field

Master's degree

Tools

Reporting tools

Financial analysis tools

Project management methodologies

Job description

Follett Higher Education is a leading educational service provider and omnichannel retailer, providing students, faculty, staff, parents, and fans with the course materials, learning tools, and retail services needed to successfully support the collegiate journey. Follett Higher Education supports over 6 million students through its 1,100 physical and 1,750 eCommerce campus stores across North America.

About the Role

The Equitable Access Operations Manager is responsible for leading the execution and oversight of equitable access operations teams, including both access success leaders and course materials managers and EA AR team members (pods) for Equitable Access programs. Each EA Ops manager oversees 4-5 pods each (14+ direct reports).

Responsibilities

Leadership & Team Accountability/Execution:

• Lead a team that engages with store team, campus partners, and course materials leadership to ensure timely, smooth delivery of equitable access programs.
• Provide direction in the management of Course Materials Managers, Access Success Leaders, and related teams, ensuring program goals and compliance requirements are met.
• Own execution of all current and future Access programs within assigned geography, collaborating with campus partners, publishers, and faculty for adoption and delivery of course materials.
• Execute strategic initiatives to optimize the effectiveness of Follett Access and Course Materials programs.
• Work to ensure the team meets business objectives, revenue, and margin goals.
• Serve as a key decision-maker in analyzing reports, identifying risks, and implementing corrective actions to drive program success.

People Development & Relationship Management:

• Hire, train, and develop a high performing team, ensuring professional growth and expertise in course materials and Access operations.
• Create an effective work environment, setting performance expectations, and driving accountability through motivation and mentorship.
• Continually assess and address development challenges and opportunities with the team.
• Foster strong relationships with campus stakeholders, including administration, faculty, and students, to ensure program success and customer satisfaction.
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with publishers and faculty to support digital content delivery, LMS integration, and program expansion.
• Lead regular touch-base meetings, training sessions, and post-mortems to continuously improve program/team execution and stakeholder engagement with faculty, campus partners, and field partners.

Program Execution, Auditing, Compliance and Profitability:

• Ensure your team's compliance with Equitable Access and course materials best practices, as well as operational procedures for program success.
• Utilize reporting tools and analytics to identify performance gaps/opportunities and develop solutions to optimize execution.
• Track and monitor program health and team member performance to ensure team KPIs are met.
• Drive adherence to pricing and margin strategies, ensuring financial targets are met.
• Oversee program execution, monitoring, and continuous process improvements to support seamless term-over-term execution.
• Collaborate to resolve complex operational challenges, ensuring effective coordination across internal teams, external partners, and publisher networks.
• Serve as an escalation point for store teams, OTC team members, and campus partners, addressing program inquiries and operational issues to enhance overall execution and compliance.
• Ensure full cycle EA accounts receivable process execution, including program setup, pricing, invoicing, tracking, adjustment resolution, and collection, occur for all programs affiliated with your pod to ensure overall program health and expected financial performance.
• Ensure the team develops and executes repeatable, documented processes, ensuring a seamless experience for our customers, both technical and operational.
• Manage timelines and deadlines for program delivery.
• Serve as an escalation path for program inquiries & support for campuses that fall within given stores/pod responsibilities.
• Prioritize and balance client and vendor initiatives as they align with the focus of the organization.
• Ensure that clients receive the highest level of service during and after implementation, with a focus on long-term success and satisfaction.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree in business, education, or a related field; Master's degree preferred.
• 5+ years of leadership experience in course materials, higher education, or ed-tech operations.
• Strong understanding of Equitable Access programs, course materials lifecycle, and campus integrations.
• Proven ability to manage large-scale operations with revenue responsibility ranging from $50M+.
• Exceptional leadership, team development, and strategic planning skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving abilities with experience utilizing data for decision-making.
• Excellent communication and relationship management skills, with the ability to engage stakeholders at all levels.
• Proficiency in reporting tools, financial analysis, and project management methodologies.

Pay range

Budgeted annualized salary: $96k - $104k

Equal Opportunity Statement

Equal Opportunity Employer. This company considers candidates regardless of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, or veteran status.

Seniority level

Mid-Senior level

Employment type

Full-time

Job function

Other and Management

Industries

Retail and Higher Education