Partnership Director

Lemnis; United States; Remote; USD 150,000 - 165,000; Full time

Job summary

Lemnis, through its Mainstay division, is seeking a Partnership Director to own the overall relationship and retention strategy for a portfolio of institutional partners. This senior role requires an account-management mindset, deep understanding of stakeholders, and the ability to translate partner needs into measurable outcomes.

You will lead renewals, collaborate with Sales to pursue expansions, coach POMs, and ensure accurate CRM records while demonstrating value through regular business

Qualifications

• Experience managing complex institutional relationships.
• Strong account management, stakeholder mapping, and renewal negotiation.
• Ability to connect product usage data to partner value.
• Experience collaborating with Sales to grow existing accounts.
• Ability to lead cross-functional resolution of partner issues.
• Understanding of higher education priorities, decision-making, and budget cycles.

Responsibilities

• Own end-to-end partner relationship and retention strategy.
• Lead renewal processes with pricing and contracting teams.
• Demonstrate partner value via business reviews.
• Identify expansion opportunities with Sales.
• Coach and manage Partner Operations Managers (POMs).
• Maintain complete CRM records of stakeholders, risks, and renewal status.

Skills

Account management

Stakeholder mapping

Renewal negotiation

Expansion with Sales

Cross-functional collaboration

Higher education knowledge

Job description

Position Type: Full-time (Primarily Remote)
Salary: 150,000–165,000 DOE

Join our team at Mainstay, a division of Lemnis! Lemnis is a public charity dedicated to harnessing transformative change to expand learning for all. We are excited to announce a new opportunity for aPartnership Director to join our innovative, forward-thinking, and growing organization. At Lemnis, we are committed to fostering a collaborative and inclusive work environment where every team member can thrive. If you are passionate about expanding learning for all, eager to make a meaningful impact, and ready to take on new challenges, we would love to hear from you.

Position Summary

At Lemnis, we believe that the world is changing in exciting ways. It's up to us to create more equitable, flexible, and learner-centered systems that empower young people to rise to the challenges and opportunities of the future. Mainstay helps institutions improve student outcomes through meaningful engagement. We partner with colleges and universities to translate institutional priorities into measurable results.

The Partnership Director owns the overall relationship and retention strategy for an assigned portfolio of partners. This role requires a true account management mindset: understanding each institution’s goals, knowing its stakeholders and decision-making process, demonstrating value, and anticipating issues before they put the partnership at risk.

The Partnership Director (PD) is accountable for retaining partners and works closely with Sales to grow existing relationships. The PD develops a complete understanding of each account, identifies opportunities for Mainstay to address additional needs, and brings Sales into those conversations with clear context and a coordinated approach. The PD also manages assigned Partner Operations Managers (POMs), ensuring day-to-day execution supports the broader account strategy.

Responsibilities

Account Ownership & Partner Knowledge

• Develop and maintain an end-to-end understanding of each partner, including institutional priorities, contracted services, use cases, adoption, performance, and partnership history.
• Build relationships across executive sponsors, operational leaders, and day-to-day users, reducing dependence on any single contact.

Retention & Renewal Management

• Lead the renewal process from early planning through completion, coordinating with Revenue Operations and other teams on pricing, contracting, and execution.
• Establish renewal timelines that allow sufficient time to demonstrate value, resolve concerns, and secure institutional commitment.
• Track gross revenue retention and partner health, maintaining accurate renewal forecasts and clear explanations of account-level risks.

Demonstrating Partner Value

• Lead substantive business reviews that connect Mainstay’s work to partner results and inform decisions about the partnership.
• Establish shared success measures and regularly assess progress against the outcomes that matter to each institution.

Partnership with Sales & Account Growth

• Partner with Sales to qualify and pursue expansion opportunities, providing stakeholder insight, account history, and evidence of partner value.
• Coordinate introductions and joint account conversations, maintaining clear ownership between relationship management and the commercial sales process.
• Support net revenue retention through strong retention and collaboration with Sales on expansion.

Cross-Functional Account Management

• Work closely with Product and Operations to surface issues early, communicate partner needs, and coordinate resolution.
• Translate partner feedback into clear business requirements and explain product capabilities, limitations, and roadmap direction accurately.
• Partner with Sales and Implementation on new-account handoffs so institutional goals, commitments, and success measures carry through into delivery.

Team Leadership & Execution

• Manage and coach assigned POMs, establishing clear account responsibilities, priorities, and service expectations.
• Maintain complete and current account records in Mainstay’s CRM, including stakeholder relationships, risks, renewal status, and expansion opportunities.

Key Skills & Experience

• Demonstrated success managing complex institutional relationships and retaining accounts.
• Strong account management skills, including stakeholder mapping, account planning, executive engagement, and renewal negotiation.
• Ability to connect product usage and performance data to measurable partner value.
• Experience collaborating with Sales to grow existing accounts.
• Sound judgment and the ability to lead cross-functional resolution of partner issues.
• Strong understanding of higher education priorities, institutional decision-making, and budget cycles.