Strategic Education Partnerships Director

Sonic Automotive; North Carolina; On-site; USD 100,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Sonic Automotive is seeking a Director of Educational Partnerships to design and lead an enterprise talent pipeline strategy through college and technical-program partnerships. The role focuses on building long-term pathways for future sales, F&I, and operations leaders aligned with Sonic’s high-performance culture.

The role drives campus engagement, recruitment programs, and cross-functional collaboration across dealership networks, with a strong emphasis on measurable ROI and leadership

Qualifications

• 3+ years in talent acquisition, workforce strategy, campus recruiting, or external partnerships.
• Strong business acumen; translate talent strategy into operational impact.
• Experience influencing senior leaders across multiple locations.
• Willingness to travel 40–50% to campuses and dealership locations.
• Preferred: automotive retail operations, hospitality, or multi-unit service environments.
• Familiarity with technical or dealership training pathways.

Responsibilities

• Develop a national partnership strategy with colleges, universities, and technical programs.
• Lead campus recruitment efforts and support store leaders with messaging and tools.
• Coordinate with brand and dealership leadership to engage campuses and manage internships and leadership programs.
• Define and track success metrics (pipeline, conversions, time-to-productivity) and optimize ROI.

Skills

Talent acquisition

Workforce strategy

Campus recruiting

External partnerships

Job description

Sonic Automotive is seeking a Director of Educational Partnerships to design and lead an enterprise talent pipeline strategy through college and technical-program partnerships. The role focuses on building long-term pathways for future sales, F&I, and operations leaders aligned with Sonic’s high-performance culture.

The role drives campus engagement, recruitment programs, and cross-functional collaboration across dealership networks, with a strong emphasis on measurable ROI and leadership