Director, Strategic Partnerhips, EMEA

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to eliminate the back row in education – and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class digital education at scale. As the parent company of edX, the world’s leading online learning platform, 2U powers more than 4,000 online higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with more than 230 colleges, universities, and corporate partners, we are helping to unlock human potential.

About the role

2U/edX’s global strategic partnerships team is responsible for building a partner ecosystem to deliver best in class learning experiences to clients and consumers. You will be responsible for building deep relationships with our strategic partners to drive partnership priorities and revenue growth.

You will be responsible for strategically planning and delivering cross-functional strategies to achieve sales and partnership goals, primarily with our EMEA Resellers. You will partner with cross-functional teams to execute strategic initiatives, including product, partnership, and marketing launches. The ideal candidate will have a strong sales and GTM background along with a track record of building and growing partnerships in an extremely fast-moving, high-growth environment.

This position reports to the Senior Director of Strategic Partnerships and will work closely across products and departments across the 2U/edX organisation.

Key Role and Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage our GTM execution with EMEA Reseller partners.
• Deepen and grow existing strategic partnerships; expand breadth, visibility, and product lines offered.
• Collaborate with partners to develop and execute joint go-to-market plans, including joint product development, co-sell campaigns, marketing activities, and customer engagements.
• Ensure that partner-driven projects are delivered successfully and that customers derive value from our solutions.
• Recruit and onboard new strategic partnerships and customer engagements that drive revenue and support strategic objectives.
• Deliver annual booked revenue based on allocated target.
• Monitor, analyze, and report on partnership performance, including KPIs for partner activity, enablement, and pipeline.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with leadership, sales, customer success, marketing, product, and operations to align partner strategies with company objectives and execute seamlessly.
• Work with our operations and product marketing teams to ensure that our partners have the necessary training, resources, and support to effectively sell and implement our product.
• Stay current on market trends, competitor activities, and emerging technologies to identify new opportunities for partnerships and growth.

To be successful in this position, you will need to be an exceptionally creative and well-organized leader with a track record of building and scaling new business opportunities working with cross-functional teams.

Education and Experience:

• Minimum 10 years business development, account management, partnerships experience in a B2B environment - preferably SAAS technologies; or online education.
• Experience dealing with, and successfully influencing high-level executives.
• Strong operational and technical management skills – ability to multitask, manage projects and work under pressure.
• Excellent interpersonal, leadership, negotiation skills and creativity.
• Experience operating cross-functionally to build effective teams and influence across the organisation to achieve goals.
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
• Basic data analysis skills.

Working Conditions:

The Director, Strategic Partnerships is required to travel on a regular basis to collaborate with partners. This role works across time zones and with various 2U business units and offices. Flexibility is required.

Benefits & Culture

Our global employee base is a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers, and doers working together to transform lives through higher education. We believe that every employee can advance our shared purpose, and that life at 2U should be fun and meaningful. If you’re excited by the opportunity to provide over 40 million learners and counting with access to world-class online higher education, then join us – and do work that makes a difference. #NoBackRow

We offer comprehensive benefits (unique per country) and excellent work/life balance.
Full-time, ZA benefits include:

• 2 complimentary Getsmarter short courses per year
• Subsidised medical aid with Discovery Health Medical Scheme
• 4% 2U contribution towards Discovery Life Pension Fund and Group Risk Benefit
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Generous leave policy including time off to volunteer for non-profit organization, study leave, sports leave and a company-wide festive season break

2U Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At 2U, we are committed to building and sustaining a culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken to bring together an employee base that embodies diverse walks of life, ideas, genders, ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, abilities and other unique qualities. We strive to offer a workplace where every employee feels empowered by what makes us different, as well as by how we are alike.

2U is committed to providing reasonable accommodations during our recruitment process. If you need assistance or accommodations, please reach out to us at: recruitingaccommodations@2u.com.