Academic Partner Success Manager

Summary

Join InStride's Academic Partnerships team as a highly motivated Client Success Manager. You will manage academic partner accounts, ensuring alignment with shared goals and delivering tailored strategies for success. Responsibilities include building strong relationships, understanding partner needs, and improving the student journey through data-driven initiatives. You will collaborate cross-functionally, execute partner initiatives, and lead strategic account reviews. The role also involves supporting new partner onboarding and championing operational excellence. This position requires 4+ years of experience in ed tech customer success, enrollment management, sales, or consulting. A growth mindset, proactive approach, and strong relationship-building skills are essential.

Requirements

• You bring 4+ years of experience in ed tech customer success , enrollment management , sales , or consulting , applying your expertise to enhance our partnerships and drive success
• You excel in collaborative environments, where diverse perspectives drive creative problem-solving and innovation
• You have a growth mindset , always looking for opportunities to learn, improve, and adapt in dynamic environments
• You bring a proactive and adaptable mindset, ready to tackle challenges with resourcefulness and positivity
• You’re committed to building strong relationships and contributing to a high-performing, supportive team
• You thrive in dynamic, fast-paced settings, embracing change and ambiguity with ease
• You have a knack for finding solutions, with a practical and results-driven approach
• You’re motivated by meaningful work and seek opportunities where your contributions have a lasting impact
• Open to traveling up to 30% to maintain and grow academic partnerships while staying flexible in the face of changing needs

Responsibilities

• Manage and Grow a Portfolio of Academic Partnerships: Serve as the primary point of contact for a portfolio of academic partners, ensuring alignment with shared goals. Build strong relationships, understand each partner’s unique needs, and deliver tailored strategies for success
• Performance improvement and monitoring: Partner with internal teams (e.g., marketing, learner engagement, and product) to identify opportunities that improve the student journey. Use data to monitor performance and implement initiatives that improve results and reduce friction points
• Collaborate Cross-Functionally for Seamless Execution: Work closely with teams across the organization to execute partner initiatives, manage implementation timelines, and resolve operational challenges. Act as a strategic connector to ensure visibility and alignment between academic partners and internal stakeholders
• Deliver Strategic Account Planning and Insights: Lead strategic account reviews that align academic partner goals with company objectives. Translate insights into actionable plans and leverage platforms like Salesforce, Confluence, and Asana to track progress and maintain accountability
• Support New Partner Onboarding: When needed, guide new academic partners through a smooth onboarding experience—setting clear expectations, coordinating cross-functional support, and establishing the foundation for long-term success
• Champion Operational Excellence and Continuous Improvement: Identify and implement workflow improvements that enhance partner satisfaction and team efficiency. Maintain attention to detail while proactively solving problems in fast-paced, evolving environments

Preferred Qualifications

• Problem Solving in Dynamic Environments : Tackle challenges with a proactive and adaptable approach, thriving in fast-paced, ever-changing contexts
• Building Relationships : Establish and nurture strong partnerships with universities, corporate clients, and internal teams, ensuring effective collaboration and communication across all stakeholders
• Operational Efficiency : Identify opportunities to enhance workflows and processes, driving improvements that increase productivity and streamline operations
• Growth-Oriented Thinking : Embrace a mindset of continuous improvement, seeking new ways to innovate and refine processes that deliver better results
• Higher Education Expertise : Apply knowledge of the higher education landscape (e.g., financial aid, enrollment, student success) to support academic partners. (Experience in this area is a plus but not required.)
• Clear Communication : Present data and complex information effectively to both internal and external audiences, ensuring alignment and understanding
• Strategic Attention to Detail : Manage multiple priorities while maintaining a focus on accuracy and aligning your work with broader organizational goals
• Purpose-Driven : Motivated by a mission to create social impact through education, combining business success with meaningful contributions to society

Benefits

• 401(k) plan with company match
• Flexible vacation policy
• Paid family leave
• Best-in-class health care benefits
• Step Forward program