Strategic Leader (Director Level), International Research Partner Success

Our Research Strategic Leaders (SLs) represent EAB’s Research division with colleges and universities. Research SLs build relationships with university executives and other senior campus leaders to understand their institutional priorities and deploy EAB research and services to help partners accomplish their goals. SLs drive high impact utilization and maximize the value EAB partners derive from their research partnership to secure partner outcomes, partnership renewal, and growth goals. The International Research SL will work with our growing partnership of international universities, working primarily with partners in the United Kingdom, Europe, and beyond. This role is open to remote candidates in the United Kingdom. The position requires travel for partner visits and occasional team in-person days in Washington, D.C., with advance notice provided.

Who We Want

• Do you want to make a difference in higher education?
• Do you build great customer relationships that inspire loyalty and drive growth?
• Do you advise customers to make right decisions that achieve strategic goals?
• Do you have a passion for delivering amazing customer experiences?
• Are you a persuasive leader with a knack for teaching and explaining concepts?
• Are you a problem solver with a gift for finding solutions that meet customer needs?

What You Will Do

• Build Relationships
  • Build and maintain relationships with university executives and campus leaders to secure trusted partner status.
  • Collaborate with colleagues across the research, renewal, sales, and other product teams to serve our partners in a coordinated, holistic manner.
• Develop Industry and Content Knowledge
  • Develop a deep understanding of key industry issues and how EAB’s research helps partners set and execute their strategy in areas like student experience, financial sustainability, AI, strategy and the academic program portfolio.
  • Understand EAB’s research, services and point of view on key industry issues to be able to add value to every partner conversation.
  • Provide guidance and advice to partners based on EAB research best practices.
  • Develop and maintain general knowledge of broader EAB offerings (e.g., Technology and Enrollment Services products).
  • Provide partners with unique perspective on improving their business which could mean challenging partner assumptions.
• Develop Deep Partner Knowledge
  • Develop and maintain deep knowledge of partner institutional priorities and goals in order to create actionable success plans to achieve partner objectives.
  • Understand partner strategic plan and map objectives to EAB’s research and services.
  • Understand and navigate around partner internal politics and mobilize key influencers.
  • Serve as the voice of the market and voice of the partner for EAB Research and other key internal stakeholders (i.e., Account Management, Sales, Contracting, Legal).
  • Prepare executive updates for campus executives and senior-most leaders to demonstrate progress and outcomes on agreed-upon priorities.
• Drive Impact and Successful Outcomes for Your Partners
  • Partner with Industry-Leading Experts to define partner priorities, facilitate decision-making, and drive change management through stakeholder education.
  • Lead partner onboarding process starting with sales hand-off; conducts welcome call and new partner orientation to ensure partnership adoption, reports on and inflects first year partner health on an ongoing basis.
  • Map EAB research and resources to support major campus initiatives. Design success plans that create shared accountability with the partner and leads to successful implementations and decision-making.
  • Create unique connections across your partner institutions and EAB’s 2,800+ partners nationwide to unlock the power of membership.
  • Use EAB Research’s diagnostics and audits to help partners identify opportunities and make the case for continuous improvement and additional resources.
  • Proactively drive partner utilization with the ultimate goal of achieving outcomes as identified in the partner success plan.
  • Communicate the value of the research partnership as well as progress and results on success plan outcomes back to partners regularly through executive communications and annual partnership reviews.
  • Apply innovative thinking and leverage emerging technologies to deepen partner impact.
• Develop a Commercial and Growth Oriented Mindset
  • Leverage partner knowledge to identify best growth opportunities.
  • Pass leads and facilitate warm introductions of sales colleagues.
  • Partner with the renewal team to develop and execute save strategies for at risk partners.
  • Achieve annual renewal and growth targets.
• Report on your Business
  • Partner with sales and renewal teams to provide key partner knowledge including partner health / value metrics, etc. Create personal case to goal on renewal and sales KPIs.
  • Participate in quarterly commercial reviews includes service steps, revenue growth and renewals.
  • Identify and share market trends.
  • Maintain Salesforce data integrity.

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited College/University.
• Proven record of professional success.
• Ability to communicate effectively with senior executives, both spoken and written.
• Ability to travel for partner visits and for the occasional team in-day.
• Valid passport (or ability to obtain) and Driver’s License.
• Must possess a minimum of 6-8+ years’ post-undergraduate experience encompassing at least three of the following: Client or account management experience, Consulting or service delivery experience, Presentation and facilitation experience, Leadership experience, Commercial experience.

Ideal Qualifications:

• Analytical thinking skills and ability to manage processes, projects, and operations.
• Strong demonstrated listening skills.
• Experience building relationships internally and externally, and ability to collaborate effectively and manage multiple clients.
• Proven experience managing multiple, competing priorities to deliver successful outcomes.
• Familiarity with project management frameworks or PMP certification.
• Experience finding multiple solutions to complex problems and ability to comfortably manage complexity.
• Ability to leverage AI tools (e.g., ChatGPT) to enhance productivity and innovation.
• Ability to successfully overcome challenges or obstacles.
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills.
• Ability to lead change and advocate for clients.
• Experience developing personal organization tactics to meet business goals.
• Demonstrated knowledge of higher education subject matter.
• Commitment to embracing a continual learning environment and contributing to a dynamic and welcoming culture of fairness, authenticity, and belonging in support of EAB’s mission, values, and aspiration.

If you’ve reached this section of the job description and are unsure of whether to apply, please do! At EAB, we welcome diversity of background and experience. We would encourage you to submit an application if this is a role you would be passionate about doing every day.