Partnerships Business Development Manager (HEI)
FutureLearn Ltd, United Kingdom

With over 20 million learners and over 260 partners, FutureLearn is a leading global online learning marketplace for career based learning with a mission to transform access to education and help people progress in their careers. Founded and headquartered in the UK, FutureLearn partners with the world’s best universities and education providers, including 26 of the top 30 British universities and 21 of the 24 Russell Group. Together, we enable learners and Enterprises, wherever they may be, to obtain credible and flexible learning experiences from short courses through to certifications and degrees. Our portfolio includes thousands of online courses and programmes with an average review star rating of 4.7/5.

At FutureLearn, we are passionate about life long learning and believe that education can transform lives and change the world. We constantly look at the skills needed for the future and how to make learning more accessible and inclusive. We have ambitious plans for the future and look for dynamic individuals who will bring energy and a growth mindset to achieve our vision.

The purpose of this role is to identify and recruit new Partners for FutureLearn, (predominantly in the UK and Ireland space). You will also deliver commercially successful programmes, such as certifications, bootcamps, degrees and short courses to the platform for use by Consumers and Enterprises.

The core aim of the role is to ensure FutureLearn is the preferred partner in helping each partner organisation promote their brand and deliver to global audiences (75% of our business is conducted internationally), in a manner supportive of the wider digital transformation, in a commercially sustainable way.

You will be a critical member of our HEI Partnerships team, with working knowledge of digital trends and developments in the sector, and reporting to the Director of Partnerships, HEI. You will work to promote and deliver Short Courses, Microcredentials, Degrees and other qualifications, either blended or fully online. You will collaborate with internal teams to facilitate the delivery of a full suite of products (from short courses to degrees - both on and off platform) and additionally available services for partners. You will also provide support to the wider activities of the Partnerships team and, depending on experience, may take on responsibility for growing pathways across one of our core areas.

• Identify and recruit new Partnerships to the platform, achieving company financial targets
• Develop a business plan targeting specific high value partners; providing focused goals based on overall strategic drivers, ROI and value matching
• Understand the strategy and priorities of partners and facilitate the handover of the partners to Territory managers to build strong relationships with stakeholders
• Understand the target audience for the Partners’ offering and develop strategies to recruit partners against various tiers and fee structures
• Understand the potential of the FutureLearn solution and ensure that partners are aware of, and able to draw upon, the full range of services available
• Develop, present and discuss rich data and analysis to help identify programmes with high commercial potential for the Partner and FutureLearn
• Plan and Prioritise to ensure that you are delivering on quarterly targets for Partner Memberships Fees, content proposals, and Direct Revenue opportunities, including FutureLearn OPM leads
• Keep abreast of developments in the Higher Ed and / or Industry sectors in the global and UK region and becoming a trusted advisor to our partners
• Work efficiently across a number of Departments in FutureLearn to ensure proper Sales Management and Success

They will have:

• A passion for education and learning
• An ability to sell software as a service, preferably in either the Tech or Education Sector
• 3-5 years of experience in building strong partnerships (account management / business development), preferably with universities, or equivalent organisations
• Experience of identifying, managing and negotiating commercial transactions such as contracts, service agreements and KPIs
• The ability to discuss market insight with partners to support choices around course creation and promotion, drawing upon insight and expertise within FutureLearn
• The ability to collaborate across a multi-disciplinary team, flexibility towards changes and specific direction, whilst maintaining a positive attitude
• Self-motivation, organisational skills and the ability to work under pressure to deliver against performance targets
• Excellent time management and ability to work both in the office and remotely
• Experience of using CRM systems to manage and report on sales opportunities and deals

Job Rewards and Benefits