Partner Development Executive (Higher Education Research Sales)

About EAB

At EAB, our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve.

At EAB, we serve not only our partner institutions but each other—that's why we are always working to make sure our employees love their jobs and are invested in their communities. See how we've been recognized for this dedication to our employees by checking out our recent awards.

For more information, visit our Careers page. 

The Role in Brief:

Partner Development Executive (Higher Education Research Sales)

Partner Development Executives at EAB are responsible for establishing relationships with key decision makers within education institutions.

We hire persuasive leaders with a knack for teaching and explaining concepts – people who are comfortable listening to our partners (i.e., clients) and then mapping their problems to our services and solutions. As our ambassadors and connectors, Partner Development Executives are pivotal to the growth of our firm.

As a Partner Development Executive, you will be responsible for generating leads and managing the sales process in order to convert new partners within our 4-year higher education research and advisory services space. We are seeking sales professionals who have a strong record of success achieving and exceeding sales goals within a team-selling environment.

When you work at EAB in Partner Development, you’ll be making a difference toward fulfilling our mission of making education smarter and our communities stronger. Our people care about doing their best, and our collaborative environment is energizing and rewarding. You’ll be part of a work environment where your voice counts and even small ideas can lead to big opportunities.

This position is listed as Partner Development Executive for posting purposes; the official title of this hire is expected to be Director, Partner Development or Senior Director, Partner Development (candidates are being considered across all levels) to align with EAB business norms.

Partner Development Executives may be based in Washington, D.C.; Richmond, VA; or remotely within the continental United States.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Prospect and build new business within an assigned territory of education institutions; acquire new partners successfully and negotiate to expand services for existing partners
• Build relationships by meeting with senior executives at prospect organizations to discuss their strategic challenges and opportunities, present best practice solutions and effectively sell the vision of EAB’s capabilities,
• Conduct live presentations, including diagnostic evaluations, to understand prospective partner needs and educate key stakeholders on the value of EAB products and services
• Meet annual revenue goals through management of a sales pipeline with pursuits in various stages of the evaluation process
• Work with other sales, marketing and delivery team members to drive increased Research revenue within an assigned portfolio of higher education institutions
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of competitors
• Provide insights from partner development visits to inform future initiatives and new product development inquiries
• Indirectly manage Sales Associate to goals, providing formal feedback and guidance on professional development 

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited college/university
• Proven track record of success exceeding personal revenue targets in business development roles
• Experience representing complex products or services to external partners in a trusted, consultative capacity
• Ability to negotiate and excellent persuasion skills
• Willingness to travel domestically at least 25-50%
• Valid driver’s license
• 6-8+ years of professional experience in at least three of the following:
• Higher education sector
• Delivering client presentations and facilitating discussions
• Sales or Account Management
• Teaching and/or breaking down complex or abstract ideas into simpler concepts
• Partner management

Ideal Qualifications:

• 8-10+ years of relevant full-time professional experience
• Experience selling consultative, information-based, or technology-driven services, preferably in the education sector
• Experience working within a higher education setting, or deep understanding of the processes, difficulties, and opportunities within higher education
• Desire to achieve success in a sales environment and sell prospects on the current and future value proposition of a product or service
• Engaging and memorable presentation style; demonstrated ability to build rapport and credibility quickly with an executive-level audience
• Demonstrated ability to listen and diagnose a problem and map a solution in the moment
• Demonstrated creativity and initiative when it comes to problem solving and/or project ownership
• Resilience and comfort with ambiguity ability to be flexible and adaptable in a changing environment
• Ability to indirectly manage a Sales Associate to goal, coach and provide constructive formal and informal feedback
• Receptive to feedback, coaching and constructive criticism; ability to learn from mistakes
• Proven experience managing multiple priorities, strong prioritization and organizational skills
• Excellent writing, critical thinking and negotiation skills, and familiarity with formal and informal RFP procedures
• 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 new perspectives and learn from each other’s unique experiences. We would encourage you to submit an application if this is a role you would be passionate about doing every day.

Compensation:

The compensation package for this role includes a starting salary (base) range of $74,500 - $136,500 per year plus eligibility for uncapped variable compensation. The anticipated total earnings are $149,500 - $236,500 at target levels of performance against commercial goals in a full and typical fiscal year, with lucrative uncapped earning potential to reward overperformance. Actual salary and on-target earnings vary due to factors that may include but not be limited to relevant experience, skills, and location. At EAB, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the starting range for their role.

Benefits:

Consistent with our belief that our employees are our most valuable resource, EAB offers a competitive and inclusive benefits package. Our benefits currently include:

•  Medical, dental, and vision insurance plans; dependents and domestic partners eligible
•  20+ days of PTO annually, in addition to paid firm and floating holidays
• Daytime leave policy for community service and flextime for fitness activities (up to 10 hours per month each)
• 401(k) retirement savings plan with annual discretionary company matching contribution
• Health savings account, healthcare and dependent care flexible spending account, and pre-tax commuter plans
• Employee assistance program with counseling services and resources available to all employees and immediate family
• Wellness programs including gym discounts, incentives to promote healthy living, and family access to the leading app for sleep, meditation, and relaxation
•  Fertility treatment coverage and adoption or surrogacy assistance
• Paid parental leave with phase back to work program for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Access to milk shipping service to support nursing employees during business travel
• Discounted pet health insurance coverage for dog and cat family members
• Company-provided life, AD&D, and disability insurance
• Financial wellness resources and membership in a robust employee discount program
• Access to employee resource groups, merit-based advancement, and dynamic professional growth opportunities

Benefits kick in day one; learn more at eab.com/careers/benefits.

This opening is not eligible for visa sponsorship at this time; EAB will thus consider candidates who possess U.S. work authorization that does not require employment-based visa sponsorship now or in the future.

At EAB, we believe that to fulfill our mission to “make education smarter and our communities stronger” we need team members who bring a diversity of perspectives to the table and are committed to fostering a workplace where each team member is valued, respected and heard.

To that end, EAB is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we make employment decisions on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. We don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.