Enterprise Partnerships Director - Institution Strategy & Ventures at Western Governors University

Job description

If you’re passionate about building a better future for individuals, communities, and our country—and you’re committed to working hard to play your part in building that future—consider WGU as the next step in your career. Driven by a mission to expand access to higher education through online, competency-based degree programs, WGU is also committed to being a great place to work for a diverse workforce of student-focused professionals. The university has pioneered a new way to learn in the 21st century, one that has received praise from academic, industry, government, and media leaders. Whatever your role, working for WGU gives you a part to play in helping students graduate, creating a better tomorrow for themselves and their families. The salary range for this position takes into account the wide range of factors that are considered in making compensation decisions including but not limited to skill sets; experience and training; licensure and certifications; and other business and organizational needs. At WGU, it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top of the range for their position, and compensation decisions are dependent on the facts and circumstances of each case. A reasonable estimate of the current range is: Grade: Management_Executive 610 Pay Range: $130,600.00 - $235,100.00 Job Description The Enterprise Partnerships Director will accelerate WGU’s mission by cultivating and managing high-impact partnerships that expand our reach, enhance innovation, and generate new pathways for learners and employers. This leader will bridge the academic, corporate, and non-profit ecosystems, identifying opportunities for collaboration, co-development, and strategic investment aligned with organizational-wide priorities. *This position will be working out of our Corporate Headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah. Partnership Development Develop and oversee WGU’s strategic partnership portfolio, evaluating emerging market opportunities, identifying priority opportunities, and advising executive leadership on investments, partnerships, and ecosystem engagement that advance institutional objectives. Initiate outreach to potential partner organizations, identifying the relevant roles and individuals within those organizations who are most likely to be responsible for evaluating and implementing partnership agreements. Identify potential areas of offer co-development, including new-to-the-world innovation opportunities, go-to-market coordination, and market-shaping activities that will define the scope of partnerships while incorporating both WGU strategic goals and partner benefits. Evangelize and coordinate across internal stakeholders, including academic and business unit leaders, WGU Labs, Enterprise Tech, Marketing, Legal, and Operations, to ensure alignment, risk management, and delivery readiness. Negotiate effective partnership structures that maintain WGU’s mission integrity, financial stewardship, and brand strength. Serve as an advisor to broader Strategy & Ventures leadership regarding ecosystem trends. Establish governance, evaluation criteria, and success measures for strategic partnerships across the portfolio. Partner Success & Portfolio Management Oversee progress and performance across all partnership initiatives, from concept to launch to operational scale. Ensure both partners and WGU meet milestones and achieve intended outcomes, measuring jointly defined success metrics. Identify opportunities to deepen relationships or, where impact and alignment diminish, responsibly sunset partnerships. Cross-Functional Collaboration Serve as the primary bridge between internal teams and partner organizations, translating vision into execution. Lead cross-functional workstreams, including technology validations, research collaborations, go-to-market pilots, and joint marketing activities, that deliver measurable value. Promote knowledge sharing and partnership management playbooks across Strategy & Ventures and the broader WGU system. Measurement & Reporting Establish partnership success metrics and dashboards to assess reach, impact, and return on investment (ROI). Leverage insights to refine partnership strategy and report outcomes to senior leadership and the Board. Lead partnership-related contributions to enterprise strategic planning and provide recommendations regarding market positioning, strategic opportunities, and partnership investments. External Engagement & Representation Serve as WGU’s executive representative with senior leaders, including CEOs, VPs, and Directors, as well as funders, workforce organizations, and other stakeholders to establish and strengthen institutional relevance within the ecosystem. Influence external stakeholders and internal executives to advance enterprise-wide partnership initiatives. Actnal Collaboration as a trusted advisor to executive leadership regarding emerging trends, partnership opportunities, market risks, and strategic ecosystem positioning. Perform initial triage of incoming partnership requests, independently or in support of the President or SVP of Strategy & Ventures. Leadership & Team Development Lead and mentor a small, high-performing team, fostering collaboration, curiosity, and excellence. Model cross-functional leadership, influence without authority, and build capacity for partnership management across the Strategy & Ventures function. Contribute insights from external relationships to broader WGU competitive analysis and strategy development. Perform other related duties as assigned. This job description includes a general representation of job requirements rather than a comprehensive inventory of all required responsibilities or work activities. The contents of this document or related job requirements may change at any time with or without notice. Qualifications Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities Solid understanding of workforce trends and the interplay between education, technology, and labor markets. Familiarity with and experience working with solution providers in the talent economy, including education and learning, workforce management, and GenAI. Strategic thinker with the ability to identify connections across entities and initiatives and translate them into actionable partnerships. Exceptional relationship-building and communication skills, with the ability to engage diverse audiences ranging from executives to external stakeholders. Strong negotiation, contract structuring, and project management skills. Highly data-driven, organized, and comfortable working in fast-paced, ambiguous environments. Demonstrated ability to lead, mentor, and develop high-performing teams while fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and innovation. Skilled in coaching and empowering team members to take ownership of partnership initiatives, manage complex workstreams, and deliver measurable results. Education Bachelor’s degree. Experience 7 years of professional experience in strategic partnerships, corporate development, product management, or innovation strategy. 3 years of experience leading a team, either in a direct management role or as a lead on complex cross-functional projects. Proven experience managing complex, cross-sector relationships and delivering measurable results through multi-stakeholder collaboration. Demonstrated success building and managing partnerships with Fortune 500 companies, venture-backed startups, or innovation labs. Experience negotiating and executing multi-party agreements, including MOUs, joint initiatives, or sponsored research partnerships. Proven ability to translate organizational goals into partnership strategies that deliver measurable outcomes, such as funding, pilots, and co-development projects. Familiarity with innovative philanthropic funds, corporate venture capital, startup accelerators, and research commercialization. Experience working in or alongside academic institutions or mission-driven organizations, with an understanding of how to bridge public- and private-sector objectives. Additional Requirements Experience in Lieu of Education Equivalent relevant experience performing the essential functions of this job may substitute for education degree requirements. Preferred Qualifications Strategic partnership experience in higher education, edtech, workforce development, corporate learning, or mission-driven sectors. This position requires occasional travel of up to 20%, including required attendance at designated company summits (typically one to two per year). Additional travel may include conferences, visits to company locations, and other business-related events as needed. Additional travel may be assigned as needed to support business requirements Position & Application Details Full-Time Regular Positions (classified as regular and working 40 standard weekly hours): This is a full-time, regular position (classified for 40 standard weekly hours) that is eligible for bonuses; medical, dental, vision, telehealth and mental healthcare; health savings account and flexible spending account; basic and voluntary life insurance; disability coverage; accident, critical illness and hospital indemnity supplemental coverages; legal and identity theft coverage; retirement savings plan; wellbeing program; discounted WGU tuition; and flexible paid time off for rest and relaxation with no need for accrual, flexible paid sick time with no need for accrual, 11 paid holidays, and other paid leaves, including up to 12 weeks of parental leave. How to Apply: If interested, an application will need to be submitted online. Internal WGU employees will need to apply through the internal job board in Workday. Additional Information Disclaimer: The job posting highlights the most critical responsibilities and requirements of the job. It’s not all-inclusive. Accommodations: Applicants with disabilities who require assistance or accommodation during the application or interview process should contact our Talent Acquisition team at recruiting wgu.edu. Equal Employment Opportunity: All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to any protected characteristic as required by law.

Requirements

Must-haves

Grade: Management_Executive 610
The Enterprise Partnerships Director will accelerate WGU’s mission by cultivating and managing high-impact partnerships that expand our reach, enhance innovation, and generate new pathways for learners and employers.
This leader will bridge the academic, corporate, and non-profit ecosystems, identifying opportunities for collaboration, co-development, and strategic investment aligned with organizational-wide priorities.
This position will be working out of our Corporate Headquarters in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Negotiate effective partnership structures that maintain WGU’s mission integrity, financial stewardship, and brand strength.
Serve as an advisor to broader Strategy & Ventures leadership regarding ecosystem trends.
Establish governance, evaluation criteria, and success measures for strategic partnerships across the portfolio.
Partner Success & Portfolio Management Oversee progress and performance across all partnership initiatives, from concept to launch to operational scale.
Ensure both partners and WGU meet milestones and achieve intended outcomes, measuring jointly defined success metrics.
Identify opportunities to deepen relationships or, where impact and alignment diminish, responsibly sunset partnerships.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
Serve as the primary bridge between internal teams and partner organizations, translating vision into execution.
Lead cross-functional workstreams, including technology validations, research collaborations, go-to-market pilots, and joint marketing activities, that deliver measurable value.
Promote knowledge sharing and partnership management playbooks across Strategy & Ventures and the broader WGU system.
Measurement & Reporting Establish partnership success metrics and dashboards to assess reach, impact, and return on investment (ROI).
Leverage insights to refine partnership strategy and report outcomes to senior leadership and the Board.
Lead partnership-related contributions to enterprise strategic planning and provide recommendations regarding market positioning, strategic opportunities, and partnership investments.
Influence external stakeholders and internal executives to advance enterprise-wide partnership initiatives.
Actnal Collaboration as a trusted advisor to executive leadership regarding emerging trends, partnership opportunities, market risks, and strategic ecosystem positioning.
Perform initial triage of incoming partnership requests, independently or in support of the President or SVP of Strategy & Ventures.
Leadership & Team Development Lead and mentor a small, high-performing team, fostering collaboration, curiosity, and excellence.
Model cross-functional leadership, influence without authority, and build capacity for partnership management across the Strategy & Ventures function.
Contribute insights from external relationships to broader WGU competitive analysis and strategy development.

Nice-to-haves

Preferred Qualifications Strategic partnership experience in higher education, edtech, workforce development, corporate learning, or mission-driven sectors.

Application prep

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Keywords to mirror

gorest

Platform: workday
Effort: long

Benefits

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Dental

Vision

Paid Time Off

Parental Leave