Associate Director, Higher Education Partnerships

Braven

. Serve as the primary strategic thought partner to Regional Senior Directors across a portfolio of 5–7 higher education partner sites .

Posted 10/24/2026full-timeUnited StatesSenior💰 $79,200 - $98,800 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in higher education partnership strategy, including the development of frameworks and decision-making infrastructure. Proven ability to influence senior stakeholders and manage complex partnership dynamics while synthesizing quantitative and qualitative data for informed decision-making.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Higher Education PartnershipsStrategic Thought PartnershipSenior-Level Relationship ManagementQuantitative And Qualitative Data SynthesisComplex Partnership Agreement Negotiation

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Program StrategyDecision-Making InfrastructurePortfolio-Level AnalysisStakeholder EngagementGrant IncentivesFunding MechanismsCross-Functional CoordinationMOU RenewalsData SynthesisStrategic Framework Development

Soft Skills

Independent Decision-MakingSound JudgmentSolutions OrientationAmbiguity ManagementStakeholder Relationship-Building

Tools & Technologies

SalesforceAsana

Industry Keywords

Higher EducationPartnership StrategyAccount ManagementRelationship ManagementStrategic Projects

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Serve as the primary strategic thought partner to Regional Senior Directors across a portfolio of 5–7 higher education partner sites
Shape partnership strategy, pressure-test decisions, and help navigate complex or high-stakes partner dynamics
Develop and steward frameworks and decision rules for higher education partnership structures, including grant incentives and funding mechanisms
Represent Higher Education Partnerships strategy in cross-functional and cross-regional planning
Identify portfolio patterns, emerging risks, and promising practices and translate them into recommendations, tools, and frameworks
Lead time-bound strategic projects requiring cross-site coordination and portfolio-level analysis
Lead one national strategic body for higher education leaders: the HEP Convening or Faculty Council
Develop annual strategy, engagement plans, and success measures for the convening body
Coordinate year-round planning, milestones, contributors, communications, and cross-functional partners
Build engagement strategies, resources, and playbooks for participating higher education leaders
Lead internal strategy and coordination of MOU renewals, partnering with Regional Senior Directors and Legal/OGC
Serve as HEP’s point of continuity on agreement terms, precedent, and risk
Define and improve strategic frameworks and decision-making infrastructure, including Salesforce and Asana
Synthesize quantitative and qualitative partnership data to inform portfolio-level decisions
Establish consistent approaches to partnership health, stakeholder engagement, and portfolio reporting
Contribute to department-wide priorities, planning, team development, and time-bound initiatives
Perform other duties as assigned in support of Braven’s mission

Requirements

What you’ll need

BA/BS or equivalent experience
4+ years of professional experience in higher education partnerships, program strategy, account/relationship management, or a related field
Demonstrated track record of making independent strategic decisions and influencing senior stakeholders
Ability to work in-person in Atlanta, GA, Chicago, IL, Newark, NJ, or New York City, NY
Ability to travel roughly 2-3 times/quarter for Braven team meetings, external convenings, and partner site visits
Ability to have occasional meetings outside of regular working hours for your time zone
Ability to participate in virtual external meetings about 1–2 times/month on average
Access to reliable internet
Authorized to work in the U.S.
Braven doesn’t offer employment visa sponsorship
Preferred: skilled strategic thought partnership, systems thinking, senior-level relationship management, complex partnership agreement negotiation or coordination, quantitative and qualitative data synthesis, stakeholder relationship-building, sound judgment, independent decision-making, ambiguity management, solutions orientation, alignment with Braven’s core values, and belief in Braven’s mission

Benefits

Comp & perks

Unlimited vacation time in addition to org-wide holidays and week-long shutdowns in July and the end of the calendar year (this is a minimum of 20 days per year)
$25,000 in lifetime Carrot benefits for fertility, family-building, and hormonal health
Match of your 401K contribution up to 5% of your base annual salary, starting your first full month
Coverage of 85% of health insurance premium for employee and dependents
12 weeks of paid parental leave
A one-month paid sabbatical after 4 years on staff
Competitive, comprehensive benefits, recognition, and career development
Salary growth opportunities over time
Remote work 2 days a week (Monday and Friday)