Sr. Manager, National Strategic Partners

As the Sr. Manager National Strategic Partners, you will possess a proven track record of leading growth initiatives in K-12 markets, partnership management, or other relevant B2B roles within the higher education industry. You will be responsible for establishing the go-to-market strategy and playing a pivotal role in cultivating and converting business opportunities.

You leverage data and digital tools to identify opportunities, track progress, and drive scalable, repeatable, and reliable sales processes. While the primary focus will be on capturing new client acquisitions and expanding opportunities with current partners, you will work closely with the Senior Vice President, Field Operations and Partnerships, and the extended field and education solutions teams on direct bill expansion and new business ventures. You a strategic thinker with high emotional intelligence, capable of identifying innovative growth opportunities and inspiring others to achieve exceptional results.

Who is American College of Education

Founded in 2005, American College of Education continues to be a leader in professional development through our online programs. The mission of ACE is to deliver high-quality, affordable and accessible online programs grounded in evidence-based content and relevant application. Our graduates are prepared to serve, lead and achieve personal and professional goals in diverse, evolving communities. As a socially conscious institution, we’re dedicated to making a positive impact and inspiring our students to do the same.

ACE is a premier organization that is continually recognized for its commitment to social responsibility. In 2016, ACE became a Certified B Corporation. As a socially conscious institution, we believe we have a responsibility to our students, alumni, employees, local communities, and society. We strive to make an impact in the world that goes well beyond our bottom line.

Who You Are

You are passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals. You thrive in a competitive and collaborative team environment. You are comfortable working remotely and have experience collaborating with others in a virtual environment. You possess a strong attention to detail.    

As the Sr. Manager National Strategic Partners, you will possess a proven track record of leading growth initiatives in K-12 markets, partnership management, or other relevant B2B roles within the higher education industry. You will be responsible for establishing the go-to-market strategy and playing a pivotal role in cultivating and converting business opportunities.

You leverage data and digital tools to identify opportunities, track progress, and drive scalable, repeatable, and reliable sales processes. While the primary focus will be on capturing new client acquisitions and expanding opportunities with current partners, you will work closely with the Senior Vice President, Field Operations and Partnerships, and the extended field and education solutions teams on direct bill expansion and new business ventures. You a strategic thinker with high emotional intelligence, capable of identifying innovative growth opportunities and inspiring others to achieve exceptional results.

Compensation

ACE is committed to paying a competitive wage while staying true to our mission of maintaining high-quality, affordable programs for our students. The starting salary range for this position is $120,000 plus all full-time employees are eligible for an annual bonus. Offers vary depending on education, prior experience, and expertise being applied to the role.

What We Look for in the Ideal Candidate

• Demonstrates self-reliance by meeting/exceeding workflow needs. 
• Demonstrates positive attitude and motivation, concern for students, teamwork, and excellent time management skills. 
• Follows established processes as outlined by organization and leadership. 
• Completes assigned duties based on daily business needs and individual skill set. 
• Consistently produces a high volume of quality work. 
• Capable, and adapts as needed, to work under pressure and meet tight deadlines. 
• Proven ability to work independently with limited supervision and with other department personnel. 
• Must support and embrace the College’s B Corp mission to improve the people and communities we serve through our civic engagement initiatives.  
• Must have exceptional communication, organization, and time management skills. 
• Must be "self-motivated" as well as creative and efficient in proposing solutions to complex, time-critical problems. 
• Must be collaborative in driving decisions and a team-player. 
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with a high attention to detail. 
• Builds and maintains student satisfaction. 
• Recognizes and anticipates student needs. 

Day to Day Responsibilities

In this role you will wear different hats, but your skills will be especially essential in the following areas: 

• Champions ACE’s positioning as the premier national partner for school districts and educational organizations, leading initiatives that support long-term professional development, educator retention, and new teacher recruitment at scale.
• Partners with all colleagues to ensure a consistent feedback loop that ensures the customer’s voice is guiding program development, messaging, and market strategy.
• Partners with Marketing team to monitor and evaluate competitor activities, services, and products.
• Provides strategic guidance and mentorship to field the team, supporting professional growth, performance alignment, and a unified approach to partnership development across regions.
• Develops and executes a comprehensive growth strategy that will increase revenue, market share, and profitability within the K-12 education vertical.
• Follows established processes as outlined by the organization and leadership.
• Serves as the senior relationship owner for key national and regional partners, ensuring strategic alignment between ACE’s goals and those of its partners, and proactively identifying opportunities for mutual growth and expanded collaboration.
• Establishes and implements processes, internal/external workflows to help streamline the field team’s operations and add value to relationships.
• Cultivates and deepens executive-level relationships with senior decision-makers at partner organizations and key internal stakeholders, functioning as a trusted advisor and thought partner to advance ACE’s strategic initiatives.
• Stays current on industry trends and best practices, sharing knowledge with the team and across the organization.
• Works with field leadership on exhibition strategy as well work large scale education conference to expand ACE brand and student reach.
• Collaborates as needed with ed solutions to support in meetings, seminars, and webinars.

Qualifications and Education Requirements
 

• Bachelor’s degree required in related field or equivalent combination of education and leadership experience in partnerships or sales will be considered.
• Proven track record of developing and executing partnership strategies with district and state-level education leaders, with a focus on long-term strategic growth and organizational impact.
• Deep understanding of the K-12 education landscape, funding models, and national sales cycles; able to guide cross-functional teams in navigating complex, multi-stakeholder B2B and B2C sales strategies.
• High-level communication skills with the ability to influence senior stakeholders and represent the organization externally with clarity and vision.
• Demonstrated ability to succeed through ambiguity, drive strategic alignment across departments, and influence decision-making in fast-paced, evolving environments.
• Willingness to travel nationally up to 75% to support strategic initiatives, build high-level partnerships, and represent the organization at industry events and conferences.

Our Commitment to Employees

Just as we strive to empower our students for success, we also aim to enrich the lives of our employees. For 6 consecutive years, ACE was recognized as one of Indiana’s Best Places to Work, winning the #1 spot for medium-sized companies in 2020. In addition, ACE has earned national recognition, being named a USA Top Workplace in 2022, 2023 and 2024. As a virtual first organization, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a family-like inclusive work environment. For our full-time employees, we offer the following benefits: 

• Medical, dental, & vision Insurance 
• HSA and FSA options 
• Paid parental leave 
• Paid volunteer time 
• Tuition reimbursement & reduction programs 
• Generous PTO  
• 401k and employer match 
• Full-service wellness and EAP program 
• Employee recognition and awards programs 
• Employer paid life & AD&D insurance 
• Short-term disability 
• Employer-paid long-term disability 
• And more…

Physical Demands

The physical demand described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with and receive communications from students and ACE employees in real time using online and other electronic media.

Commitment to Culture

At American College of Education, we’re all about building a one-of-a-kind, supportive community where everyone—students, faculty, and staff—can thrive. Guided by our mission and values, we focus on everything from innovative curriculum design to personalized instruction and student support to intentional planning, inclusive initiatives, and strategic resource allocation. We’re dedicated to creating an environment that celebrates freedom of expression, diversity of thought, open dialogue, and mutual respect. We believe in fostering a sense of belonging and wellness so that every member of our ACE family feels empowered, valued, and ready to reach their full potential. Together, we’re creating a vibrant, resilient, and connected learning community where everyone matters.

Additional Notes

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job.  Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Employees are increasingly integrating AI into their roles, demonstrating its potential to boost efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. By utilizing AI technologies, we can streamline processes, gain valuable insights from data, and automate routine tasks, which allows employees to concentrate on more strategic and creative aspects of their work. While AI is a beneficial tool in the workplace, if its use—such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, Copy.ai, etc.—accounts for more than 50% of any work assignments or job responsibilities, it will need to be reported to a direct leader.

Internet bandwidth speeds from an employee's remote work location must be a minimum of 50Mbps download speeds and 5Mbps upload speeds. Please note if the bandwidth is shared across multiple devices (tablets, computer, streaming, phone, etc.) you will need higher overall speeds. You can test the speed of your connection by visiting speedtest.net Purchase, setup, installation, support, and ongoing maintenance of reliable internet service is the responsibility of the individual.  

American College of Education seeks to attract and retain a diverse staff consistent with its diverse student body and surrounding communities. At this time we cannot consider candidates residing in Alaska, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, South Dakota, or Alabama.

ACE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.