Strategic Leader, Research Partner Success

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

Strategic Leader (Associate Director Level), Research Partner Success

Our Research Strategic Leaders (SLs) represent EAB’s Research division with colleges and universities. Research SLs build relationships with university Presidents, Provosts, Chief Business Officers and other members of the cabinet to understand their institutional priorities and deploy EAB research and services to help partners accomplish their goals. SLs drive high impact utilization and maximize the value EAB partners derive from their research partnership to secure partnership renewal and growth goals.

This role is based in Washington, D.C. Exceptional candidates based remotely in the continental United States or in other EAB office locations will also be considered.

Who We Want

• Do you want to make a difference in higher education?
• Do you build great customer relationships that inspire loyalty and drive growth?
• Do you advise customers to make right decisions that achieve strategic goals?
• Do you have a passion for delivering amazing customer experiences?
• Are you a persuasive leader with a knack for teaching and explaining concepts?
• Are you a problem solver with a gift for finding solutions that meet customer needs?

What You Will Do

Build Relationships

• Build and maintain relationships with university executives and campus leaders to secure trusted partner status.
• Collaborate with colleagues across the research, renewal, sales, and other product teams to serve our partners in a coordinated, holistic manner

Develop Industry and Content Knowledge

• Develop a deep understanding of key industry issues and how EAB’s Research helps partners set and execute their strategy in areas like student success, diversity equity inclusion & justice (DEIJ), and financial sustainability
• Understand EAB’s research and point of view on key industry issues to be able to add value to every partner conversation
• Provide guidance and advice to partners based on EAB research best practices
• Lead and facilitate state of the industry presentations for university boards and cabinets
• Develop and maintain general knowledge of broader EAB offerings (e.g., Technology and Enrollment Services products)

Develop Deep Partner Knowledge

• Develop and maintain deep knowledge of partner institutional priorities and goals in order to create actionable success plans to achieve partner objectives
• Understand partner strategic plan and map objectives to EAB research and services
• Understand and navigate around partner internal politics and mobilize key influencers
• Provide partners with unique perspective on improving their business which could mean challenging partner assumptions
• Serve as the voice of the market and voice of the partner for EAB Research and other key internal stakeholders (i.e., Account Management, Sales, Contracting, Legal)

Drive Impact and Successful Outcomes for Your Partners

• Partner with Industry-Leading Experts to define partner priorities, facilitate decision-making, and drive change management through stakeholder education
• Lead partner onboarding process starting with sales hand-off; conducts welcome call and new partner orientation to ensure partnership adoption, reports on and inflects first year partner health on an ongoing basis
• Map EAB research and resources to support major campus initiatives. Design success plans that create shared accountability with the partner and leads to successful implementations and decision-making.
• Create unique connections across your partner institutions and EAB’s 1900+ partners nationwide to unlock the power of membership.
• Use EAB Research’s diagnostics and audits to help partners identify opportunities and make the case for continuous improvement and additional resources
• Proactively drive partner utilization with the ultimate goal of achieving outcomes as identified in the partner success plan
• Communicate the value of the research partnership as well as progress and results on success plan outcomes back to partners regularly through annual partnership reviews

Develop a Commercial and Growth Oriented Mindset

• Leverage partner knowledge to identify best growth opportunities
• Pass leads and facilitate warm introductions of sales colleagues
• Partner with the renewal team to develop and execute save strategies for at risk partners
• Hit annual and semi-annual renewal and growth targets

Report on your Business

• Partner with sales and renewal teams to provide key partner knowledge including partner health / value metrics, etc.  Create personal case to goal on renewal and sales KPIs
• Participate in quarterly commercial reviews includes service steps, revenue growth and renewals
• Identify and share market trends
• Utilize Gainsight partner success platform and maintain Salesforce data integrity

Time in market (via zoom or in-person): 50%

Travel expectation (in person): 15% (maximizing activities at conferences as well as campus visits) up to 30%

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited College/University
• Proven record of professional success
• Ability to communicate effectively with senior executives, both spoken and written
• Willingness to travel up to 30%
• Valid Driver’s License
• Must possess a minimum of 5 years’ post-undergraduate experience encompassing at least three of the following:
• Client or account management experience
• Consulting or service delivery experience
• Presentation and facilitation experience
• Leadership experience
• Commercial experience

Ideal Qualifications:

• Analytical thinking skills and ability to manage processes, projects, and operations
• Strong demonstrated listening skills
• Experience building relationships internally and externally, and ability to collaborate effectively and manage multiple clients
• Proven negotiation skills with the ability to deliver results, meet goals and deadlines, and hold accountability to meet monthly, quarterly, and annual financial goals
• Proven experience managing multiple, competing priorities to deliver successful outcomes
• Familiarity with project management frameworks or PMP certification
• Experience finding multiple solutions to complex problems and ability to comfortably manage complexity
• Ability to successfully overcome challenges or obstacles
• Strong presentation and facilitation skills
• Ability to lead change and advocate for clients
• Experience developing personal organization tactics to meet business goals
• Demonstrated knowledge of higher education subject matter
• Experience with Gainsight or similar Customer Success platform
• 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 anticipated starting salary (base) range for this role is $66,500 - $95,000 per year. Actual salary varies 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 salary range for their role.

This hire will additionally be eligible for discretionary bonus or incentive compensation. Variable compensation may depend on various factors, such as individual and organizational performance.

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.

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