Academic Partnerships assists primarily regional universities in increasing their access and impact by making their academic programs available to students online. Founded in 2007, AP's mission is to expand access to high-quality, affordable, and workforce-relevant education, especially for working and adult students. AP brings single-minded dedication to student success, an integrated set of services, and data-driven performance to our collaboration with university partners.

Reporting to the SVP of Analytics and Commercial, the Director of Commercial Management will be an impact-oriented Commercial leader, and a key cross-functional collaborator and thought partner for AP's senior executives and functional leaders. They will work with the Heads of Commercial, Strategy, Sales, Marketing, Product and Finance to develop and implement short and long-term strategies to optimize revenue and customer lifetime value in accordance with AP's strategic plan. Specifically, the Director will lead strategic and business initiatives related to growing priority offerings, as well as revenue stream and deal structure diversification.

The Director will help formalize Commercial Excellence as a differentiator for AP by refining pricing, packaging, offering and deal structure across our suite of offerings. They will develop replicable playbooks to help Partner Universities determine Tuition levels for AP-supported programs, and to help AP define deal structures for partner relationships, ranging from Revenue Share to unbundled Fee for Service packages. These playbooks will embed a holistic view and quantification of lifetime value, and include a mix of primary research, market benchmarking, and price elasticity analysis, as well as tactics and frameworks to support Business Development and Account Management teams in retaining/ renewing existing accounts and securing new business. In addition, the Director will develop plans to evolve our revenue mix toward fee-for-service, including transition plan for existing Partners moving from Revenue Share arrangements.

Additionally, the Director will provide leadership, guidance and coaching to AP colleagues, inspiring a collaborative and collegial culture that is high performing and results focused.

Main Responsibilities:

• Developing Tuition playbook including market benchmarking, primary research, and price elasticity analytics, along with framework to determine when each element of the framework should be deployed
• Developing Pricing playbook for Partner Contracts, including Revenue Share at Different Levels and unbundled Fee for Service offerings, along with framework to determine when each structure should be deployed
• Developing Discounting frameworks to determine structure, duration, and use case for different Tuition and Contract Price discounts, and a structured approval process
• Providing negotiation support including analytics and messaging for new deals and renewals
• Holistic tracking of Tuition and Contract Pricing across our Partner base, and identifying / pursuing opportunities for continuous improvement

Job Requirements:

The ideal candidate will be intellectually curious, strategically minded, commercially-oriented, and highly collaborative. They will be a well-rounded experienced leader with the ability to lead strategic analyses as well as getting into the weeds of commercial negotiations, pricing, discounting and customer interactions. They will handle high pressure situations in a professional and balanced manner and will serve as a mentor, leader, and partner across the organization in a dynamic environment.

• Minimum of 7 years' experience in Consulting, Strategy, and Commercial roles, including leading high-impact teams
• Proven track record of successfully scoping and delivering projects, building and leveraging appropriate processes and tools.
• Exceptional and well-rounded analytical skills - able to evaluate opportunities from strategic, commercial and operational perspectives
• Demonstrated analytical toolkit (e.g., negotiations models, financial impact assessments) and proven track record of delivering commercial impact
• Exceptional leadership, management, and communication skills
• Exceptional influencing skills and demonstrated ability to work cross functionally across all levels of an organization
• Experience in the Higher Education and OPM sectors is desirable but not essential
• MBA or equivalent advanced degree in commercial field is strongly preferred
• Management consulting experience is strongly preferred, especially in the domains of revenue optimization, negotiations, pricing, etc.

Academic Partnerships is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse and inclusive workforce.

Academic Partnerships offers the following comprehensive benefits:

• PTO - accumulated from day one
• 11 designated holidays
• Medical - four options (including PPO and HDP)
• Dental
• Vision
• Life & Disability (company paid)
• Flexible Spending Account & Health Savings Account (company contribution to HSA)
• Retirement plan with company match
• Maternity / Paternity / Parental Leave (company paid)
• Volunteer Time Off

Supplemental Benefits:

• Wellness program
• Alternative medicine options
• Pet discounts
• Accident, Critical Illness and Hospital Indemnity

Personal and Professional Development:

• Continuous Professional and Leadership Development Programs
• Tuition Reimbursement for employees and their dependents