Director of Strategic Partnerships

Alliance for Decision Education•Lower Merion Township, PA

63d•$140,000 - $180,000•Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Strategic Partnerships leads the Alliance for Decision Education’s partnership pipeline and portfolio, developing strategic opportunities and turning them into well-structured, effectively managed partnerships that advance the organization’s mission and expand the reach and adoption of Decision Education. The Director advances opportunities developed by organizational leaders and Board members as well as identifying new opportunities, and oversees the team responsible for managing partner relationships and moving agreements into action. The role manages a complex portfolio at scale: evaluating and prioritizing opportunities, allocating organizational resources, setting shared measures of success, and coordinating internal expertise to support partners. The Director ensures the organization can assess portfolio health and performance, adjust expectations or resources, identify opportunities for growth, and redirect or pause efforts when appropriate. The first year focuses on establishing processes, account planning, governance, measurement, and internal coordination; subsequent success is measured by portfolio strength and performance, partnership reach, students served, and evidence of mission impact at scale. The position calls for a strong understanding of the U.S. K–12 education landscape and the ways standards, frameworks, instructional priorities, and new ideas move through education channels. It also requires understanding the evolving role of AI in K–12 education and how Decision Education can support human judgment, critical thinking, and decision-making in that environment. The Director is a senior leader who oversees the Strategic Partnerships Department and reports to the Deputy Executive Director and Chief Strategy Officer. This is a full-time, salaried, exempt role requiring an 8-hour workday and a 40-hour workweek. Local employees work onsite at the Bala Cynwyd, Pennsylvania headquarters on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, with remote work flexibility on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Fully remote arrangements may be considered only in rare cases for candidates whose qualifications significantly exceed the role’s requirements; remote employees must work effectively from home and remain engaged during East Coast hours. The role requires 30–50% national travel. The Alliance provides necessary work equipment, supplies, and resources.

Requirements

At least eight years of experience in strategic partnerships, partner management, business development, or related roles within the U.S. K–12 education industry, including experience managing a complex portfolio of strategic partnerships at scale.
Experience leading a partnership or account management team and building processes, tools, and operating disciplines for consistent portfolio management.
Deep understanding of the U.S. K–12 education ecosystem and how ideas, standards, products, programs, and initiatives move through states, districts, curriculum and edtech providers, nonprofits, associations, and other education channels.
Experience developing strategic account plans, establishing joint goals and KPIs, prioritizing opportunities, and managing partnerships from opportunity through implementation, growth, and renewal.
Experience structuring and managing complex partnership arrangements, including MOUs, contracts, licensing, co-development, revenue-sharing, brand attribution, and other commercial or noncommercial agreements.
Ability to orchestrate cross-functional teams, manage senior-level partner relationships, and use data and performance measures to drive execution and inform recommendations.
Authorization to work in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship.
Successful completion of the pre-employment screening process.
Compliance with organizational policies and procedures and ability to understand and demonstrate safe work practices.
Ability to complete assigned special projects and other duties.

Nice To Haves

Experience with emerging AI-related standards, frameworks, guidance, or implementation efforts in U.S. K–12 education, including state and district approaches to AI literacy, human judgment, and responsible AI use.
Established relationships across the K–12 education ecosystem, including state and district leaders, curriculum and EdTech providers, nonprofit organizations, professional associations, and other potential strategic partners.
Experience with standards-based initiatives, credentialing, professional learning, curriculum integration, or other education models requiring adoption across multiple organizations or distribution channels.
Familiarity with decision science, behavioral science, or related fields and ability to translate research-based concepts into practical education partnerships and implementation strategies.
Strategic, systems-level thinking and strong analytical judgment.
Executive presence and strong relationship-building skills.
Collaborative, collegial, and highly professional approach.
Detail orientation, organization, and operational discipline.
Data-driven, results-focused approach.
Adaptability, intellectual curiosity, and comfort with ambiguity.
Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
Proactive leadership, independence, and initiative.
Alignment with the Alliance’s values of humanism, rationality, education, conscientiousness, initiative, and mission alignment.

Responsibilities

Develop and maintain processes, tools, and operating rhythms for managing the strategic partnership pipeline and portfolio.
Establish criteria and processes to evaluate, triage, and prioritize partnership opportunities in line with the Alliance’s priorities, mission, and capacity.
Assess prospective and existing opportunities and recommend which to advance, defer, reshape, or decline.
Develop strategic account plans and recommendations covering objectives, partner roles, Alliance commitments, resources, success measures, and decision points.
Lead the Strategic Partnerships team in executing priorities and tracking portfolio progress, risks, dependencies, and next steps.
Maintain portfolio-level reporting on partnership health, pipeline activity, resource needs, performance, and emerging opportunities.
Identify portfolio-wide patterns and lessons and recommend improvements to strategy, processes, resourcing, and partner support.
Oversee strategic account planning for priority partners, including goals, workstreams, roles, timelines, and success measures.
Guide the team in setting shared partner expectations, commitments, decision-making processes, and mutual accountability.
Oversee the development and execution of partnership agreements, coordinating with legal, finance, communications, and other teams as needed.
Ensure priority partnerships have meaningful joint KPIs and lead regular account reviews of progress, risks, barriers, and growth opportunities.
Hold the team accountable for consistent execution, follow-through, and high-quality portfolio documentation.
Coach and develop team members in strategic account management, partner planning, and senior-level relationship skills.
Coordinate Alliance expertise and resources—including content, research, policy, professional learning, and communications—to support priority partnerships.
Translate partnership commitments into internal workplans with owners, timelines, dependencies, and deliverables.
Balance partner needs with organizational capacity and raise resource constraints, risks, and competing priorities for leadership consideration.
Ensure partners receive technical assistance and implementation support to advance agreed goals and integrate Decision Education into their work.
Establish clear communication and coordination across internal teams so partnership progress, needs, and decisions are visible and aligned.
Capture and share implementation lessons to strengthen future partnership strategy and execution.
Complete special projects and other duties as assigned by management.

Benefits

Medical, dental, and vision insurance, 100% employer-paid.
Basic life insurance and AD&D, 100% employer-paid.
Voluntary life insurance, 100% employee-paid.
Short-term disability insurance, with 100% of the premium paid.
Long-term disability insurance, with 100% of the premium paid.
Employee Assistance Program.
401(k) retirement plan with up to a 5% employer match, 100% vested, and an additional Roth option.
Healthcare and dependent-care Flexible Spending Accounts.
Up to 20 days of paid time off per calendar year, prorated during the first year based on hire date.
Unlimited paid sick time.
Hybrid work schedule for local employees.
Paid lunch stipend while working onsite.
Necessary equipment, supplies, and resources to perform the work.