Executive Partner - CIO Advisory for Education Clients

Gartner•Remote - Texas, TX

10d•Hybrid

About The Position

Gartner Executive Programs is a membership-based organization serving over 8,500 Chief Information Officers (CIO) and Information Technology (IT) Leaders globally. This role focuses on clients in Higher Education and K-12 institutions, who are integral to meeting evolving community and student demands. The Executive Partner will act as a strategic advisor, helping clients assess, design, and deliver change and transformation solutions, leveraging technology like Artificial Intelligence (AI) for digital modernization and to drive business and student success. The role requires a leader with deep understanding of the Education industry, change management, technology leadership, and experience in advancing outcomes, ideally with a background as a CIO, CXO, or consultant in the education sector.

Requirements

A Bachelors degree (Masters or Doctors degree preferred).
15+ years of experience working as a CIO or senior IT leader in Higher Education and/or K-12 with large scale and complex responsibilities.
Experience in executive-level roles, or in Consulting/Advisory roles directly supporting the executive level in Higher Education and/or K-12.
Experience as an accomplished CIO (or equivalent) with broad business acumen and expertise, operating at a senior leadership level and driving change.
Robust understanding of the IT industry and the role of the CIO in Higher Education and/or K-12 communities, including progressive technology exposure to AI.
Good understanding of ERP transformation, operational AI, Learning Management Systems, academic technologies, and student life cycle CRM.
In-depth understanding of the Business Value of IT and the alignment of business and IT strategies to support regulatory requirements, budget and funding processes, technology enablement, and student success.
Demonstrated experience communicating the Business Value of IT to institution leaders, Chief Financial Officers, and stakeholders, including presenting to leadership (e.g., Boards, Presidents, Cabinets).
Demonstrated understanding of the pace of change in IT, including AI, as educational institutions evolve.
Demonstrated ability to assess changes needed in an education organization, plan how to achieve goals cost-effectively, and lead the delivery of IT solutions.
Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a team environment to design and implement solutions.
Critical thinker and problem solver with demonstrated ability to assess a member’s situation and provide actionable, outcome-based business and technical advice.
Excellent relationship management skills, including experience working with C-level executives and business stakeholders.
Ability to build strategic internal partnerships and positively impact change.
Comfortable in client-facing interactions requiring high Executive presence and ability to build trust.
Demonstrated superior listening, verbal, and written communication skills.
Strong facilitation and presentation skills.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of 25-30 members in the Higher Education and/or K-12 sector, providing executive advisory services with approximately 20% client travel.
Collaborate with the Gartner Team (Executive Partner, Client Managers, Account Executives) to ensure member engagement, retention, and growth.
Participate in all phases of the member lifecycle: pre-sale strategies, client on-boarding, client relationship management, client engagement, outcome-based service delivery, account reviews, and account renewal and growth.
Drive member retention and contribute to growth through engagement plans, outcome-based delivery, and supporting Gartner Sales in prospect cultivation, account plan development, and value demonstration.
Help clients deliver innovative solutions by assessing mission-critical priorities and delivering custom engagement plans that support member entitlements and outcome-based service delivery.
Conduct virtual and onsite strategic consultations and workshops, and facilitate research analyst visits, roundtables, and webinars with Gartner analyst experts.
Facilitate member interaction and peer collaboration using Executive Programs resources and tools.
Present or facilitate at Gartner events (e.g., conferences, local events).