Senior Director of Partnerships

OU Education Services • Norman, OK

1d • Hybrid

About The Position

OU Education Services (OUES) is a mission-driven organization dedicated to extending the reach and impact of the University of Oklahoma through high-quality academic programming, strategic college relationships, and a relentless commitment to student success. Serving both the OU Norman campus and the OU Health Sciences campus in Oklahoma City, OUES works alongside OU’s colleges to develop, sustain, and grow academic programs that serve learners across Oklahoma and beyond.
At OUES, we believe that strong, lasting relationships with academic units are the foundation of everything we do. We work alongside deans, associate deans, and faculty leadership to ensure that every program we support reflects the academic excellence and institutional values of the University of Oklahoma — all while delivering measurable outcomes for students and long-term financial health for the colleges we serve.
The Senior Director of Partnerships is a senior executive role responsible for leading OUES’s program success function and partner engagement across the OU Norman and OU Health Sciences campuses. This leader leads the Program Success team who serves as the primary points of engagement with OU’s colleges. The team works directly with deans and associate deans to develop, manage, and grow a portfolio of academic programs that advance the mission of the university and its colleges.
The Senior Director sets the strategic direction for the program success team and ensures that every program in the portfolio is held is aligned to the highest standards of academic quality, student outcomes, and financial sustainability. This role is deeply metrics-driven, leveraging tools such as the Program Quality Framework to make data-informed decisions that have real impact on learner success and college portfolio health.
Given the unique complexity of the OU Health Sciences campus, the Senior Director will also have fluency in the distinctive needs of health professions education, including the management of programs with clinical placement, practicum, and field experience components. This requires close collaboration with health college leadership to ensure that clinical training infrastructure supports both student readiness and compliance with regulatory and accreditation standards.
This role demands a high degree of executive presence, vision, and the ability to navigate complex institutional relationships with credibility and care. Regular in-person engagement at both campus locations (4 days per week) is expected.

Requirements

• 8+ years of progressive experience in higher education, academic program management, or a related field, with at least 3 years in a senior leadership capacity.
• Deep understanding of the academic unit landscape within a university, including how colleges, deans, and faculty leadership operate and make decisions.
• Demonstrated ability to build trusted, long-term relationships with senior academic leaders, including deans and associate deans.
• Proven track record of using data and quality frameworks to drive improvements in student outcomes, program health, and financial performance.
• Strong understanding of student success metrics, including enrollment trends, retention, and graduation rates, and how operational decisions influence them.
• Experience with budget oversight and financial accountability at the department or business unit level.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and influence skills across all levels of a university organization, including executive and C-suite stakeholders.
• Ability to lead and develop a high-performing team in a fast-paced, metrics-driven environment.
• Willingness and ability to be on-site at OU Norman and Oklahoma City Health campuses 4 days per week.
• Bachelor’s degree required.

Nice To Haves

• Advanced degree (Master’s or higher) in higher education administration, business, public administration, healthcare, or a related field.
• Experience working within or alongside a public university system, academic medical center, or health sciences institution.
• Familiarity with health professions programs that include clinical placements, practicums, or field experiences, and an understanding of the regulatory, accreditation, and coordination requirements associated with clinical training.
• Familiarity with online and continuing education program development, management, and quality assurance.
• Experience with program quality frameworks or similar data-driven tools used to assess and improve academic program performance.
• Experience leading organizational change or transformation within a higher education setting.
• Proficiency with CRM platforms and the Microsoft Office suite.

Responsibilities

• Define and drive a long-term program success strategy aligned with OUES’s organizational mission and the academic priorities of OU’s Norman and Health campuses.
• Contribute to and execute on OUES’s overall organizational strategy, guiding the program success business unit in alignment with broader institutional goals.
• Create and implement growth and innovation strategies that expand the college program portfolio and deepen OUES’s value to academic units.
• Identify, assess, and manage risks that could affect the academic quality, student outcomes, or financial sustainability of the program portfolio.
• Lead the OU and OUES teams through change, managing the impact of institutional transformations and evolving college priorities on program strategy and operations.
• Build and sustain executive-level relationships with deans, associate deans, and college leadership across OU’s Norman and Health campuses.
• Lead the team in working with academic units to develop new programs, grow existing offerings, and ensure the ongoing health and quality of the college program portfolio.
• Serve as the senior point of contact for complex or high-stakes program challenges, ensuring resolution that preserves institutional trust and program integrity.
• Ensure the Program Success team is effectively embedded within the respective colleges, serving as trusted advisors to faculty and academic leadership.
• Leverage the Program Quality Framework, Student Outcomes, Financial Models, and other strategic tools to evaluate program performance and guide data-informed decisions that advance student outcomes and college goals.
• Oversee the team’s engagement with health sciences colleges on programs that include clinical placements, practicums, and field experiences, ensuring these components are effectively coordinated, monitored, and aligned with accreditation and regulatory requirements.
• Champion a culture of academic excellence and student-centered decision-making across the program success team and the programs it supports.
• Oversee metrics related to learner impact, including enrollment, retention rates, graduation rates, and overall student success across the program portfolio.
• Ensure that all programs supported by OUES meet rigorous standards of academic quality consistent with OU’s institutional values and accreditation requirements.
• Use data and program quality assessments to identify opportunities for improvement and drive strategic interventions that enhance student outcomes.
• Collaborate closely with college leadership to align program design, delivery, and support structures with the academic and student success goals of each college.
• Ensure that health professions programs with clinical placement, practicum, or field experience requirements are structured to support student progression, licensure readiness, and successful transition into clinical practice.
• Lead, develop, and mentor the Program Success team, building a strong leadership pipeline and ensuring the team has the capabilities to excel.
• Hold teams accountable for delivering on strategic, operational, and student outcome goals with clarity, consistency, and fairness.
• Facilitate alignment across multiple business units and functional areas within OUES, including academic operations, marketing, enrollment, operations, student success, technology, and finance.
• Handle conflicts at the executive level, ensuring they are resolved effectively and in the best interest of students, colleges, and the organization.
• Design and scale team structures, processes, and workflows that enable the program success function to grow efficiently and sustainably.
• Define and oversee KPIs for the college program portfolio, including program counts, learner impact metrics, student retention and graduation rates, and financial performance.
• Oversee the financial health of the college program portfolio, ensuring programs are on track against revenue and sustainability targets.
• Oversee department budgets, ensuring responsible stewardship of resources and strong return on investment for OUES and its college partners.
• Create and present executive-level business reviews, portfolio forecasts, and program health reports to senior OUES leadership.
• Ensure all program activities and operations align with OU’s academic standards, compliance requirements, and institutional mission.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Executive