Sr Partnerships Manager

Navient

About The Position

Navient Solutions LLC Navient (Nasdaq: NAVI) helps students and families confidently manage the cost of higher education. We create long-term value for customers and investors through responsible lending, flexible refinancing, trusted servicing oversight, and decades of portfolio management expertise. Our employees thrive in a culture of belonging, where they are supported and proud to deliver meaningful outcomes. The Sr Partnerships Manager is responsible for managing existing partnership strategy and relationships, while simultaneously looking to negotiate and on-board new partners to support our evolving strategies and priorities. The Sr Partnerships Manager must be a strong cross-functional collaborator, strategic thinker, problem solver, and seasoned people person with a strong focus on building lasting relationships. This person will manage end-to-end execution of partnerships that drive the business forward and will work within the larger marketing team to ensure that holistic thinking and initiatives are cohesive and complementary. They will be responsible for working cross-functionally with Product, Legal, and Engineering to create efficiencies for the account management team and marketing teams. In this role, the ideal candidate will be an expert negotiator, able to prioritize projects and product work, able to measure and report out on performance with meaningful insights, and push partners to hit monthly, quarterly, and annual targets. The Sr Partnerships Manager will have proven ability to manage multiple projects, thrive in a fast-paced environment, and the ability to work collaboratively.

Requirements

Bachelor’s Degree- Business/Finance/Marketing/Operations.
6+ years of experience in account management, or marketing.
4+ years of experience in Partnerships or Business Development, ideally within financial services—preferably in lending, with a strong preference for student loan expertise.
Deep expertise in user growth strategies and partnership models, with a strong understanding of how to drive business expansion through strategic collaborations.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to deliver clear, professional presentations and recommendations to executive-level audiences.
Strong interpersonal and client relationship management, with a proven ability to build trust and maintain credibility with senior stakeholders.
Advanced problem-solving and adaptability, including the ability to analyze complex issues, make sound decisions quickly, and thrive in dynamic, changing environments.
Additional education above the required minimum may substitute for above level of experience.

Nice To Haves

Experience implementing marketing automation best practices across email, landing pages, and campaign infrastructure.
Prior success working cross-functionally with Product, Legal, and Engineering teams to drive partnership initiatives forward.
Strong presentation development skills with the ability to tailor messaging for executive audiences.
Background in a high-growth, fast-paced environment within fintech or related industries.

Responsibilities

Strategic Partnership Building and Retention Able to successfully manage a program or channel (multiple campaigns) from end to end, setting and executing a strategy.
Oversee and grow strategic partnerships to drive key business goals for the Student Loan Originations product.
Identify, evaluate, and analyze new partnership opportunities – both traditional and non-traditional that align with Earnest/Navient’s strategic goals.
Negotiate and structure deals that meet internal efficiency metrics and performance standards.
Define and measure the long-term vision and success of partnerships, including setting clear goals and reporting on progress.
Collaborate cross-functionally with Marketing, Product, Engineering, Legal, and Client teams to ensure seamless partner onboarding and retention.
Drive revenue growth opportunities with existing partners through conversion optimization and marketing collaboration.
Demonstrates complex problem-solving by developing solutions for large-scale challenges and growth barriers.
Proactively scouting for new markets, potential partners, and opportunities.
Has competitive awareness and stays ahead of industry trends and competitor activity.
Lead cross-departmental projects aligned with corporate objectives, managing multiple priorities while delivering high-quality results.
Continually assess and improve operational systems and processes, proactively identifying and implementing process improvements.
Project and Compliance Management Constructively challenge current practices, identifies trends affecting the business and articulates implications to upper management.
Actively participates in discussions to resolve issues and/or implement new processes.
Plan and lead cross-departmental initiatives in support of division and corporate business objectives.
Handle multiple priorities while producing high-quality results.
Regularly seek out knowledge and insights to improve and evolve work products and processes.
Ensures that all operational systems are continually evaluated.
Continually investigates and introduces process improvement measures and presents suggestions to the executive team for consideration.