Vice President, Partnerships

Axim Collaborative Inc•Cambridge, MA

3d•Hybrid

About The Position

Axim Collaborative is a nonprofit that transforms education-to-work pathways by facilitating collaboration and innovation to build an ecosystem of solutions for better outcomes for learners. It uses catalytic funding to foster partnerships, convene leaders, and scale innovations that strengthen pathways. Axim Collaborative is a joint endeavor between Harvard and MIT that evolved from edX. The Vice President of Partnerships reports to the Senior Vice President, Strategy, Operations and Talent, serves on Axim Collaborative’s Senior Leadership Team, and develops high-level strategic partnerships and collaborations. Working with the SVP and Education Transformation team, the VP identifies, fosters, and manages partnerships in support of Axim’s mission. The role calls for an entrepreneurial approach to creating opportunities and building strong, sustainable relationships that bring them to life. The VP sources and stewards partnerships across broad-access institutions, intermediary organizations, nonprofit digital innovators, and edtech providers. The role applies Axim’s theory of change and partner assessment framework, structures partnerships that balance mission impact with financial sustainability, oversees projects and convenings, and communicates partnership strategies and outcomes to funders, government partners, institutional counterparts, and external audiences. The VP also contributes to organizational leadership, culture, planning, and change management. This is a hybrid position requiring regular in-person work in the Cambridge office. Candidates must be able to commute at least two days per week from Massachusetts, Maine, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, or Vermont. Staff attend in-person programming three times a year, and the role requires approximately 25% travel.

Requirements

Deep commitment to education equity and experience applying an equity lens across strategies and workstreams.
At least 15 years of professional experience, including demonstrated partnership-development success in areas such as social enterprise, philanthropy, and higher education, including digital technology innovations.
Understanding of how innovative programs and technology can support students in broad-access higher education settings.
Demonstrated success building or scaling partnerships, programs, or ventures from the ground up in social enterprise, early-stage mission-driven organizations, or institutional settings.
Experience developing models that balance mission impact with sustainable funding strategies.
At least 10 years of progressive leadership experience, including 5–7 years at the senior level, with success leading significant strategic initiatives and collaborating with executive leadership, board members, and diverse external stakeholders.
Fluency in developing and applying theories of change and assessment frameworks to guide partnership strategy, prioritize opportunities, evaluate prospective partners, and define success.
Strong storytelling and fundraising skills for mission-driven audiences, including funders, government partners, and institutional counterparts.
Exceptional relationship-building skills and ability to connect with and influence external decision-makers with diverse priorities.
Strong analytical ability and experience embedding impact measurement and reporting practices that meet the needs of philanthropic funders, institutional stakeholders, and commercial partners.
Strong written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex ideas into clear, compelling memos, proposals, and presentations.
Board- or funder-facing experience, including presenting partnership pipelines and outcomes to governance audiences.

Responsibilities

Source, curate, and manage a portfolio of strategic partnerships with broad-access institutions, intermediary organizations, nonprofit digital innovators, and edtech providers, serving as the senior relationship steward.
Apply Axim’s theory of change and partner assessment framework to prioritize opportunities, evaluate prospective partners against strategic focus areas and impact goals, and define partnership success.
Use knowledge of broad-access education and workforce issues to identify and pursue opportunities that improve student outcomes.
Source and structure innovative partnerships and collaborations that balance mission impact with financial sustainability, including blended philanthropic, public, and/or earned-revenue funding models.
Embed impact measurement in partnerships and prepare partnership proposals for review by the Axim Collaborative board.
Oversee project execution and strategic convenings, ensuring strong engagement and outcomes.
Create memos, proposals, and presentations that explain complex ideas clearly and persuasively to funders, government partners, and institutional counterparts.
Represent Axim Collaborative at external events, conferences, and partner convenings through speaking and writing, and communicate evidence-based models of success.
Serve as a member of Axim’s Senior Team.
Build shared purpose and collective culture across departments, cultivate trust within the organization and with partners, and model inclusive excellence.
Encourage diverse perspectives and foster inclusive environments.
Participate in annual organizational goal-setting and planning to align operations and budgets with the mission.
Help prepare for and guide the organization through change and transition.