Be an Early Applicant
StraighterLine offers low-cost, low-risk online pathway programs for students to earn college credit.
The Role
At StraighterLine we are on a mission to help students succeed!
About Us
StraighterLine is the leading provider of high-quality, affordable, online courses that help learners earn college credit and meet their professional goals. Each year, 150,000 learners take one of StraighterLine’s 215 courses to upskill into new careers or earn credit from over 2,000 colleges and universities worldwide. StraighterLine works with institutions and corporate partners to provide their students and employees with flexible education options that allow them to work and learn at their own pace. Visit www.straighterline.com for more information.
StraighterLine seeks a strategic,results-driven Partnerships Manager to lead our efforts in securing new partnerships with colleges and universities, employers, professional associations, and state nursing boards. This role will focus on identifying and closing large-scale partnership opportunities that drive visibility for StraighterLine's affordable online education platform. While the primary focus is on new partner acquisition, the role will also involve light account management responsibilities to support select partner relationships' ongoing success and growth. The ideal candidate brings a proven ability to navigate complex partnership cycles, influence senior stakeholders, and design scalable acquisition strategies that align with institutional goals and workforce needs.
Key Responsibilities
- Drive net-new partnership acquisition efforts, targeting higher education institutions, employer networks, professional associations, and nursing state boards.
- Build and manage a robust pipeline of opportunities through outbound outreach, strategic campaigns, conferences, and relationship-building.
- Lead all stages of the business development lifecycle: market research, prospecting, discovery,value proposition design,proposal development,negotiation, and execution.
- Collaboratecloselywithmarketingandproductteamstoalignmessaging,co-branded campaigns, and onboarding strategies.
- Conduct market and competitive research to prioritize high-impact targets and shape go- to-market strategies.
- Represent StraighterLine externally through presentations, demos, and thought leadership at events and meetings.
- Partner with internal legal, finance, and operations teams to finalize partnership contracts and ensure seamless handoff post-signing.
- Set and track acquisition KPIs, reporting performance and insights to leadership regularly.
- Support ongoing relationship management for select partners to ensure successful implementation, engagement, and opportunity expansion.
- Serve as a point of contact for a limited number of accounts, coordinating internally to address partner needs and maintain alignment on shared goals.
Qualifications
- 7+ years of business development or sales experience, ideally in higher education, workforce development, or B2B environments.
- Demonstrated success in securing institutional partnerships with measurable revenue or enrollment outcomes.
- Experience navigating decision-making structures within colleges, large employers,and/ or public boards.
- Strong strategic thinking and consultative selling skills, with the ability to translate partner needs into mutually beneficial solutions.
- Excellent communication, negotiation, and presentation skills across stakeholder levels.
- Data-informed mindset with the ability to analyze trends, forecast opportunity value,and present compelling business cases.
- Self-motivated, organized, and able to manage multiple deals in a fast-paced environment.
- Familiarity with higher education structures, transfer pathways, or nursing/healthcare education preferred.
- Experience with CRM tools (e.g., Salesforce or HubSpot) and lead generation platforms.
Working at StraighterLine
StraighterLine team members work every day knowing that they are helping learners on their path to employability and career success. We're an inclusive team that fosters collaboration, that trusts and communicates openly. Like our students, we are lifelong learners and strive for excellence in our work. We are committed to bringing innovative solutions to the field - your ideas will never go unheard. And, best of all, we love to celebrate each other's contributions and wins.
We also know how important a life outside of work is, and the support that employers can contribute.
Our Benefits:
Generous time off policies, 13 public holidays.
Medical, Dental, and Vision Insurance Coverage (*one option full funded by StraighterLine)
401K Safe Harbor: StraighterLine contributes 3% of your total salary whether you contribute or not
Six weeks paid parental leave
Free StraighterLine courses for you and your family members
We are an equal opportunity employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.
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The Company
What We Do
StraighterLine was founded in 2009 as a solution to the rising costs of a college education. StraighterLine is the category creator for providing scalable solutions to deliver affordable, effective, and accelerated learning pathways to formal degree programs and widely recognized industry credentials.
The StraighterLine platform supports over 40,000 students a year, including directly through the straighterline.com website and through a growing network of college, university, and employer relationships. In partnership with more than 150 regionally accredited colleges and universities, we offer low-cost, low-risk online pathway programs for students to earn college credit and ultimately achieve their academic dreams.
Why Work With Us
We are a growing company in a growing industry. The education industry was fundamentally changed because of Covid-19, and as more students are opting for an online education, we're able to serve their needs. Many of our employees are fully remote and we offer extremely competitive benefits.
