Director of Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives

TITLE: Director of Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives

REGION: All Regions

LOCATION: Hybrid (on-site + remote)

REPORTS TO: Executive Vice President

STATUS: Full-time, Exempt

OUR MISSION

10,000 Degrees is unlocking student success at scale by giving more students equitable opportunities for a quality college education and career success. The most efficient and effective college success non-profit in the U.S., 10,000 Degrees’ mission is to achieve educational equity and to support students from low-income backgrounds to and through college to realize their full potential and positively impact their communities and the world. We envision a world where all students, regardless of race, ethnicity, or socioeconomic background, will have the full range of educational opportunities, support, and resources to realize their potential. Accepting a role at 10,000 Degrees implies a personal commitment to this mission. 

OPPORTUNITY

The Director of Strategic Partnerships & Initiatives plays a critical role in scaling 10,000 Degrees’ reach, influence, and impact. Reporting directly to the Executive Vice President, this leader drives the sourcing, initiation, vetting, and management of strategic partnerships to support sustainable organizational growth. The Director captures collective organizational intelligence across multiple partner ecosystems–including higher education institutions, community organizations, funders, employers, and policymakers–to serve as a core architect in building scalable infrastructure, guiding expansion into new markets, and ensuring cross-functional departmental and leadership alignment.

CORE ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Scalable Expansion: Successful execution of market growth frameworks into targeted new communities and school ecosystems. 
• Resource Sourcing: Increases programmatic resources, grants, scholarship pathways, and earned/contributed revenue leads generated through external networks. 
• Ecosystem Influence: Strengthens brand visibility and alignment with statewide advocacy coalitions and higher education leaders. 
• Operational Streamlining: Develops high-quality partnership retention tactics, standardized MOUs, and other strategic resources to reduce administrative burden on Program Directors. 

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

• Excellent healthcare benefits including medical, dental, vision and life insurance; check out our full benefit options HERE
• 15 days paid vacation + holidays and paid sick leave
• 401(k) with employer matching
• Professional development including conferences, seminars, webinars, and directed career advice

PHYSICAL/ENVIRONMENTAL

To perform the essential functions of this position, employees may be required to: 

• Sit, stand, talk, hear, reach, stoop, kneel and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard.
• Have close-vision ability due to computer work.
• Engage in moderate, occasional lifting.
• Have a reliable means of transportation to attend regular work as well as other off-site business functions. 

Note: Due to the nature and conditions of our work, applicants must submit to fingerprinting and must pass a tuberculosis (TB) risk assessment screen and/or provide a clear tuberculosis (TB) test as part of the background check.

EEO

10,000 Degrees is an equal opportunity employer offering a welcoming and inclusive environment in service to one another as well as the students, families, and communities we support. We recruit, hire, employ, train, promote, and compensate individuals based on job-related qualifications and abilities. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Opportunity Sourcing & Vetting

• Develop and implement an intake framework, establishing a clear, low-friction routing process for staff to surface emerging ecosystem opportunities. 
• Facilitate a vetting cadence of new partnerships with the Executive Team, bringing structured assessments around strategic fit, mission alignment, trade-offs, and resource requirements.
• Evaluate high-stakes opportunities across key impact areas such as market expansion, program support, ecosystem positioning and branding, education equity, advocacy, contributed revenue, and potential earned revenue models.  

Relationship Management & Market Expansion

• Serve as an ambassador for 10,000 Degrees in external regional, statewide, and national spaces to elevate brand reputation and build sustainable workforce and educational pipelines. 
• Intentionally guide geographic market expansion into new communities and sites aligned with the organization’s strategic plan. 
• Draft, negotiate, and manage high-level partner agreements (MOUs, fee-for-service contracts, and collaborative framework agreements) to ensure long-term alignment and sustainability. 
• Step in to support, navigate, and resolve complex or strained partner dynamics when senior-level expertise is needed.  

Cross-functional Alignment

• Own the processes for partnership cultivation, MOU management, and strategic coordination of responsibilities, utilizing other leaders as secondary support only when necessary. 
• Collaborate with internal leadership to establish clear boundaries for “leading” vs “supporting” roles in partnership development, ensuring clear decision-making ownership and handoffs. 
• Ensure strategic advocacy efforts are aligned appropriately across local, state, and national contexts. 

General Duties

• Manage a shared tracking system for documenting collective intelligence, tracking leads, recording decisions, and preserving institutional knowledge. 
• Build organization-wide literacy around the partnership model, providing training, professional development, and shared vocabulary so staff across all departments know how to spot and surface high-value opportunities. 
• Other duties as assigned.
• This position requires some in-person presence and/or travel within the regions served.

QUALIFICATIONS

• 7+ years of progressive leadership experience in strategic partnerships, business development, program expansion, or executive-level relationship management within higher education, non-profit management, workforce development, or education equity sectors
• Proven success sourcing, vetting, structuring, and maintaining multi-stakeholder partnerships and complex strategic initiatives
• Demonstrated ability to work alongside executive leadership, program leaders, and external stakeholders to streamline decision-making
• Ability to balance mission-driven advocacy with sound business judgement, particularly when evaluating market opportunities or alternative revenue streams
• Skilled at creating low-friction intake systems, live tracking dashboards, and relationship management workflows
• Expertise in navigating complex contract negotiations, structuring MOUs, and mediating high-stakes partner dynamics
• Exceptional verbal, presentation, and written communication skills with the ability to concisely present risk, impact, and decision frameworks to executive teams
• Exceptional attention to detail and sharp analytical problem-solving skills
• Proven ability to prioritize tasks, manage multiple concurrent projects, and thrive in an entrepreneurial environment
• Strong interpersonal skills with a commitment to delivering high-quality, outcome-oriented customer service
• Demonstrates impeccable judgement, individual initiative, personal enthusiasm, and an unrelenting commitment to social justice and educational equity