Partner Marketing Lead

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to eliminate the back row in education – and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class digital education at scale. As the parent company of edX, the world’s leading online learning platform, 2U powers more than 4,000 online higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with more than 230 colleges, universities, and corporate partners, we are helping to unlock human potential.

What We’re Looking For:

The Partner Marketing Lead is responsible for driving marketing value, adoption and growth across a suite of universities and programs. They are a key external and internal marketing stakeholder, laser focused on developing and leveraging effective marketing-forward school partnerships that support, nurture and grow partner marketing engagement to drive impact in the overall business. Reporting to a Senior Manager, Partner Marketing, this role builds and leverages effective relationship management to drive marketing strategy and partner engagement. They are accountable for the external relationships for multiple programs and universities, across all business lines, and goaled towards effective partner engagement that directly results in business growth and success. Partner Marketing Lead is responsible for overall program performance of their portfolio through the active engagement with both internal and external stakeholders to drive focused and effective marketing strategies that deliver business results.

Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To:

Partner Management 

• Establishes and upholds productive marketing relationships between 2U marketing and partner institutions within an assigned portfolio of standard complexity. 
• Collaboratively determines and executes appropriate cadenced communication plan with school stakeholders to ensure effective and efficient brand stewardship that supports the program’s strategic marketing plan.  
• Engages as a trusted advisor and brand steward with, and for, the partner, leading proactive and productive partner discussions to align objectives, drive growth strategies and create successful outcomes.
• Manages direct, scoped and regular contact with partners to ensure progress against marketing strategies, performance and growth objectives
• Secures partner and/or internal approvals on new projects/initiatives, navigates partner and business requests and feedback, create and manages jira tickets, collaborates on creatives briefs, logs call, meeting and incident reports
• Provides partner with regular performance feedback and reporting
• Goaled with improving/maintaining partner sentiment and increasing go-to-market speed with partner review to support achievement of established business goals

Funnel Management 

• Drives marketing narrative with partners and internal stakeholders to support achievement of university and 2U business goals
• Responsible for monitoring and tracking partner funnel and collaborating with strategic internal stakeholders to optimize funnel performance.
• Proactively engages internal teams and escalates appropriately to address performance and partner concerns as appropriate against 2U business goals
• Ensures strategic and creative deliverables are aligned with partner brand, strategy and business goals
• Proactively engage with Marketing Strategy to uncover opportunities, trends and insights by vertical to grow and strengthen strategic marketing approach
• Responsible for identifying and implementing strategies and tactics that optimize funnel performance within Portfolio

Internal Partnership 

• Works closely and autonomously with each program’s General Manager/Program Management/Director within their portfolio to ensure proper alignment and execution of marketing strategies and program objectives.
• Attend and participate in business critical internal meetings (PLTs, etc) and strategy planning
• Maintains and keeps current partner specific “playbook” to document and support continuity of historical context, institutional knowledge and partner relationship nuance.
• Collaborates with internal teams to provide necessary context and insight to drive performance and relationship growth, as well as strategy
• Proactively and independently identifies and nurtures growth opportunities with partners and internal stakeholders that advance partner relationship and marketing effectiveness to improve program performance

Things That Should Be In Your Background:

• 3-5 years as a Account Manager, Marketing Manager, Communications Specialist, Strategist or similar job function, either in agency, educational, digital marketing or