Ascent Funding is an award-winning, rapidly growing private FinTech company that is on a mission to revolutionize the way people pay for education. We are a higher education loan company that is built around one guiding principle: Loans should expand possibilities, not limit them. Ascent is proud to be part of the Goal family of companies, named “Best Places to Work” by the San Diego Business Journal since 2015.
We are looking for a Director of School Partnerships to join our Career Funding team to lead account management and new school business development.
Job Description:
The Director of School Partnerships is a full-time position that will be reporting to the SVP and General Manager, Career Funding. This position is responsible for building and maintaining strong and positive relationships with our partner schools. The role is focused on the highest level of customer service and account management with an additional focus on business development and growing accounts through upselling, program development, and cross-selling opportunities. This position will have two direct reports - a Partner Development Manager and an Account Manager, School Partnerships.
Responsibilities:
· Accountable for all aspects of account management and new school partnership for the Career Funding business unit.
· Develop and maintain long-term relationships with all core customers at existing schools as well as new partner schools.
· Lead business development for the Career Funding team by managing both in-bound and out-bound prospecting for new partner schools.
· Manage processes for new school onboarding and product implementations including the school review process.
· Identify and execute on new product opportunities that can enable growth with existing partner schools.
· Communicate partner school needs and demands internally to team members and ensure partner schools receive requested products and services in a timely fashion.
Minimum Qualifications:
· Bachelor’s Degree required.
· 7-10 years of account management and/or business development experience.
· Proven track record of cultivating positive relationships amongst client accounts, co-workers, and management.
· Must have excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
· Demonstrated ability to effectively negotiate resources and work collaboratively with cross-functional teams.
· Excellent time management and organizational skills, as well as attentiveness to details and a commitment to follow up.
· The ability to apply creative problem-solving techniques to situations using sound business judgment.
· Proficient and MS Office with extensive knowledge of MS Excel.
Bonus points if you Have:
· Experience working in higher-education, financial services, student lending, or at a skills training school
· Sales experience (inside or outside sales)
· CRM expertise (HubSpot experience a bonus)
Qualities we look for in candidates:
· The ability to thrive in a fast-paced, service-oriented environment; solve problems and resolve conflicts to achieve a positive outcome; and work independently in a team environment without close supervision.
· The capacity to get things done at short notice while collecting information from a variety of internal and external sources.
· Being comfortable with change as the product focus and service levels evolve based on business strategy, product priorities, and development of new initiatives.
· And an eagerness to learn, a drive to succeed, a sense of urgency, and a passion for the work.
Competitive pay with bonus, and comprehensive benefits package that includes, but not limited to:
- Compensation includes base salary of $110,000 - $150,000 commensurate with experience, plus bonus and options.
- Company Stock Options
- 401(k) + Company Match
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Annual HSA contribution of $1,600
- Life insurance, disability, and critical illness
- 14 Paid Holidays! Eleven (11) + Two (2) Community Days + Your Birthday!
- Snacks and drinks in the office
- Tuition reimbursement program
- Generous paid leave policies
- $2,000 Vacation Incentive Plan after 3 years + $1,000 Sabbatical Day
- Wellness, Work from Home funds, and more!
