Partner Relationship Director
Department: Partner Success
Employment Type: Full Time
Location: Various
Reporting To: Denise Pereira, Director, Partner Relationship Management
Compensation: $120,000 - $160,000 / year
Description
Riipen is hiring a Partner Relationship Director to lead our most strategic partner relationships and drive transformative outcomes.
This senior role is accountable for the retention, growth, and long-term success of Riipen’s flagship academic partners. As a trusted advisor and strategic operator, you’ll blend the strategic rigor of account directorship with the collaborative mindset of customer success—aligning cross-functional efforts, influencing innovation, and delivering impact at scale. This role will report directly to the Director, Partner Relationship Management.
This role is fully remote and open to candidates in Canada and the United States.
Primary areas of ownership for this role:
Strategic Account Management: Serve as the executive-level point of contact for a portfolio of Riipen’s highest-value, most strategic partners.
Partner Success Planning: Co-create long-term adoption and success plans aligned to institutional goals and Riipen’s solution value.
Renewals and Growth: Lead retention and renewal planning, and drive expansion through consultative engagements and value articulation.
Innovation & Adoption Leadership: Accelerate adoption of Riipen’s platform and services through deep product knowledge and a solutions-first approach.
Stakeholder Engagement: Build trusted relationships with institutional leaders, executive sponsors, and champions across partner organizations.
Internal Influence & Enablement: Translate partner needs into actionable insights for Product, Marketing, and Services teams.
The right candidate is committed to:
Deeply understanding partner needs and institutional strategies, and connecting them to Riipen’s value proposition.
Driving measurable outcomes that demonstrate return on investment and impact for learners, institutions, and communities.
Acting as a steward of Riipen’s mission while advancing our brand reputation within postsecondary ecosystems.
Navigating complexity with confidence and resilience, including funding dynamics, organizational change, and competing priorities.
Building executive-level trust and influence across internal and external stakeholders.
Creating partner advocates through every engagement, from onboarding to expansion.
Key Responsibilities
Delivering on the primary areas of ownership will require you to:
Develop and execute strategic success plans, onboarding journeys, and implementation roadmaps for key accounts.
Conduct regular strategic reviews, performance assessments, and renewal negotiations.
Guide cross-functional internal teams to deliver on commitments and drive continuous improvement.
Actively identify and pursue growth opportunities, including renewals, expansions, and thought leadership collaborations.
Build and maintain renewal and expansion pipelines in partnership with Sales.
Represent the voice of the customer internally to inform product development, messaging, and program design.
Facilitate strategic conversations with executive stakeholders, including planning workshops, innovation reviews, and roadmap co-creation.
Skills, Knowledge and Expertise
8–10+ years of experience in higher education, workforce development, or B2B SaaS account management.
Proven success managing complex, high-value customer portfolios in a strategic role (e.g., Account Director, Strategic CSM, or Partner Success Lead).
A track record of driving growth through value-based relationship management, ideally in higher education, EdTech, or learning ecosystems.
Executive presence and the ability to influence, present, and communicate effectively across all levels of partner organizations.
Strong business acumen with an ability to align customer outcomes to Riipen’s impact and commercial goals.
Familiarity with the structures and incentives of postsecondary institutions and/or public sector workforce initiatives.
Comfort operating in fast-paced, evolving environments and contributing to cross-functional strategy and execution.
Passion for education innovation, economic mobility, and Riipen’s mission to eliminate underemployment.
Bonus Points:
Experience with project-based learning, work-integrated learning, or experiential education models.
Experience with system-wide partnerships, government-funded programs, or academic consortiums.
Benefits
Remote/travel working opportunities (when appropriate)
4 weeks of annual vacation
Extended Health and Dental benefits from your first day for the duration of your contract
401K matching for US Riipen team members
Work From Home Stipend and a Learning & Development fund after 6 months of employment
A note on compensation for the role: the range listed is in USD and CAD for candidates based in either geography, and is inclusive of variable compensation. All compensation is benchmarked internally and externally. Compensation offered is commensurate with experience and aligned with our pay equity practices.
