Senior Manager Business Development & Academic Partnerships

PENNEP is seeking a Senior Manager- Business Developement and Academic Partnerships on a contractual basis to support our clients in the Edtech sector. The ideal candidate will be responsible for identifying, developing, and maintaining partnerships with academic institutions, ensuring alignment with the client s strategic objectives, and driving impactful engagement programs.

• Partnership Development & Relationship Building Build and nurture strategic partnerships, fostering long-term relationships with academic and business stakeholders.
• Tutor Onboarding & Engagement Lead tutor recruitment, onboarding, and training to ensure high-quality delivery. Provide continuous guidance to align tutors with organisational objectives.
• Course Development & Strategy Drive the design and refinement of courses, ensuring relevance, learner engagement, and quality outcomes.
• Academic & Market Research Conduct ongoing market and learner research to identify skill gaps, trending topics, and growth opportunities. Translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Work closely with product, marketing, and technology teams to align course goals, enhance learning experiences, and support go-to-market strategies.
• Continuous Innovation Stay current with global EdTech trends and recommend innovative solutions for learner experience and course delivery.
• Strategic Growth Planning Develop and execute long-term strategies to expand academic partnerships.
• Stakeholder Management Collaborate with academic institutions, industry bodies, and corporate partners to strengthen strategic alliances.
• Performance Monitoring Define KPIs and success metrics for courses, partnerships, and tutor engagement. Regularly evaluate outcomes and suggest improvements.
• Policy & Compliance Alignment Ensure academic content and delivery comply with education standards, DEI goals, and client policies.
• Brand Advocacy Represent the organisation by enhancing visibility through strategic events, collaborations, and thought leadership initiatives.

• 4-5 years of experience working with EdTech tools such as AI-based learning assistants, adaptive learning platforms, or analytics dashboards.
• Familiarity with SCORM/xAPI standards and digital content management.
• Exposure on tech-enabled partnership platforms (linking LMS with CRM or analytics systems).
• Prior involvement in international academic partnerships or accreditation processes.
• Basic knowledge of data privacy regulations (GDPR, PIPEDA) relevant to education technology.
• Certifications in Project Management (PMP, Agile, PRINCE2) or Learning Technologies (ATD, LPI, or Coursera/EdX L&D programs).
• Awareness of AI and automation trends shaping modern academic engagement and EdTech innovation.

• Certifications in Project Management (PMP, Agile, PRINCE2) or Learning Technologies (ATD, LPI, or Coursera/EdX L&D programs).
• Awareness of AI and automation trends shaping modern academic engagement and EdTech innovation.