Global University Systems is an international education group that empowers students to transform their lives through education. We believe education drives careers, lives, and society forward, enabling a brighter future for all. Our network of 30 institutions offers the broadest range of industry-relevant skills through inclusive, accessible, and digital-first learning. We currently educate around 122,000 students on campuses worldwide and have 20M+ unique subscribers to our courses. Our global ecosystem powers accessible digital learning and academic achievement.

Position:

The Director of U.K. Institution Partnerships will lead the strategic development, management, and expansion of GUS Global’s U.K. university partnerships. This role is accountable for both strengthening and scaling existing institutional relationships and identifying, structuring, and closing new strategic partnerships aligned with GUS’s vision and institutional growth goals.

The role demands an experienced higher education professional with a robust understanding of the U.K. sector, exceptional relationship-building skills, and a strong ability to navigate academic, operational, and commercial environments. The successful candidate will take full ownership of partner engagement—actively working across all GUS departments (admissions, compliance, marketing, operations, legal) to ensure the quality, continuity, and commercial performance of each partnership.

This is a high-impact, senior leadership position for a candidate who can translate institutional challenges into opportunities, and execute with both speed and precision.

Key Responsibilities

1. Strategic Partnership Management

Serve as the primary relationship owner for assigned U.K. university partners, responsible for retention, growth, and satisfaction.
Collaborate cross-functionally with internal GUS teams to understand institutional pain points, operational inefficiencies, and strategic gaps—and lead efforts to resolve them through commercially sound, innovative solutions.
Build out partnership roadmaps, with clear milestones and success metrics aligned to each institution’s strategic priorities.

2. Partnership Growth & New Business Development

Identify and engage new institutional prospects across the U.K., leveraging sector insight, relationship networks, and data to target high-potential partners.
Lead full-cycle partnership development: from market mapping, initial outreach, and proposal structuring to contract negotiation and onboarding.
Develop value propositions tailored to institutional priorities (enrollment, brand positioning, academic collaboration), supported by market intelligence and GUS’s performance track record.

3. Sector Leadership & External Representation

Represent GUS at major higher education conferences, summits, and industry events.
Actively participate in sector panels and working groups, positioning GUS as a leader in international higher education collaboration.
Proactively create visibility and inbound interest through thought leadership, content development, and sector contributions.

4. Commercial Strategy & Execution

Ensure all partnership activities are commercially viable, operationally deliverable, and aligned with GUS’s broader strategic goals.
Own partner P&L performance, ensuring commercial targets (revenue, enrollment, margin) are met and exceeded.
Collaborate closely with legal and compliance teams to manage risk, ensure regulatory alignment, and maintain high standards in contract execution and data governance.

5. Internal Alignment & Operational Integration

Act as the internal ‘voice of the partner’—ensuring that GUS’s delivery teams are aligned with institutional expectations and priorities.
Facilitate regular interdepartmental syncs to monitor partnership delivery, troubleshoot issues, and surface improvement opportunities.
Lead quarterly partnership reviews and annual strategic planning sessions with both internal stakeholders and university partners.

6. Process Ownership & Project Delivery

Drive the delivery of key academic or institutional projects on behalf of university partners, including white papers, pilot programs, market entry strategies, or strategic reviews.
Build structured, well-organized action plans and agendas for every institutional engagement, ensuring clarity and momentum throughout.
Deliver project outcomes on time and to high standards, coordinating inputs from across multiple teams and departments.

7. Internal Data Alignment & Client Reporting Oversight

Ensure accuracy and consistency of internal data by aligning stakeholder inputs, verifying Power BI dashboards, and maintaining integrity across all reported metrics.
Take ownership of cross-functional data validation processes to ensure all internal stakeholders (e.g., Marketing, Admissions, Partnerships) are aligned and reporting consistent, accurate figures.
For newly onboarded clients, ensure that agreed operational standards—including timely delivery of reports such as SITS or admissions reports—are met by partners and internal teams, maintaining high service standards and accountability.

8. Client Onboarding & Innovation Enablement

Lead and coordinate the internal readiness for onboarding new university partners by ensuring the GUS team has fully developed the necessary operational infrastructure.
This includes setting up Power BI dashboards, aligning Salesforce deliverables, and mapping out the full student journey with collaborative input from all relevant departments.
Hold internal teams accountable for timely execution, while also driving innovation by encouraging the adoption of new technologies and systems that support operational excellence and market competitiveness.

Requirements:

Minimum 7–10 years of experience in the U.K. higher education sector, with a proven track record in strategic partnerships, institutional advancement, or commercial engagement.
Demonstrated ability to manage complex relationships with senior stakeholders including VCs, Pro-Vice Chancellors, Deans, and Directors of Strategy.
Strong understanding of the U.K. HE landscape—regulatory framework, funding mechanisms, admissions models, and partnership dynamics.
Proven experience working across internal teams to deliver results—especially operations, compliance, marketing, and admissions.
Excellent communication skills (written, verbal, presentation), with an ability to influence at all levels and lead institutional dialogue.
High degree of commercial awareness, with experience managing budgets, structuring revenue models, and driving ROI.
Experience with academic collaboration, white paper development, or sector research is highly desirable.
Skilled at managing multiple concurrent projects with exceptional organization, accuracy, and speed.
Comfortable working in a high-performance, target-driven environment, with full accountability for timelines, outcomes, and partner satisfaction.

Preferred Attributes

Active presence in U.K. higher education circles, with strong relationships in policy, strategy, and global engagement networks.
Experience representing organizations at industry panels, events, or in media.
Creative and ambitious, with a strong ability to identify market trends, shape institutional offers, and bring new ideas to life.
Comfortable with ambiguity, resilient under pressure, and focused on continuous improvement and innovation.

Other information:

We acknowledge receipt of your resume for a position at Global University Systems and sincerely appreciate your interest in our company.

We will screen all applicants and select candidates whose qualifications meet our requirements. We will carefully consider your application during the initial screening and will contact you if you are selected to continue for the next stage of the recruitment process.

GUS is an equal opportunities employer and positively encourages applications from suitably qualified and eligible candidates regardless of sex, race, disability, age, sexual orientation, or religion or belief.

Global University Systems

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Director of U.K. Institution Partnerships (inc European)