Associate Director University Partnerships

Associate Director / Senior Associate Director - University Partnerships

Location - India (Remote)

Emeritus is committed to teaching the skills of the future by making high-quality education accessible and affordable to individuals, companies, and governments around the world. It does this by collaborating with more than 80 top-tier universities across the United States, Europe, Latin America, Southeast Asia, India and China.

Emeritus online programs help individuals learn new skills and transform their lives, companies and organizations. Its unique model of state-of-the-art technology, curriculum innovation, and hands-on instruction from senior faculty, mentors and coaches has educated more than 250,000 individuals across 80+ countries.

Founded in 2015, Emeritus, part of Eruditus Group, has more than 2,000 employees globally and offices in Mumbai, New Delhi, Shanghai, Singapore, Palo Alto, Mexico City, New York, Boston, London, and Dubai. Following its $650 million Series E funding round in August 2021, the Company is valued at $3.2 billion, and is backed by Accel, SoftBank Vision Fund 2, the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Leeds Illuminate, Prosus Ventures, Sequoia Capital India, and Bertelsmann.

About the Role

We are seeking a highly strategic and relationship-driven Associate Director – University Partnerships to lead and expand our university partner ecosystem across the region. This role will be responsible for developing, managing, and growing partnerships with leading universities, driving new business opportunities, launching impactful academic programs, and ensuring long-term partner success.

The ideal candidate will bring deep experience in higher education partnerships, strong commercial acumen, and the ability to engage and influence senior academic leaders while collaborating effectively across internal functions. This role will play a critical part in shaping our regional growth strategy and strengthening our position as a preferred partner for universities across APAC.

Key Roles & Responsibilities:

University Partnership Management

• Own and manage strategic relationships with university partners across APAC
• Build trusted relationships with Vice Chancellors, Presidents, Provosts, Deans, and senior academic stakeholders.
• Drive partner satisfaction, retention, and long-term value creation.

New Partnership Development

• Identify, evaluate, and onboard new university partners aligned with business growth objectives.
• Lead partnership discussions, negotiations, and commercial agreements.
• Build and maintain a strong pipeline of prospective institutional partnerships.

Portfolio & Program Growth

• Collaborate with university partners to develop and expand program portfolios.
• Drive new program launches, portfolio planning, and lifecycle management.
• Identify opportunities for academic collaborations, global mobility initiatives, executive education, online learning, and other growth areas.

Strategic & Commercial Leadership

• Develop regional partnership strategies to support business expansion across APAC
• Monitor portfolio performance and recommend actions to improve growth, learner outcomes, and partner success.
• Influence business decisions through market insights, competitive intelligence, and partnership performance data.

Cross-functional Collaboration

• Partner closely with Product, Marketing, Admissions, Operations, Academic Delivery, and Learner Success teams to ensure seamless execution.
• Lead end-to-end implementation of partnership initiatives and program launches.
• Ensure an exceptional partner experience through effective stakeholder management.

Industry & Ecosystem Engagement

• Represent the organization at industry forums, conferences, and higher education events.
• Build relationships with government bodies, regulators, industry associations, and education ecosystem stakeholders where relevant.
• Stay abreast of trends, regulatory developments, and emerging opportunities within the APAC higher education landscape

Skills & Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred.
• 12+ years of experience in Higher Education, EdTech, Executive Education, International Education, or Partnership Management.
• Proven track record of building and managing strategic partnerships with universities and academic institutions across APAC.
• Strong understanding of the higher education ecosystem and emerging trends in lifelong learning and professional education.
• Demonstrated success in business development, negotiations, and stakeholder management.
• Strong commercial acumen with the ability to balance academic and business priorities.
• Exceptional communication, presentation, and relationship-building skills.
• Experience working in a cross-functional, matrixed, and global environment.
• Ability to manage multiple stakeholders, drive execution, and deliver results in a fast-paced setting.
• Willingness to travel across APAC as required.

Preferred Background:

• Experience partnering with universities across India and other APAC markets.
• Exposure to executive education, online learning, professional education, or international academic collaborations
• Established network within the higher education ecosystem

Emeritus provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.