Position
Director of Strategic Partnerships & Operations (level 14) — Executive Education, The Fuqua School of Business, Duke University.
Overview
The Director of Strategic Partnerships & Operations is a senior operations and partnership leadership role responsible for the day-to-day ownership, execution, and sustainable growth of Duke Executive Education’s multi-million dollar partnership portfolio. The role ensures high-quality, scalable development and delivery of partnership open-enrollment programs while ensuring the productive and positive experience of partners, faculty, and participants. The role serves as the operational owner of assigned internal and external partnerships, accountable for execution, financial performance, faculty engagement/management, partner engagement/management, and continuous improvement.
Job Responsibilities
- Partnership Portfolio Ownership & Management: Serve as the primary operational owner for a defined portfolio of partnership open-enrollment programs; manage day-to-day relationships with external partners, serving as the lead contact and escalation point; oversee partnership health, contract adherence, renewal readiness, and long-term growth opportunities; review and approve partner-facing materials to ensure brand alignment and strategic consistency; identify opportunities to refine offerings, improve participant experience, and increase financial performance.
- Operational Execution & Program Delivery: Own the operational development and execution of programs outside of direct program management responsibilities; work closely with Program Managers to ensure seamless delivery, clear roles, and operational excellence; coordinate across faculty, program teams, finance, marketing, and Duke stakeholders to ensure alignment; anticipate and mitigate operational risks before they affect partners, faculty, or participants; build and refine repeatable processes that reduce complexity and reliance on senior leadership intervention.
- Faculty Engagement & Curriculum Oversight: Manage faculty engagement across assigned programs, ensuring clarity of expectations, strong communication, and positive faculty experience; support curriculum refinement and iteration in partnership with faculty and partners to ensure relevance and quality; oversee faculty contracting logistics, compensation processes, and alignment with program financial models; identify opportunities to deepen faculty engagement and strengthen cross-Duke relationships.
- Financial Management & Performance Oversight: Own financial oversight for assigned programs and partnerships; monitor revenue share agreements, partner financial performance, and program margins; oversee faculty payments and ensure alignment with financial projections; partner with Finance to ensure accurate forecasting, invoicing, reconciliation, and reporting; identify opportunities to improve financial sustainability and scalability.
- Strategic Initiatives & Growth Enablement: Translate the Associate Dean’s strategic priorities related to partnerships into operational plans and execution roadmaps; support the development and launch of new partnerships and strategic growth initiatives that require partnerships (e.g., global expansion strategy); evaluate operational implications of new opportunities and build scalable execution models; serve as a thought partner on partnership portfolio strategy, partnership structure, and growth tradeoffs.
- Organizational Leadership & Continuous Improvement: Strengthen cross-functional collaboration across program management, partner marketing, finance, and faculty teams; develop systems and reporting structures to improve transparency and decision-making.
- Other Duties/Projects as Assigned: As needed within the scope of the role.
Education And Experience
- Bachelor’s degree required; MBA or advanced degree preferred.
- 5-7+ years of experience in operations, partnership management, or a similar role.
- Strong operational leader with proven ability to own execution end-to-end.
- Exceptional partnership and relationship management skills.
- Financial fluency and comfort managing margins, contracts, and compensation structures.
- Ability to translate strategy into systems, processes, and disciplined execution.
- High accountability, proactive problem-solving mindset.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
- Ability to balance strategic thinking with hands-on operational ownership.
- Experience working with faculty and academic stakeholders is a plus.
Anticipated Pay Range: The base salary range for this position is USD $62,694.00 to USD $107,633.00 per year. Duke considers factors such as scope and responsibilities, candidate experience, internal equity, and market conditions when extending an offer.
Benefits: Duke provides comprehensive medical and dental care programs, retirement benefits, and family-friendly and cultural programs to eligible team members.
Equal Opportunity Employer
Duke is an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to employment opportunity without regard to age, color, disability, gender, gender expression, gender identity, genetic information, national origin, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy and pregnancy-related conditions), sexual orientation, or military status.
#J-18808-Ljbffr