Senior Manager, Agency & Brand Partnerships

When you join Sallie Mae, you become a champion for all students.

We’re on a mission to power confidence as students begin their unique journey. To help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. To help them start smart. Learn big.

Students need guidance navigating this important time in their life. They need someone who acknowledges that their education path is unique. They need a partner willing to evolve and not only meet but surpass their expectations. We’re changing. Because students need a better way.

We’re looking for people who are excited to drive this transformation. To break barriers and think of new ways to adapt, help, and create better experiences for students—and for each other.

This is where diverse backgrounds, beliefs, and perspectives matter. It’s where you’re empowered to bring your authentic self to work.

Feeling your best allows you to do your best. Our benefits take care of the whole you—from physical and mental to financial and professional. You’ll get opportunities to further your education and career, support for you and your family (including your pets!), paid time off to volunteer for the things that matter to you, and more.

We’re obsessed with impact and making a real difference. For us, that means putting relationships first, asking “why not?” when tackling challenges, and continuously learning new skills.

Come do more than join something, change something. For students, for future generations, for the future of education.

Sallie Mae’s Education Services team is a diverse group of growth‑minded entrepreneurs, data analysts, engineers, and developers with a passion for imagining and building scalable businesses that serve students and families on their journey to, through, and beyond higher education.

Within this organization, Backpack Media is launching a new predictive insights and commerce media network designed to help brands reach consumers at pivotal life stages. Powered by authenticated identity and life‑stage intelligence derived from Sallie Mae’s trusted relationships with students and families, Backpack Media enables marketers to engage audiences based on what they are likely to need next, not just what they have done in the past.

By combining predictive insights with premium media environments, we help brands connect with consumers earlier in the decision journey with greater relevance and impact. We operate with the momentum of a startup and the foundation of a trusted brand, and we are assembling a founding commercial team to bring this vision to life.

We are looking for a high performing, strategically minded seller who thrives in a fast moving, build phase environment. As a Senior Manager, Agency and Brand Partnerships, you will play a key role in driving early commercial momentum and shaping how Backpack Media is introduced and scaled across the market.

You will own and grow a portfolio of high value partnerships by activating relationships across agencies and brand partners, unlocking new sources of budget, and translating our differentiated data and media capabilities into meaningful commercial outcomes.

This is a hands on, high impact role for someone who is energized by building something new and wants to help define what success looks like as we scale.

• Activate and expand relationships across agency and brand partners to introduce Backpack Media and unlock new revenue opportunities
• Lead commercial engagements from initial conversation through deal structure and execution
• Secure new partnerships while growing existing relationships across priority accounts
• Translate Backpack Media’s predictive insights and life stage intelligence into clear and compelling value for clients
• Structure and execute programmatic and managed service campaigns aligned to client objectives
• Help establish Backpack Media’s presence within agencies and brands by shaping how we go to market
• Partner closely with Product, Data Science, Marketing, and Operations to deliver strong outcomes and inform future strategy
• Represent Backpack Media externally and build credibility within the broader advertising ecosystem

• 5+…