Manager, Relationship Management

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, help them plan their higher education, successfully finish, and prepare for life after school. 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, break barriers, 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.

The Manager, Relationship Management, is responsible for generating revenue by promoting private education loans and Sallie Mae resources to colleges, universities, high schools, and industry organizations. This role demands a strong history of cultivating and sustaining relationships and securing commitments from decision makers at educational institutions, industry influencers, assigned key schools, and select financial institution contacts.

Serve as a key external representative of Sallie Mae, accountable for achieving sales targets, identifying new business opportunities, and supporting enterprise selling and lead generation across teams. Proactively identify, develop, and manage a diverse pipeline of prospects to advance products and services. Deliver compelling presentations and communicate effectively across verbal, written, and digital channels with internal and external stakeholders, including senior leadership.

Demonstrate strong ownership of the territory by developing strategic plans, executing, and proactively resolving customer needs and concerns.

• Cultivate and expand strategic relationships, on and off campus, while elevating Sallie Mae’s brand visibility by engaging key stakeholders across campus departments, industry associations, and conferences, promoting products, tools, and resources to optimize brand presence both virtually and in person to achieve demand and disbursement targets.
• Continuously evaluate client satisfaction, identifying opportunities for improvement and executing targeted actions to strengthen loyalty, while proactively uncovering process inefficiencies and driving enhancements to optimize the overall relationship management function.
• Develop and maintain clear lines of communication with clients, providing regular updates, progress reports, and initiative-taking recommendations.
• Collaborate with internal teams, including sales, operations, and customer support, to ensure seamless delivery of products/services and resolution of client issues.
• Utilize data and analytics to assess client performance, track key metrics, and identify trends and risks.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, with the ability to build rapport and establish trust with clients and internal stakeholders.
• Strong problem‑solving and negotiation abilities.
• Purposeful mindset with a focus on driving client satisfaction and business growth.
• Ability to work effectively in a fast‑paced, dynamic environment and manage multiple client accounts simultaneously.
• Proficiency in using CRM software and other relevant tools for relationship management.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret data and generate actionable insights.
• Applicants must be able to travel at least 50% of the time.

• Bachelor’s degree in business administration, marketing, or a related field.
• 5 years of experience in relationship or account management.
• Experience managing multiple accounts, projects, and competing priorities simultaneously.
• Prior experience working with, or within, a college or university setting, demonstrating familiarity with higher education environments and stakeholder needs.

• Competitive base salaries
• Bonus incentives
• Generous PTO, Floating Holidays…