Chief Education Partnerships

Job Title: Chief Higher Education Partnerships

Team: Higher Education Partnerships

Location: Hybrid in Atlanta (GA), Chicago (IL), New York (NYC), or Newark (NJ)

Employment Type: Full-time

FLSA Classification: Exempt

Start Date: ASAP

Braven is a national nonprofit that prepares promising college students to secure a strong first opportunity after college graduation through a career-accelerating program. We work with higher education and employer partners to offer a life‑changing experience that begins with a semester‑long course for college students, followed by support that lasts through graduation. Together, our ambition is to help rebuild the middle class and revitalize the American Dream.

In order to achieve its ambition of serving 80,000‑100,000 Fellows over the next decade, Braven is hiring a Chief, Higher Education Partnerships, who will set the vision for how the organization cultivates new partnerships and strengthens existing ones. As the most senior leader of the Higher Education Partnerships team at Braven, you will report to the CEO and lead a team of 3‑6 that executes directly in specialized areas, create systems and tools that foster efficiencies, and empower Braven's regions to steward complex higher education relationships with excellence.

The ideal candidate will be an experienced leader with a deep understanding of higher education, a strategic thinker with strong relationship‑building skills, and a deep passion for student success.

Strategic Planning (40%)

• Create the vision for and oversee the execution of the organization's higher education partnership strategy, working alongside Braven's Strategy and Finance team and other relevant teams to ensure alignment that drives Braven toward partnership growth and success
• Create the vision for, and oversee the execution of, the organization's recruitment strategy to ensure Braven meets its ambitious growth goals
• Develop strategies to engage potential new partners, demonstrating the value of our service to university leadership
• Create a vision and operational plan for partnership excellence, working with regional EDs and other internal teams to develop robust metrics and continuous improvement processes to strengthen relationships and drive outcomes and accountability
• Responsible for higher education market intelligence, understanding the current and future landscape, and trends in higher education and career services to provide valuable insights and guidance to Braven and our partners

Higher Education Partnership Cultivation (40%)

• Determine and execute against key cultivation priorities with high‑stakes higher education partners, including building and maintaining strong relationships and pipelines
• Build and strengthen authentic, mutually beneficial relationships with Presidents, Provosts, Deans, faculty, and staff to successfully steward current higher education partnerships, while cultivating dozens more, listening to and understanding their needs and priorities
• Partner with the Chief, External Affairs, to determine which conferences Braven should attend, present at, and/or sponsor, attending conferences as needed to represent Braven at industry conferences, events, and meetings to build brand awareness and foster new relationships
• Set the vision and manage the execution of special events to cultivate current and potential higher education partnerships and supporters

Leadership and Team Management (20%)

• Provide leadership and coaching to the Higher Education Partnership (HEP) team, including the new sites team, HEP team, and the student recruitment team, inspiring and motivating them to take action and meet ambitious goals as they create the visions, strategies, systems, tools, and training for university partnerships and student recruitment
• Partner with the External Affairs team and the Regional Success teams to ensure strong student recruitment across university sites, specifically where structural enrollments are not in place
• Collaborate with Braven's regional teams and other internal teams to build the skills and mindsets needed to have strong relationships with our higher education partners
• Serve on…