About Us

Shorelight is reinventing the international education experience for students worldwide. Based in Boston, the company works directly with top-ranked, nonprofit American universities to build innovative programs and high-touch, technology-driven services that help talented students thrive and become global citizens.

 

Job Overview

The Vice President, Partner Operations, supports university partnerships and the Chief Operating Officer in building and maintaining all on-the-ground operations of Shorelight’s partnership programs. The main responsibility of this role is to manage leadership teams at each university partnership and ensure the performance at the campus level. This role provides strategic vision to the partner operations team and partnership-based team members related to partnership operations with the mission of a student focus. The Vice President, Partner Operations, is a skilled executive who can work with leadership teams to ensure high-quality student experiences, outstanding outcomes, expected financial results, effective account management, and health of university partnerships. This individual is a strategic leader, international education expert, and excellent collaborator with independent but related business units. 

Essential Functions 

Relationship Management

• Inform decision making for cross-functional initiatives
• Liaise with business unit leaders on problem solving and strategic opportunities across Shorelight
• Liaise with campus leadership on problem solving, best practice sharing, and policy implementation
• Serve as executive sponsor for Shorelight’s Annual Partnership Summit and additional training and development occasions
• Identify ways to engage our partner universities in new initiatives that positively shape the international student experience, supporting student access and success
• Represent the business unit internationally and participate in marketing activities, familiarization tours, and through memberships and affiliations

Strategic Planning

• Set operational strategy and lead long-term operational forecasting and planning for the Partner Operations department
• Understand the company’s ongoing strategic priorities to influence and guide leaders and employees toward solutions that improve business outcomes
• Evaluate the team structure and annual strategy and priorities for continual improvement of the efficiency and effectiveness of the group

Fiscal Operations

• Drive Executive Director performance and accountability to key performance indicators across the regions
• Create and manage ancillary revenue opportunities across partnerships
• Budget holder for the business unit, including Partner Operations and on-campus entities
• Identify changes/opportunities/revenue lines
• Collaborate with product management on optimization needs

Student Experience

• Drive continued innovation in delivery of Shorelight’s Signature Student Experience
• Own metrics and performance in areas of student satisfaction, retention, and progression
• Collaborate with academic affairs and career placement leadership on student outcomes and student success
• Drive feedback to implementation team members to elevate the launch of new products/partnerships

People Management

• Attract, develop, and retain team members to ensure productivity and engagement
• Engage in talent management activities such as goal setting, performance evaluations, development planning, and ongoing feedback to develop team members and achieve organization goals
• Provide coaching, counseling, and corrective action (when necessary) to team members
• Foster a culture that reflects Shorelight’s values

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• 8+ years of experience in higher education management, including demonstrated P&L responsibility
• Ability to network within higher education circles and command respect among academic leaders
• Demonstrated ability to influence, collaborate, and negotiate with executives outside of one’s own business unit
• Experience leading school operations, policy creation, and P&L management
• Record of leadership delivering strategic, financial, and operational objectives
• Experience with student support services for international students
• Proven ability to recruit, lead, motivate, coach, develop, and retain senior-level staff
• Ability to work with project management software
• Eligibility to work in and travel freely to and from the United States without sponsorship
• 25% travel (primarily domestic with some international)

Preferred Qualifications

• Master’s degree
• Experience working with international students in an administrative or academic capacity
• Prior experience at executive level

Application Process

To apply for this position, please visit the Shorelight Careers page to submit an application with a resume and cover letter.

Background Check Required–Education, Criminal, Identity

Shorelight is an Equal Opportunity Employer.