THE COMPANY 

Archer Education is a pioneer in higher education transformation. Founded in 2006 by innovators who brought their dot-com startup expertise to modernize the academic landscape, what began as a proprietary search engine that matched students with educational opportunities evolved into a comprehensive strategic partner for universities navigating the complexities of online learning.

We're driven by a fundamental belief that online higher education needs a more effective and sustainable approach - one that empowers institutions rather than replaces their expertise. At the heart of our work is the Online Growth Enablement (OGE) model, a flexible, scalable partnership framework that helps institutions boost enrollments, expand their team's capabilities, maintain control over their unique mission, and build sustainable growth for the long term.

THE ROLE 

The Partnership Manager reports directly to the Managing Director and is a partnership lead responsible for the health, retention, and growth of an assigned portfolio of accounts within Archer’s Managed Services division. Serving as the primary liaison between university partners and internal project teams, this role is dedicated to ensuring partner success by deeply understanding their unique strategic goals, enrollment challenges, and long-term needs.

A successful Partnership Manager acts as both a consultant and a project steward. You will collaborate with internal subject matter experts to develop data-driven marketing and enrollment budgets and execute comprehensive strategic plans, to support the long term strategic direction guided by the MD. By maintaining clear lines of communication, setting rigorous expectations, and monitoring performance results, you will drive partner enrollment targets and ensure we consistently exceed expectations. Success in this role is measured by partner retention, the achievement of enrollment KPIs, and the seamless translation of partner vision into actionable internal workflows.

DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serve as the day-to-day lead and primary point of contact for university partners; manage all regular communication and foster high-level partner satisfaction to support long-term retention and growth.
• Lead the daily execution of project plans, ensuring that the overarching strategy is translated into actionable tasks for both internal teams and the partner.
• Develop and manage annual marketing and enrollment budgets for online graduate and undergraduate programs; utilize a deep understanding of full-funnel KPIs (Spending, Leads, Apps, Enrollments) to drive results.
• Maintain a deep understanding of the evolving online higher education landscape and competitive trends to provide partners with proactive, data-driven recommendations.
• Lead the execution of new partner launches; collaborate closely with internal Project Managers and functional teams to ensure programs launch on time, in-scope, and aligned with Archer’s standards.
• Act as the liaison between university contacts and internal teams (Paid Marketing, SEO, Admissions, etc.); define priorities and ensure the seamless execution of holistic marketing and enrollment strategies.
• Lead comprehensive term business reviews (Fall, Spring, Summer) to analyze past term performance, provide pacing updates for upcoming starts, and align current initiatives with broader institutional goals.
• Maintain a functional understanding of partner technology stacks (CRM, SIS, and LMS) to identify data gaps and provide informed feedback to internal Product and Technical teams.
• Monitor multi-channel performance—including paid advertising, SEO, and creative—to translate complex data into actionable insights that evolve the partnership strategy.
• Serve as the primary escalation point for partner concerns, resolving conflicts with diplomacy while keeping the Managing Director informed of high-level risks.
• Support the Managing Director in the contract renewal and SOW process by providing performance data, identifying partner needs, and demonstrating Archer’s ongoing value.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Work with creative, product, technical, marketing, enrollment management, accounting, and strategy teams to align resources and ensure optimal partner support.
• Communicate account performance, potential risks, and opportunities to executive leadership regularly.
• Address cross-functional challenges by escalating issues to the appropriate team leads or managers.

Financial Oversight

• Provide input and consultation to the Managing Director on the broader departmental budget managed by the SVP of Partnership Management.

LEADERSHIP RESPONSIBILITIES

• Lead cross-functional project teams through influence, ensuring all internal stakeholders are aligned with the partner’s goals, initiatives and timelines.
• Expertly manage expectations for both internal teams and external partners to prevent scope creep and ensure deliverable quality.
• Act as a resource for junior team members, sharing best practices regarding university partner relations and enrollment marketing tactics.
• Identify efficiencies in the partner communication loop and internal hand-off processes to improve the overall Managed Services delivery model.

REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS/ABILITIES 

• Deep understanding of the higher education enrollment pipeline, specifically the conversion mechanics from initial inquiry to application and ultimately enrollment.
• A comprehensive "generalist" understanding of the digital landscape, including Paid Search (Google), SEO, Social Media, and Display Advertising.
• Awareness of AEO/GEO (AI/Generative Engine Optimization) and its impact on modern recruitment and student search behavior.
• Proficiency in Conversion Rate Optimization (CRO), including the ability to guide and interpret A/B testing and multivariate testing strategies to improve funnel performance.
• Ability to interpret complex marketing data and financial KPIs to make informed, proactive recommendations for enrollment growth.
• Basic understanding of Student Information Systems (SIS) and Learning Management Systems (LMS) as they relate to data flow and student journey tracking.
• Strong understanding of the evolving online higher education landscape and competitive trends.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate technical marketing data into actionable insights for university stakeholders.

EDUCATION, EXPERIENCE, LICENSES OR CERTIFICATIONS

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 5+ years of experience in account management and enrollment marketing/management.
• Experience indirectly managing multiple internal and external stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS 

• Hands-on experience with Higher Ed CRMs such as Slate, Salesforce or Element451.
• Experience in a higher education marketing agency or OPM (Online Program Management) setting is highly desirable.

WORKING CONDITIONS 

• Limited travel requirements (4-8 trips per year)

THE BENEFITS

At Archer, we believe empowered employees have the most fun and do their best work, so we strive to offer a competitive benefits package to allow just that. Our comprehensive benefits package includes medical, dental and vision plans, as well as paid time off and sick days. Here are just a few more of the benefits you’ll enjoy as an Archer team member.

• Invest in your future: 401k plans and a full contribution match up to 4%.
• Prioritize your family: Up to 12 weeks of parental leave with 6 weeks paid, following the birth, adoption, or foster care placement of a child.
• Never stop learning: Receive up to $5,250 per year in tuition reimbursement for continuing education.
• Balance work and life: We offer a flexible working environment and schedule that empowers you to do your best work. Our teams work across all time zones in the US. 

Visit archeredu.com to learn more.

** Please note that all legitimate Archer recruiting communications come exclusively from official @archeredu.com email addresses. Archer will never request payment or personal financial information at any stage of the hiring process. When in doubt, candidates are encouraged to apply directly through Archer’s official careers page.