Higher Ed Development Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Mission Management, Business Development - Higher Education (Bay Area - California)

Do you thrive in a complex, highly collaborative technology sales environment? Do you want to help universities and colleges accelerate research, transform the student experience, and modernize their campuses?

If this is you, then Think Dell! The Strategic Programs Office is looking for an exceptional individual to serve as a Mission Executive focused on Higher Education. This role exists to help higher ed institutions achieve their missions through scalable, repeatable technology solutions that can be adopted across departments, campuses, systems, and national research and education networks.

With a deep mission focus on helping institutions advance knowledge and develop people, the Higher Education Mission Executive provides executive-level leadership across key higher ed missions including Research Computing / Data & AI and Digital Campus / Student Experience. You will serve as a trusted advisor to institutional leaders and Dell account teams, ensuring our solutions are tightly aligned to real-world higher ed outcomes - from breakthrough research and secure collaboration to student success and a modern digital campus.

Mission Executives are customer advocates who achieve transformational business outcomes using disruptive technologies and solutions.

What you'll achieve (Responsibilities)

Serve as the primary subject matter expert for higher education missions, leveraging your real-world experience with universities, colleges, and research organizations to shape mission-aligned solution strategies.

Build deep, executive-level relationships with institutional decision makers (president/chancellor staff, provosts, CIOs, CISOs, VPs for research, deans, institutional research leaders) to understand mission priorities and long-range technology roadmaps.

Assist institutions and partners in constructing holistic solutions tailored to:

o Research Computing / Data & AI (e.g., HPC, AI/ML platforms, large-scale research data storage and management, secure collaboration with other institutions and federal labs)

o Digital Campus / Student Experience (e.g., learning management systems, VDI for labs and classrooms, modern classroom technologies, student success analytics, smart campus and safety initiatives)

Translate mission needs (e.g., research competitiveness, time-to-discovery, student access and success, digital campus operations) into scalable solution patterns that can be replicated across institutions, systems, and consortia.

Partner closely with Dell account teams, solution architects, and business development to:

o Identify and shape high-impact opportunities in R1/R2 universities, academic medical centers, community colleges, and system offices

o Align Dell's portfolio (infrastructure, multicloud, edge, data protection, AI/ML, digital workspace) to institutional missions

o Support strategic pursuits, executive briefings, and long-term account planning focused on research, digital learning, and campus modernization

Leverage your knowledge of the higher education mission environment to help sales and leadership anticipate future needs, with emphasis on:

o Advanced research computing and data-intensive science

o AI/ML and analytics for research, operations, and student success

o Digital learning platforms and hybrid teaching models

o Cybersecurity, data protection, and regulatory compliance in academic and research contexts

Perform critical problem-solving across sales, delivery, execution, and risk reduction, ensuring solutions are realistic within higher ed constraints (governance, funding models, grants, shared governance).

Act as a bridge between the field and Dell's internal teams, providing feedback on higher ed mission trends (e.g., AI in research, data-intensive disciplines, enrollment and retention pressures, digital learning initiatives) to shape roadmaps, offerings, and partner strategies.

Drive collaboration with ecosystem partners (research and education networks, major software vendors, systems integrators, cloud partners) to co-create solutions aligned to higher ed missions and large-scale research and digital campus programs.

Take the first step toward your dream career (Requirements)

Significant mission-relevant experience within Higher Education or closely related research environments, including engagement with:

o Research computing and data organizations (e.g., HPC centers, research IT, core facilities, campus research computing teams)

o Academic leadership or central IT organizations (CIO/CISO offices, teaching and learning centers, institutional research, digital learning initiatives)

o Student experience and digital campus programs (e.g., LMS and classroom tech modernization, student success analytics, smart campus and safety)

o Research collaborations with federal labs, consortia, or multi-institution projects

Demonstrated ability to connect institutional mission objectives (research excellence, student success, operational efficiency, institutional resilience) to technology strategies and architectures.

Strong track record working in or with higher ed or research technology environments, which may include:

o HPC, AI/ML, or data-intensive research platforms

o Storage, data protection, and data management for large research and institutional datasets

o Digital learning platforms, virtual desktops/labs, and classroom modernization initiatives

o Cybersecurity, identity and access management, and compliance in academic environments

Ability to operate at the executive level with institutional leaders while engaging deeply with technical, research, and operational stakeholders.

Exceptional communication and storytelling skills - able to frame Dell's capabilities in language that resonates with higher ed missions, funding models (tuition, research grants, philanthropy, state support), and governance structures.

Demonstrated ability to work collaboratively in a large matrix environment, coordinating across sales, presales, services, partners, and corporate functions.

Executive management/leadership experience and/or business development or strategic program experience in higher ed, research, or public sector strongly preferred.

Typically requires significant related experience in higher education, research organizations, or equivalent mission environments; advanced degree or equivalent combination of education and experience preferred.

Familiarity with higher ed and research security/compliance considerations (e.g., data use agreements, export control awareness, IRB/PI data stewardship expectations) is a plus.

We believe that each of us has the power to make an impact. That's why we put our team members at the center of everything we do. If you're looking for an opportunity to grow your career with some of the best minds and most advanced tech in the industry, we're looking for you.
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