K-12 Senior Relationship Manager

About EAB

At EAB, our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,500 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across five major areas: enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data & analytics, and diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I). We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve.

At EAB, we serve not only our partner institutions but each other—that's why we are always working to make sure our employees love their jobs and are invested in their communities. See how we've been recognized for this dedication to our employees by checking out our recent awards.

For more information, visit our Careers page.

The Role in Brief:

K-12 Senior Relationship Manager

The Senior Relationship Manager is responsible for developing and maintaining relationships with K-12 institutions that are active partners of the EAB’s best practice research programs and with the goal of securing the renewal of membership contracts. They will play a critical role in crafting strategy on how to best serve this constituency and support our relationships with the larger executive team at each member institution.

The Senior Relationship Manager will be expected to become familiar with each of our K-12 education membership programs in order to effectively communicate services and deliverables to ensure high quality service. In addition, this position creates a unique opportunity to develop a comprehensive knowledge of the major players in K-12 education and the broader challenges facing the K-12 industry at large.

This role is based in Washington, D.C. Exceptional candidates based remotely or in other EAB locations will also be considered. This role is for one position posted at both the Senior Relationship Manager and Associate Director levels.

Primary Responsibilities:

Who We Want

• Do you want to make a difference in education?

• Do you build great customer relationships that inspire loyalty and drive growth?

• Do you advise customers to make right decisions that achieve strategic goals?

• Do you have a passion for delivering amazing customer experiences?

• Are you a persuasive communicator with desire to achieve and exceed goals and targets?

• Are you a problem solver with a gift for finding solutions in complex or difficult situations?

What You Will Do

Build Relationships

• Build and maintain relationships with superintendents and district leaders to secure trusted partner status
• Collaborate with colleagues across the research, sales, and other product teams to serve our partners in a coordinated, holistic manner

Develop Industry and Content Knowledge

• Develop a deep understanding of key industry issues and how EAB’s Research helps partners set and execute their strategy
• Understand, and present EAB’s research and point of view on key industry issues to be able to add value to every partner conversation
• Provide guidance and advice to partners based on EAB research best practices

Develop Deep Partner Knowledge

• Develop and maintain deep knowledge of partner priorities and goals in order to create actionable plans to achieve partner objectives
• Understand and navigate around partner internal politics and mobilize key influencers
• Develops knowledge of partners’ contracting processes, budget cycles, and decision-making processes and players
• Understands partner financial situations and incorporates into renewal strategy

Drive Impact and Successful Outcomes for Your Partners

• Partner with Industry-Leading Experts to define partner priorities, facilitate decision-making, and drive change management through stakeholder education
• Lead partner onboarding process starting with sales hand-off; conduct welcome call and new partner orientation to ensure partnership adoption; report on and inflect first year partner health on an ongoing basis
• Map EAB research and resources to support major district initiatives
• Create unique connections across your partner institutions and EAB’s partners nationwide to unlock the power of membership
• Proactively drive partner utilization with the ultimate goal of achieving outcomes as identified in the partner success plan
• Proactively diagnoses partner obstacles to ensure they are finding value in their research partnerships with us, learn what their most important business needs are, and demonstrate how EAB resources can help accomplish their goals

Develop and Own Commercial Strategy

• Pursues, negotiates, and closes retention opportunities
• Owns commercial strategy, including pricing, contract length, etc., in close partnership with the Deal Desk and Strategy & Operations teams
• Strategically develops and executes on diagnostic call strategy, ensuring all decisions have a diagnostic conversation 12 months prior to decision
• Identifies renewal trends through look-backs and incorporates into renewal strategy and process improvements moving forward
• Generates ideas for how to increase our renewal rate performance beyond the current goals, including contract term levers (i.e., price and length)
• Creates and sends contracts, complying with departmental campaigns and protocols
• Conducts key renewal decision conversations
• Leads complex and sensitive negotiations, challenging renewal discussions, and creative contracting conversations
• Secures annual renewal contracts and corresponding service terms (realize PI, term length goals)
• Effectively manages renewal pipeline, achieving pacing targets in accordance with department goals
• Hit annual and semi-annual renewal and growth targets
• Pass leads and facilitate warm introductions of sales colleagues

Business Reporting

• Develops contract strategy and reports on compliance
• Identifies commercial and engagement trends
• Reports on monthly renewal performance & engagement trends
• Maintains updated health grades, renewal projections and engagement reporting

Administrative

• Schedules in-person and phone interactions with support from a commercial associate
• Prepares for visits and calls with support from a commercial associate
• Maintains Salesforce data integrity and compliance

Time in market (via zoom or in-person): 70%

Travel expectation (in person): 20% (maximizing activities at conferences as well as campus visits)

Basic Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited College/University
• Proven record of success in current position
• Must possess a minimum of 3 years’ post undergrad experience in at least three of the following:
• Presentation experience
• Leadership experience
• Commercial experience
• Client Management experience
• Ability to communicate effectively, both oral and written, with senior executives
• Willingness to travel up to 20%
• Valid Driver’s License

Ideal Qualifications:

• Proven negotiation skills
• Demonstrated listening skills
• Experience managing multiple clients
• Proven ability to meet goals and deadlines
• Proven experience managing multiple, competing priorities
• Experience finding multiple solutions to a complex problem
• Ability to successfully overcome challenges or obstacles
• Experience developing personal organization tactics to meet business goals
• Experience working in the education industry including: admissions, advancement, teaching
• Demonstrated knowledge of K-12 subject matter
• Commitment to valuing diversity, practicing inclusive behaviors, and contributing to an equitable working and continual learning environment in support of EAB’s DE&I Promise

If you’ve reached this section of the job description and are unsure of whether to apply, please do! At EAB, we welcome diversity of background and experience. We would encourage you to submit an application if this is a role you would be passionate about doing every day.

Benefits:

Consistent with our belief that our employees are our most valuable resource, EAB offers a competitive and inclusive benefits package.

• Medical, dental, and vision insurance; dependents and domestic partners eligible
• 401(k) retirement plan with company match
• 20+ days of PTO annually, in addition to paid firm holidays
• Daytime leave policy for community service or fitness activities (up to 10 hours a month each)
• Paid parental leave for birthing and non-birthing parents
• Phase Back to Work program for employees returning from parental leave
• Infertility treatment coverage and adoption or surrogacy assistance
• Wellness programs including gym discounts and incentives to promote healthy living
• Dynamic growth opportunities with merit-based promotion philosophy
• Benefits kick in day one, see the full details here.

At EAB, we believe that to fulfill our mission to “make education smarter and our communities stronger” we need team members who bring a diversity of perspectives to the table and are committed to fostering a workplace where each team member is valued, respected and heard.

To that end, EAB is an Equal Opportunity Employer, and we make employment decisions on the basis of qualifications, merit and business need. We don’t discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, sex, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, age, non-disqualifying physical or mental disability, national origin, veteran status or any other basis covered by appropriate law.