University Partnerships Manager

Position: University Partnerships Manager (Full-time, exempt)

Start Date: Flexible

Location: Remote in USA; New York City office also available

Pay: $90,000–$110,000

Travel: Regular travel within the United States and Canada

Heterodox Academy (HxA) works with colleges and universities across North America to strengthen the conditions that sustain open inquiry: the free exchange of ideas, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement. As more institutions seek to build environments where academic freedom and robust debate can flourish, HxA is expanding its capacity to partner directly with presidents, provosts, and senior administrators pursuing institutional change.

HxA seeks a University Partnerships Manager to help lead this work. This role is designed for an experienced professional who can independently steward institutional relationships, conduct substantive engagement with campus leadership, and guide partners through the early stages of culture and policy change. The Manager will work closely with the Director of University Partnerships, but will be expected to handle significant portions of partnership execution autonomously.

This role reports to the Director of University Partnerships.

Specific Duties

Institutional Engagement and Partnership Leadership

Act as HxA’s additional point of contact, along with the Director of University Partnerships, for a portfolio of partner institutions, including presidents, provosts, chiefs of staff, deans, and senior administrators.
Lead partnership engagements independently, including discovery conversations, needs assessments, follow-up planning, and ongoing advisory interactions.
Conduct campus visits to meet with leadership teams, assess institutional priorities, and help identify opportunities for constructive institutional change.
Develop partnership briefs, implementation outlines, and recommendations tailored to each institution’s governance structure and campus culture.
Coordinate closely with the Director on strategic decisions while managing day-to-day execution directly with campus partners.

Resource Deployment and Advisory Support

Match institutional needs to HxA’s resources, tools, and training programs; customize materials as needed in collaboration with the Research & Resource Development team.
Support delivery of workshops, presidential cabinet briefings, and professional development sessions for faculty and administrators.
Gather qualitative and quantitative feedback from partner institutions to inform the evolution of HxA’s partnership offerings.

Project Management and Cross-Organizational Coordination

Maintain clear documentation of partnership progress, institutional milestones, and impact metrics, partnering with the R&D team when appropriate to generate data and feedback.
Ensure smooth coordination with research, communications, member engagement, and operations teams, especially when partnership efforts require cross-functional execution.
Prepare internal briefings and updates for senior leadership regarding institutional progress and strategic opportunities.

Communications and Field Awareness

Draft high-level communications, presentations, memos, and summaries for presidents, provosts, and other senior stakeholders.
Monitor developments across the higher education landscape relevant to open inquiry, academic governance, and campus climate, and surface actionable insights.
Represent HxA at higher education conferences, convenings, and external meetings where partnership opportunities may arise.

Experience Desired

Required Qualifications

Bachelor’s degree.
6–8 years of relevant experience in education, preferably involving institutional partnerships, presidential/provost-level initiatives, organizational change, or strategy work.
Demonstrated ability to work directly with senior leaders in complex or ambiguous environments.
Strong capacity to lead external-facing engagements, interpret institutional dynamics, and build trust with high-level stakeholders.
Excellent written and verbal communication abilities, including clear and diplomatic communication with academic leadership.
Strong organizational and project management skills.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience working within or alongside university leadership offices, centers for teaching and learning, institutional research, faculty affairs, or similar units.
Understanding of open inquiry, academic freedom, campus governance, and the challenges affecting institutional culture.
Experience with professional development, training design, or facilitation for faculty and administrators.
Exposure to change-management or strategic planning work in higher education.

Essential Attributes

Strong alignment with HxA’s mission and values.
Intellectual maturity, sound judgment, and the ability to navigate competing perspectives with clarity and tact.
Initiative and adaptability in complex or evolving partnership environments.
Ability to work independently and effectively in a small, nimble organization and to collaborate across teams.

Submit an original cover letter and resume via this form. The final salary offer will depend on experience and qualifications.

HxA provides competitive benefits, including contributions to medical, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance; employer contributions to retirement; paid time off; and professional development opportunities.

Heterodox Academy is an equal opportunity employer and values diversity. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status.