Head of University Partnerships (Cape Town) at HyperionDev

ABOUT THE ROLE

• As Head of University Partnerships, you will lead the management and delivery of HyperionDev’s university partnerships, fostering relationships, identifying growth opportunities, and building trust in our products and performance. Working closely with the Department Head, your role will bridge business development, project management, and cross-functional collaboration to drive strategic growth.
• Ideal candidates bring experience in account management, client success, and a strong project management mindset, with an ability to navigate higher education structures and make an impact in a fast-paced, start-up environment. You will leverage a deep understanding of partnership dynamics to support university partners and will excel at managing multiple stakeholders, communicating effectively, and driving new business opportunities.
• In this role, you will also contribute to building HyperionDev’s culture, helping shape strategies for talent acquisition, planning, and collaboration across teams. Passionate about online education, you are motivated to change lives through learning and eager to be a core part of a rapidly growing organisation.

RESPONSIBILITIES

• Own the overall success of university partnerships by expertly managing partner relationships and striving for a best-in-class approach to everything we do.
• Identify and pursue growth opportunities within the university ecosystem through proactive outreach, consultative selling and a long-term strategic view towards growing the partnerships.
• Create a systematic, process-driven approach to partner relationship management
• Oversee operational planning and risk management across key phases of the engagement with the partner, and problem-solving issues as they arise.
• Serve as the primary point of escalation when issues arise, troubleshooting, and ensuring quick resolution.
• Provide quantitative/qualitative analysis to inform team decision-making and product roadmap
• Ensure the HyperionDev team is following up on its commitments, is coordinated in its activities, and responds in a timely way to achieve positive outcomes.
• Conducting business reviews and sharing insights and best practices.

REQUIREMENTS

Minimum

• Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration, Marketing, Communication or a related field. Advanced degree preferred.
• 5+ years of account management experience, customer success or client servicing experience, with at least 3 years spent in edtech/higher education.
• Demonstrated history in high partner retention and growth and a track record of supporting institutions make a step change in their academic adoption of e-learning.
• An ability to act as a trusted external advisor to institutional senior staff, developing strong partnership relationships and influencing across institutional boundaries.
• High level communication and presentation skills including executive level presentations.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with a proactive approach to identifying opportunities for innovation and growth.
• An ability to manage complex decision-making processes involving numerous stakeholders with varying backgrounds and interests.

Preferred

• Prior experience in a high-growth, tech-focused environment
• Prior experience with OPM models in Universities beyond South Africa, eg Australia, UK or European Markets.
• Experience in conducting highly rigorous market analysis and due diligence.