Head of University Partnerships (Johannesburg) 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.