Partnership Development Specialist

You are passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals. You thrive in a competitive and collaborative team environment. You are comfortable working remotely and have experience collaborating with others in a virtual environment. You possess a strong attention to detail.    

We are seeking a dynamic and results-driven inside business development professional to join our team. You are responsible for initiating and nurturing partnerships with K-12 school districts across the country, with a focus on securing partnerships, executing virtual marketing placements, and expanding our educational outreach. You will be a persuasive communicator, strategic thinker, and passionate about improving educational access through innovative marketing and partnership strategies.

Who is American College of Education

Founded in 2005, American College of Education continues to be a leader in professional development through our online programs. The mission of ACE is to deliver high-quality, affordable and accessible online programs grounded in evidence-based content and relevant application. Our graduates are prepared to serve, lead and achieve personal and professional goals in diverse, evolving communities. As a socially conscious institution, we’re dedicated to making a positive impact and inspiring our students to do the same.

ACE is a premier organization that is continually recognized for its commitment to social responsibility. In 2016, ACE became a Certified B Corporation. As a socially conscious institution, we believe we have a responsibility to our students, alumni, employees, local communities, and society. We strive to make an impact in the world that goes well beyond our bottom line.

Who You Are

You are passionate about helping students achieve their educational goals. You thrive in a competitive and collaborative team environment. You are comfortable working remotely and have experience collaborating with others in a virtual environment. You possess a strong attention to detail.

We are seeking a dynamic and results-driven inside business development professional to join our team. You are responsible for initiating and nurturing partnerships with K-12 school districts across the country, with a focus on securing partnerships, executing virtual marketing placements, and expanding our educational outreach. You will be a persuasive communicator, strategic thinker, and passionate about improving educational access through innovative marketing and partnership strategies.

Compensation

ACE is committed to paying a competitive wage while staying true to our mission of maintaining high-quality, affordable programs for our students. The starting salary range for this position is $50,000 plus all full-time employees are eligible for an annual bonus. Offers vary depending on education, prior experience, and expertise being applied to the role.

What We Look for in the Ideal Candidate

• Clear, persuasive verbal and written communication tailored to educational stakeholders.
• Experience with cold calling, lead nurturing, and closing deals in a consultative manner.
• Understanding of digital marketing channels and how to position offerings in virtual spaces.
• Familiarity with tools like CRM, Power BI and Campus Nexus for managing a client database and student advancement.
• Ability to align outreach with broader organizational goals and district-specific needs.
• Skilled in managing multiple outreach campaigns and follow-ups simultaneously.
• Knowledge of school district structures, funding models, and decision-making processes.

Day to Day Responsibilities

In this role you will wear different hats, but your skills will be especially essential in the following areas:

• Identifies and qualifies leads within school districts through outbound calls, emails, and digital outreach.
• Secures district, association, and charter school partnerships through phone, email, and other virtual strategies.
• Leverages CRM tools to track engagement and follow-ups.
• Cultivates long-term relationships with district decision-makers, administrators, and education influencers.
• Acts as a liaison between internal stakeholders and external partners to ensure alignment on goals.
• Collaborates with marketing to identify and secure virtual placements (e.g., newsletters, district websites, webinars).
• Customizes outreach strategies to align with district communication preferences and compliance standards.
• Prepares tailored proposals and delivers presentations that highlight value propositions for school districts.
• Presents solutions virtually or in person to key stakeholders in alignment with ACE programs.
• Monitors trends in K-12 education, funding cycles, direct bill procedures and district priorities to inform outreach strategies.
• Tracks KPIs such as outreach volume, conversion rates, and partnership growth.
• Reports regularly to leadership on progress and insights.

Qualifications and Education Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• CRM/E-mail operations experience.
• Commitment to learning and developing skills.
• Good interpersonal and time management skills.
• Ability to work with individuals at all levels of the organization.
• Ability to exercise good judgment

Our Commitment to Employees

Just as we strive to empower our students for success, we also aim to enrich the lives of our employees. For 6 consecutive years, ACE was recognized as one of Indiana’s Best Places to Work, winning the #1 spot for medium-sized companies in 2020. In addition, ACE has earned national recognition, being named a USA Top Workplace in 2022, 2023 and 2024. As a virtual first organization, we celebrate diversity and are committed to creating a family-like inclusive work environment. For our full-time employees, we offer the following benefits:

• Medical, dental, & vision Insurance
• HSA and FSA options
• Paid parental leave
• Paid volunteer time
• Tuition reimbursement & reduction programs
• Generous PTO
• 401k and employer match
• Full-service wellness and EAP program
• Employee recognition and awards programs
• Employer paid life & AD&D insurance
• Short-term disability
• Employer paid long-term disability
• And more…

Physical Demands

The physical demand described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with and receive communications from students and ACE employees in real time using online and other electronic media.

Commitment to Culture

At American College of Education, we’re all about building a one-of-a-kind, supportive community where everyone—students, faculty, and staff—can thrive. Guided by our mission and values, we focus on everything from innovative curriculum design to personalized instruction and student support to intentional planning, inclusive initiatives, and strategic resource allocation. We’re dedicated to creating an environment that celebrates freedom of expression, diversity of thought, open dialogue, and mutual respect. We believe in fostering a sense of belonging and wellness so that every member of our ACE family feels empowered, valued, and ready to reach their full potential. Together, we’re creating a vibrant, resilient, and connected learning community where everyone matters.

Additional Notes

This job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

Employees are increasingly integrating AI into their roles, demonstrating its potential to boost efficiency, accuracy, and productivity. By utilizing AI technologies, we can streamline processes, gain valuable insights from data, and automate routine tasks, which allows employees to concentrate on more strategic and creative aspects of their work. While AI is a beneficial tool in the workplace, if its use—such as ChatGPT, Grammarly, Copy.ai, etc.—accounts for more than 50% of any work assignments or job responsibilities, it will need to be reported to a direct leader.

Internet bandwidth speeds from an employee's remote work location must be a minimum of 50Mbps download speeds and 5Mbps upload speeds. Please note if the bandwidth is shared across multiple devices (tablets, computer, streaming, phone, etc.) you will need higher overall speeds. You can test the speed of your connection by visiting speedtest.net Purchase, setup, installation, support, and ongoing maintenance of reliable internet service is the responsibility of the individual.

American College of Education seeks to attract and retain a diverse staff consistent with its diverse student body and surrounding communities. At this time we cannot consider candidates residing in Alaska, Washington D.C., Massachusetts, South Dakota, or Alabama.

ACE is an Equal Opportunity Employer.