Strategic Manager – Partnerships & Academic Engagement

Overview

PENNEP is seeking a Strategic Manager – Partnerships & Academic Engagement on a contractual basis to support our clients in the Edtech sector. The ideal candidate will be responsible for identifying, developing, and maintaining partnerships with academic institutions, ensuring alignment with the client’s strategic objectives, and driving impactful engagement programs.

Responsibilities

• Partnership Development & Relationship Building – Build and nurture strategic partnerships, fostering long-term relationships with academic and business stakeholders.
• Tutor Onboarding & Engagement – Lead tutor recruitment, onboarding, and training to ensure high-quality delivery. Provide continuous guidance to align tutors with organisational objectives.
• Course Development & Strategy – Drive the design and refinement of courses, ensuring relevance, learner engagement, and quality outcomes.
• Academic & Market Research – Conduct ongoing market and learner research to identify skill gaps, trending topics, and growth opportunities. Translate insights into actionable strategies.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration – Work closely with product, marketing, and technology teams to align course goals, enhance learning experiences, and support go-to-market strategies.
• Continuous Innovation – Stay current with global EdTech trends and recommend innovative solutions for learner experience and course delivery.
• Strategic Growth Planning – Develop and execute long-term strategies to expand academic partnerships.
• Stakeholder Management – Collaborate with academic institutions, industry bodies, and corporate partners to strengthen strategic alliances.
• Performance Monitoring – Define KPIs and success metrics for courses, partnerships, and tutor engagement. Regularly evaluate outcomes and suggest improvements.
• Policy & Compliance Alignment – Ensure academic content and delivery comply with education standards, DEI goals, and client policies.
• Brand Advocacy – Represent the organisation by enhancing visibility through strategic events, collaborations, and thought leadership initiatives.

Required Skills

• 4-5 years of experience working with EdTech tools such as AI-based learning assistants, adaptive learning platforms, or analytics dashboards.
• Familiarity with SCORM/xAPI standards and digital content management.
• Exposure on tech-enabled partnership platforms (linking LMS with CRM or analytics systems).
• Prior involvement in international academic partnerships or accreditation processes.
• Basic knowledge of data privacy regulations (GDPR, PIPEDA) relevant to education technology.
• Certifications in Project Management (PMP, Agile, PRINCE2) or Learning Technologies (ATD, LPI, or Coursera/EdX L&D programs).
• Awareness of AI and automation trends shaping modern academic engagement and EdTech innovation.

About PENNEP

PENNEP works with national and multinational clients and strives to become one of the world's leading professional services companies with a vision to transform clients' business, operating, and technology models for the digital era. Our leaders have 50 years of combined and unique industry knowledge with a consultative approach that helps clients envision, build, and run more innovative and efficient businesses.

Applicants may be required to attend interviews in person or by video conference. In addition, candidates may be required to present their current state or government-issued ID during each interview.

PENNEP is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, race, colour, religion, national origin, disability, protected Veteran status, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. We provide engineering excellence practices training for all our employees.

Job Types: Full-time, Contractual / Temporary
Contract length: 12 months

Pay: From ₹50,000.00 per month

Application Question(s):

• Do you have prior experience in managing partnerships with universities, colleges, or academic institutions?
• Have you worked in an EdTech, education management, or learning solutions environment before?
• Have you ever handled tutor recruitment, onboarding, or performance management?
• Do you have experience in conducting market or academic research to identify trends or skill gaps?
• Have you been involved in monitoring KPIs or preparing performance reports for partnerships or academic programs?

Experience:

• LMS: 4 years (Required)
• CRM software: 4 years (Required)

Work Location: Remote