"Director, Business Development, Academic and Healthcare Partnerships"

Job Description Summary:

We’re seeking a driven, relationship-oriented professional to lead the expansion of institutional and healthcare partnerships that drive enrollment in our nursing and health sciences programs. This role will develop and manage Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) with community colleges, four-year universities, and healthcare organizations—creating seamless academic and professional pathways for students and employees to advance their nursing education through our undergraduate and graduate programs.
The ideal candidate combines a strategic mindset with measurable execution—setting clear KPIs, building strong pipelines, and partnering across admissions, faculty, and marketing teams to translate relationships into tangible enrollment growth.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop and execute a comprehensive partnership strategy with community colleges, universities, and healthcare systems to create defined educational pathways and articulation agreements.
• Negotiate and formalize MOUs that align with institutional enrollment goals, academic priorities, and long-term growth targets.
• Set and manage clear KPIs tied to partnership development, enrollment conversions, and overall pipeline health.
• Partner closely with Admissions and Marketing to ensure partnership-generated leads are effectively nurtured, tracked, and converted through the enrollment funnel.
• Collaborate with faculty and program leadership to ensure academic alignment, transfer credit articulation, and co-developed curriculum initiatives.
• Build relationships with healthcare employers to promote degree-completion and advanced nursing pathways for their employees.
• Implement a structured pipeline management process, tracking each partnership’s stage, engagement level, and outcomes using CRM or partnership management tools.
• Monitor and report performance data—including partner activity, MOU progress, student referrals, and enrollment results—to inform ongoing strategy and resource allocation.
• Represent the university at conferences, partner meetings, and regional workforce events across California and emerging out-of-state markets.
• Stay informed on industry trends in nursing education, workforce development, and transfer articulation.

Qualifications

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree in business, education, healthcare administration, or related field.
• 5+ years of experience in business development, partnership management, or higher education outreach—preferably in healthcare, nursing or allied health.
• Proven ability to develop, negotiate, and manage institutional or corporate agreements with measurable results.
• Demonstrated experience with KPI-setting, pipeline management, and performance tracking.
• Strong collaboration skills with cross-functional teams (admissions, marketing, faculty).
• Excellent relationship-building, communication, and presentation skills.
• Willingness to travel regionally and occasionally out of state.

Preferred:

• Master’s degree in business administration, higher education leadership, or related discipline.
• Experience working within healthcare systems or academic institutions.
• Familiarity with nursing or allied health program structures and transfer pathways.

Employee Status: Regular
Exemption Status: United States of America (Exempt)
Time Type: Full time
Job Shift:
Pay Range: $111,000 to $118,000

Samuel Merritt University currently provides base salary ranges for all positions-on job advertisements-in the United States based on local requirements. Individual compensation will ultimately be determined based on a variety of relevant factors including but-not limited to qualifications, geographic location, and other relevant skills.