Head of Education Partnerships
FirstPoint USA are a sports agency that creates scholarship opportunities to universities in the United States for talented sportsmen and women. As the global leader in sports scouting and recruitment, FirstPoint works with over 2,500 US universities to increase their international reach and identify suitable sporting and academic talent on their behalf.
We are seeking a Head of Education Partnerships to develop, manage and activate our relationships with new and existing partners within the education sector, with the objective or increasing the pipeline of prospective student-athletes being delivered and raising awareness of US sports scholarship opportunities through these channels. This new position is a key role within our management team, and we are seeking experienced, energetic and well-connected candidates to lead our activity in this important part of the business.
The successful candidate will operate across the education sector, with a particular focus on independent schools, international schools, Further Education colleges, and governing bodies, such as the Independent Schools Association.
KEY TASKS
- Responsible for identifying suitable strategic partners within the education sector, such as independent schools, international schools and FE colleges, who will contribute to growing our business, both domestically and internationally
- Work with partners to deliver a pipeline of qualified student-athlete candidates
- Manage and develop relationships with existing partner organisations, ensuring contractual KPIs are achieved
- Identify relevant team or event sponsorship opportunities with selected schools and associations which raise the profile of FirstPoint USA with students, families and other schools
- Manage and review your segment of the partnerships budget, analyse commercial spend (e.g. school team sponsorship) on partnerships and deliver agreed ROI
- Develop and implement plans with each partner, ensuring agreed objectives are met by both parties on an annual basis
- Work closely with the marketing team to activate and raise the profile of our key partnerships through social media, PR opportunities and e-communication
- Work with the Events Manager to have a presence at relevant education conferences and events
- Lead the delivery of presentations to schools and other education partners to raise awareness of FirstPoint USA and the opportunities we offer to their audience (e.g. face-to-face, online webinars, conferences and other events)
- Work with partners to generate positive testimonials and case studies
- Grow FirstPoint USA’s network and profile within the education sector
- Support our team of Sports Consultants to identify prospect clients from partner introductions
- Weekly and monthly reporting to Executive Team on KPIs and other performance metrics, highlighting successes, opportunities and challenges
- Contribute to the wider Management Team alongside other department leaders
THE CANDIDATE
- Strong track record of relationship building and collaboration with key stakeholders
- Experience of joint planning and collaboration with business partners
- Commercially focused with experience in business development desirable
- A strong network within the education sector desirable
- Good communicator who is comfortable building relationships with senior school leaders, heads of sport and coaches
- A global outlook on partnership opportunities
- High attention to detail with good planning skills
- Self-starter, confident, positive and proactive
- Ability to work in a fast-paced, always-on environment
- Experience in sports is desirable though not essential … you do however need have a genuine interest in sport
THE PACKAGE
As well as a competitive salary, investment in your personal development, you will have the opportunity to enjoy a variety of benefits:
- 43 days holiday (including bank holidays)
- Plus, everyone gets their birthday off
- Pension Scheme
- Flexible working
Salary
£40,000 - £45,000 depending on experience
Location
Glasgow, Scotland (with the opportunity to work remotely)