Director, Corporate Partnerships

At InStride, people are our purpose. 

We believe that investing in people is the most powerful way to drive success—for individuals and organizations alike. 

As a public benefit corporation, we partner with leading employers to unlock opportunities for their employees, providing access to top-tier education programs that align with their employees’ career goals and the company’s business goals. 

Our mission goes beyond skill-building; we're here to empower our partners’ employees to advance their careers, elevate their expertise, and achieve meaningful personal and professional growth.

No matter the team you’re on, our dedication to the success of our partners and their employees is what drives us. If you're passionate about making a difference and driving educational and professional advancement, InStride is the place for you. 

To get a better feel for our culture, watch more here.

Candidates must be located in one of the following states to be considered eligible for employment: AZ, CA, CO, CT, FL, GA, IL, IN, KS, LA, MD, MA, MI, MO, NV, NH, NJ, NY, PA, OH, OR, TX, VA, WA, WI.

Who we're looking for (role overview):

InStride is seeking an experienced Director, Corporate Partnerships to drive new corporate partner growth and revenue. As a key member of InStride’s commercial organization, this leader will play an integral role in helping top employers transform their workforce education strategies from traditional tuition assistance programs to innovative models that create measurable value for both the organization and its employees. This role reports to the Group Vice President, Corporate Partnerships.

Skills we’d love to see you show off:

• Strategic thinking and business acumen: Skilled at navigating complex deal cycles and managing multiple opportunities at various stages, while developing tailored strategies for success.
• Emotional intelligence and relationship building: Adept at establishing trust in diverse settings, fostering collaboration, and negotiating win-win outcomes.
• Exceptional communication and storytelling: Able to influence and inspire stakeholders through clear, compelling narratives.
• Collaborative account strategy and management: Experienced in partnering with internal teams to drive account strategies and achieve shared goals.
• Data and technology proficiency: Skilled in Salesforce, maintaining accurate and up-to-date pipeline and forecast data, and sales enablement platforms.
• Mission-driven mindset: Committed to excellence in sales while contributing to meaningful social impact. Experience in healthcare is a strong plus.

Who you are (ideal profile):

• Minimum of 10+ years of experience in sales, business development, or corporate partnerships—ideally selling tech-enabled services, education, edtech, SaaS, benefits, or HCM solutions to C-level executives in healthcare.
• Proven track record of consistently meeting or exceeding quota.
• Skilled in consultative and value-based selling, with a demonstrated ability to deliver results through this approach.
• Adept at navigating complex situations—both internally and externally—and negotiating outcomes that serve all parties well.
• Highly empathetic, with a genuine enjoyment of connecting with diverse groups of stakeholders.
• Experienced in collaborating with internal teams to develop and execute account strategies throughout the prospect journey.
• Driven by a commitment to excellence in the sales craft, constantly seeking growth and demonstrating learning agility.
• Comfortable with ambiguity and energized by a “no job too small” startup environment.
• Motivated by the challenge of building a world-class business that drives both strong revenue growth and meaningful social impact.

How you will create impact (key responsibilities):  

At InStride, our commercial team is passionate about building tailored solutions that deliver meaningful outcomes and advance our corporate partners’ business, talent, and community goals. We strive to create a best-in-class experience for both our partners—from pre-sale through launch and beyond—and for our learners.

The Director, Corporate Partnerships plays a critical role in this mission by:

• Leading territory strategy to prioritize, target, create, and close new and expansion opportunities within the assigned territory.
• Developing a deep understanding of InStride’s offerings, mission, and the competitive landscape.
• Applying business acumen and strategic thinking to define a clear value proposition for each prospect, crafting tailored approaches for every account.
• Building relationships and gaining buy-in from potential partners through a consultative approach, aligning on desired outcomes and how InStride can help achieve them.
• Collaborating closely with internal stakeholders throughout the sales process to design, present, and close complex solutions.
• Communicating effectively and influencing executive and C-level leaders both internally (e.g., InStride Advisory Board) and externally.
• Maintaining accurate and timely partner, pipeline, and forecast data in Salesforce.
• Traveling as needed.

We are looking for someone who is not only technically skilled, but also enthusiastic about making a meaningful impact. If this description resonates with you, we're excited about the possibility of having you on our team. As a skills-driven employer, we encourage you to apply if there is a skill-fit, even in the absence of years of experience.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At InStride, we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role, but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyways. You may be just the right candidate for this role!

Benefits @ InStride 

As an organization that champions investing in people, it’s critical we walk the talk. That’s why InStride employees are eligible to enroll in 2,800+ online certificate and degree programs through our Step Forward program. Unlike traditional tuition reimbursement programs, InStride covers your tuition upfront, regardless of your course of study, degree type, or school - eligible to employees starting Day 1. 

This role is also eligible for the following benefits:

• 401(k) plan with company match 
• Flexible vacation policy
• Paid family leave
• Best-in-class health care benefits
• And more!

InStride Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At InStride, we foster a culture of belonging, we support authenticity and intersectionality, and we embrace and appreciate our differences. We do this by building a diverse pipeline of talent and ensuring equitable access to opportunities, information and leadership. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. 

If you have a disability or special need that requires accommodation, please let your recruiter know. 

Policies & Disclosure 

InStride recommends employees have their COVID vaccinations. InStride may require employees to have COVID vaccination before entering the office or attending any InStride-related even in the future. However, we do not require this at this time.

 For questions on how we use personal information of job applicants, please refer to InStride's Job Applicant Privacy Policy.

Beware of recruiting scams. InStride does not require a financial transaction or any financial account information to be eligible for employment. If you receive a message purporting to be from InStride asking you for a financial transaction, your financial account information, or any other sensitive information, please do not respond and let us know immediately at recruiting@instride.com.

About InStride

InStride is a human capital management company that helps organizations retain talent, upskill employees, and fill critical workforce roles through education programs. By breaking down barriers to learning, fostering career growth aligned with organizational goals, and simplifying program management, InStride delivers lasting impact. Partnering with forward-thinking companies like Labcorp, Adidas, and SSM Health, InStride drives meaningful social and business outcomes by providing access to life-changing education. Visit instride.com or follow InStride on LinkedIn for more information and up-to-date news.