Director of Strategic Growth - Higher Education & Athletics Initiatives

Position: Director of Strategic Growth: Higher Ed & Athletics Initiatives

Job Type: Full Time 

Location: Remote - Remote 

Compensation: $125,000-135,000 Annual Salary + Incentives 

 

About The Role 

Director of Higher Education & Athletic Relations is a key growth-oriented role responsible for building a new client acquisition channel focused on colleges, universities, and athletic departments. This role will lead efforts to establish and expand strategic partnerships that introduce the organization’s behavioral health services to campus communities, with a particular focus on supporting student-athlete populations and broader student wellness initiatives.

The Director will be responsible for identifying and engaging key decision-makers across academic institutions, athletic programs, and student health services to develop high-impact, long-term relationships. This includes designing and negotiating partnership agreements that align with the organization’s mission, clinical capabilities, and compliance standards.

Success in this role requires a combination of strategic thinking, consultative relationship-building, and cross-functional collaboration. The Director will work closely with internal stakeholders—including clinical, operations, compliance, and business development teams—to ensure all partnerships are sustainable, scalable, and integrated seamlessly into existing service delivery models.

 

Key Responsibilities:

• Lead and mentor a team of 6-8 business development professionals in Illinois and Colorado, fostering a culture of collaboration, accountability, and high performance. 
• Provide coaching, performance evaluations, and professional development opportunities to ensure team growth and success. 
• Set clear performance metrics and sales goals, tracking progress and making data-driven adjustments as needed. 
• Develop and oversee regional business development strategies, ensuring alignment with Sandstone Care’s overall mission and growth objectives. 
• Conduct market research and competitive analysis to identify opportunities for expansion and referral growth. 
• Collaborate with executive leadership to refine and optimize business development processes. 
• Work closely with clinical leadership, admissions, and marketing teams to align referral generation efforts with program offerings. 
• Ensure business development efforts support operational goals and census targets across multiple locations. 
• Facilitate strong communication between teams, ensuring seamless coordination of referrals and program enrollment. 
• Represent Sandstone Care in public speaking engagements, industry events, and networking functions. 
• Advocate for adolescent and young adult mental health awareness, positioning Sandstone Care as a leader in the field. 
• Establish partnerships with universities, hospitals, and community-based organizations to expand awareness and access to services. 

 

Qualifications: 

• Bachelor’s degree required
• 10+ years of experience in business development, partnerships, or strategic growth roles within behavioral health, higher education, athletics, or healthcare services.
• Proven track record of creating institutional partnerships or referral networks from the ground up.
• Strong understanding of the college mental health landscape, including the specific behavioral health needs of students/student athletes.
• Extensive knowledge of the health insurance and payer landscape, including commercial and student health plans, with the ability to navigate payer dynamics, referral pathways, and reimbursement structures relevant to behavioral health services.
• Demonstrated ability to lead cross-functional collaboration with marketing and business development, clinical, operations, finance and legal teams to execute and implement partnership agreements.
• Highly relational and mission-aligned communicator with excellent negotiation, presentation, and stakeholder management skills.
• Comfortable with long sales cycles, complex decision-making structures, and ambiguity.

 

Experience Requirements:

• 2+ years of experience in sales leadership is required (Must have experience managing high performing teams both in person and remotely) 
• 5+ years of experience working in the Mental Health or Behavioral Health space in marketing and / or outreach is required
• Experience with Microsoft Office applications including Power Point, Word, and Excel preferred 
• Ideal candidates are highly self-motivated, very organized, personable, and outgoing 

 

Preferred Experience & Competencies

• Existing relationships with NCAA-affiliated athletic departments, campus mental health leaders, or college administrators.
• Experience supporting student athletes’ behavioral health, performance, or well-being.
• Familiarity with CRM systems such as Salesforce.
• Analytical, data-driven approach with a focus on measurable outcomes.

 

The Perks

At Sandstone Care, we believe that great care starts with our employees. That’s why we offer a comprehensive benefits package to support you in your personal and professional journey. Some of the benefits include:

• A competitive compensation and total rewards package including meaningful salary, bonus incentive programs, merit-based pay increases, and professional growth opportunities.
• A 401k program with 5% company match and competitive vesting schedule 
• An unlimited PTO package that affords you the flexibility needed for work/life harmony in a dynamic role. 
• High quality medical, dental, and vision insurance with a variety of package options that meet your needs and majority company paid.
• A robust Employee Assistance Program: Including counseling, legal consultations, financial planning, and wellness coaching.
• A collaborative and supportive community of therapists and team members: Fostering a positive work environment.

 

What to Expect: Our Interview Process

Here's an overview of what comes next:

1. Application Review: We'll promptly review your application within one business day.
2. Discovery Call: Expect a 30–45-minute discovery call with one of our recruiters.
3. Supervisor Interview: You'll have a 1 hour video interview with our Chief Growth Officer.  
4. Offer: If all goes well, you'll receive an offer. (All offers will be contingent on a successful background check)

Expected Interview Timeline: The entire process typically takes 2-3 weeks.

 

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Sandstone Care’s Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion 

At Sandstone Care, we are committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equity, and inclusion that not only enriches the lives of our employees but also ensures the wellbeing and care of our clients, regardless of their race, ethnicity, gender identity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, age, ability, or background. We believe that embracing diversity and promoting equity and inclusion are integral to our mission of providing high-quality behavioral health services.

Sandstone Care is an equal opportunity employer and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any kind. We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive workplace where all employees feel valued, respected, and empowered. We do not discriminate based on race, color, religion, creed, age, sex, national origin, ancestry, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, or any other legally protected status. All employment decisions are based on qualifications, merit, and business needs.