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Samuel Merritt University · 1 day ago

Director, Business Development, Academic and Healthcare Partnerships

Oakland, CA

Full-time

Hybrid

Lead/Staff, Director/Executive

$111K/yr - $118K/yr

5+ years exp

Samuel Merritt University is seeking a driven, relationship-oriented professional to lead the expansion of institutional and healthcare partnerships for their nursing and health sciences programs. The role involves developing and managing partnerships to create academic pathways and drive enrollment growth through strategic collaboration with various stakeholders.

Higher Education

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

Qualification

Business developmentPartnership managementKPI-settingHealthcare experienceCollaboration skillsPerformance trackingCommunication skillsPresentation skillsNegotiation skillsRelationship-building

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