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Industry Director, Higher Ed
Blackboard Inc.
Washington, DC, United States
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Blackboard helps shape the future of education by delivering technology and services solutions that transform the learning experience. We continually innovate to better enable educators, parents, and learners of all types to teach, learn, connect and communicate whenever they want and wherever they are. We partner with educational institutions globally in the higher education, professional education and K-12 markets to improve the education experience both inside and outside the classroom by facilitating access to information, enabling stronger student engagement and collaboration, enhancing communication, and supporting student safety, success and institutional effectiveness. Most importantly, we help every student achieve their full potential through access to lifelong learning.
Overview
This market planner and spokesperson will play a critical role within the Global Higher Education Industry and Solutions Management team at Blackboard, with specific focus on the North American market. You will have direct responsibility for monitoring industry trends relevant to Blackboard’s product set, qualifying these trends, quantifying industry impact on Blackboard business planning across the market, determining major areas of current and potential Blackboard product focus, and outlining both short- and long-term product strategies for maximizing Blackboard’s product and solutions sales across districts, schools, and related entities in various global markets.
Broadly, you will function as the internal advocate for the global higher education market at Blackboard and drive the strategic and business planning, industry positioning, product and solutions roadmaps, and M&A strategies.
You will work closely with key counterparts and partners within Product Management, Product Development, and Sales and Marketing. With a solid understanding of Blackboard’s technologies, client relationships, sales / services trends, and emerging industry trends, you will cultivate a variety of channels to gain and quantify market insight, define major market success themes, and drive specific product actions / innovation in support of overall strategy and revenue targets.
Essential Functions:
• Conduct deep analysis leading to the identification of trends in Higher-Ed.
• Develop, own, and drive strategic plans for Blackboard’s higher education markets, that drive viable products, sales, product integration, and marketing plans.
• Identify key product and / or solution gaps within Blackboard’s product solutions portfolio for Higher-Ed, to include identification of viable alternatives (organic and M&A) to close these gaps.
• Identify and execute on both short-term and medium-term product and solutions alternatives/extensions from within Blackboard’s current technology set that meet specific needs and positively impact business objectives, including packaging, bundling, targeted/improved pricing strategies, and sales/marketing enhancements.
• Work cross-functionally to build medium- and long-term product plans and roadmap requirements specific to overall industry planning and success.
• Act as the primary product team liaison to the industry go-to-market team, working closely with that team to understand sales trends/dynamics, team performance, client feedback, and direct and nuanced solution/product imperatives.
• Develop relationships with key clients and client thought leaders to help inform decision making and provide advocacy to Blackboard’s solutions in-market.
• Represent Blackboard in key internal, client, and industry forums to convey product strategy and roadmap, and solicit client and market feedback.
• Analyze potential partner relationships for the blackboard product suite both integrated to overall product roadmap planning, as well as identified outside the current Blackboard solution but evident within industry trend analysis.
• Identify and prioritize acquisition candidates to complement and drive solutions strategy.
• Assist throughout the product development lifecycle by actively participating in product requirements development, product design specifications, market tests / feedback, pricing and packaging analysis, and go-to-market readiness.
• Track and maintain currency on leading integration, content, interoperability, and digital textbook/content trends.
• Represent Blackboard at key industry events and initiatives.
• Own and advocate key leadership initiatives within Blackboard Product Management associated with internal planning, annual goals, client-related initiatives, and sales/marketing support.
Required Skills/Experience:
• Bachelor's degree required; Master’s Degree or other advanced degree in a related field preferred.
• At least 8-10 years’ experience driving a business, typically through combined experiences in general management, education technology, and serving the higher-education market.
• Ability and experience necessary to create and communicate, through a variety of channels, our story about what is happening in the market.
• Deep understanding of the strategic view of student persistence and student success, and the capabilities, technologies, and services that drive them.
• Experience and success managing teams, and cross-functional product / project assignments across the technology or curriculum lifecycle.
• Experience implementing key technology initiatives, either within school/district leadership or as a senior technology partner/vendor.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.Comfortable and effective in small group and large group presentations.Experience and a proven track of participating in industry forums or critical sales cycles.Compelling and accurate writing ability.
• Analytical with strong experience pulling from a variety of data sets.Able to synthesize results for critical strategic-level implications.Effective within business planning and modeling tools to include excel or other financial / CRM solutions. Success in completing market-sizing, documenting business plans, and creating financial models to support plans.
• Collaborative. Proven ability to work cross functionally and informally to achieve overall business objectives, product sales, and go-to-market results.
• Passion for technology and its opportunity to better enable learning opportunities for students, parents, teachers, and administrators.
• Flexible and adaptive. Up to 20% travel, including occasional international travel required.
• Strong influencer, shaping strategic direction, driving leadership councils, being the voice at the table of higher-education by providing thought-leadership.
This job description is not designed to contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties, or responsibilities that are required. Nothing in this job description restricts management's right to assign or reassign duties and responsibilities at any time.
Blackboard is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer and considers qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, gender, age, color, religion, national origin, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, protected military/veteran status, or any other protected factor.
Location/Division: Washington, DC, USA Job Requisition: BB-976