University Partnerships Manager (Account Executive)

Role overview

Unibuddy is hiring a University Partnerships Manager (Account Executive) to drive new revenue growth across the U.S. by winning new university customers and broadening the company’s presence nationwide. The position reports to Judson VanAntwerp, Director of U.S. Partnerships. The role is based in New York City in a hybrid setup, though a U.S.-based remote arrangement may be considered for a strong candidate who can work on EST hours.

About the company

Unibuddy works to help students make better decisions throughout their higher education journey. Since launching in 2017, the company has scaled quickly and now supports student recruitment for more than 500 higher education institutions across 35 countries, including Boston University, the University of Southern California, NYU, the University of Arizona, the University of Calgary, and the University of Alberta. Backed by over $33M in funding from leading investors, the business is focused on helping 10 million students make informed education choices, with the U.S. representing its biggest growth opportunity.

What the role involves

This is a quota-carrying hunter and closer position. You will manage the entire sales process end-to-end, from initial outreach through discovery, demonstrations, consensus building, negotiation, and final close. The role suits someone who enjoys building pipeline from scratch, working complex buying committees, and converting opportunities into revenue. You will collaborate with SDR, marketing, product, and customer-facing teams, while still owning your pipeline, forecast, and results.

Success metrics in the first 12 months

• Consistently meet or exceed quarterly new ARR targets.
• Bring in new university customers each quarter.
• Generate at least half of your pipeline through self-sourced activity.
• Maintain pipeline coverage at 3x.
• Handle qualified deals with an average sales cycle of about 67 days.
• Manage several concurrent opportunities involving 3 to 5 stakeholders per account.
• Develop strong internal advocates and address deal risks early.
• Reach full productivity within 3 months.

Core responsibilities

• Own the full sales cycle for U.S. university prospects, from first contact through contract close.
• Create new opportunities through outbound prospecting across email, phone, LinkedIn, and events.
• Build and maintain a robust pipeline to achieve quarterly revenue targets.
• Sell SaaS deals that typically range from $20k to $100k ACV.
• Lead discovery discussions that focus on business outcomes rather than product features.
• Position Unibuddy’s value around institutional goals such as yield, melt, engagement, and ROI.
• Work through consensus-based buying processes involving admissions, enrollment, IT, procurement, finance, and leadership teams.
• Build urgency and a compelling case for timing and action.
• Keep CRM records current with accurate stages, next steps, and notes.
• Forecast pipeline accurately and identify risks early in the sales process.
• Multi-thread active deals and develop champions across accounts.
• Partner with SDRs to strengthen prospecting and outbound effectiveness.
• Offer coaching and mentorship where needed.
• Work with marketing, product, and customer teams to improve messaging, sales motions, and conversion rates.
• Share insights and help raise the overall performance standard of the U.S. sales team.

Candidate profile

The ideal applicant has a strong background in full-cycle B2B SaaS sales and has sold successfully into education, the public sector, or similarly consensus-heavy environments. You should have a proven history of exceeding quota, experience with multiple decision-makers, and the ability to generate a meaningful share of your own pipeline. Comfort with a structured sales methodology, strong ambition, and a drive to grow quickly are all important.

Nice-to-have background

Experience selling into higher education or EdTech is preferred. It is also helpful to have an existing network in admissions, enrollment, orientation, or student experience functions, plus direct experience working with or inside universities. Familiarity with enrollment-cycle pressures such as yield, melt, and retention would be an advantage.

Compensation and benefits

The base salary for this role is $95,000 to $115,000, with on-target earnings of $170,000 to $190,000.

• 25 days of paid time off, plus U.S. national holidays and 3 additional special days.
• Expanded maternity, paternity, and adoption leave.
• Health coverage options including medical, dental, and vision, with family contributions available.
• Life insurance.
• 401(k) plan with a 6% employer match.
• Mental health support.
• Choice of MacBook or PC, plus home office setup support.
• A supportive, high-performing team environment.

Hiring approach

Unibuddy encourages candidates from underrepresented groups and anyone who may not meet every listed criterion to still apply if they believe they are a strong fit for the mission, values, or the role more broadly.

Additional details

This position is based in New York City with a hybrid working model. U.S.-based remote work may be considered for the right candidate, provided they can operate on EST timezone. The role is focused on building new university partnerships rather than managing existing accounts.