Regional Partnerships Director, Mid-Atlantic (Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky, Maryland)

LENA is hiring a Regional Partnerships Director to oversee growth and strategy implementation in the Mid-Atlantic region, which we define broadly as Pennsylvania, Ohio, Virginia, Kentucky and Maryland. As the Regional Partnerships Director, you will develop and execute on a strategy to build our portfolio of Head Start programs, child care resource and referral agencies, school districts, and other community-based organizations adopting LENA’s transformational technology-enabled programs. You will be responsible for devising a regional pipeline strategy to meet your ambitious targets, and for closing new business and expanding on existing partnerships using a consultative sales approach.

In 2022, you will achieve defined goals including securing sales orders of $750,000 and growing that 4-fold in the next 3 years. The Regional Partnerships Director will report to the Director of Partnerships and Growth and work closely with other members of the Growth team including our marketing, philanthropic partnerships, and sales support functions.

About LENA
LENA is a game changer in early childhood. Research shows that back-and-forth interaction (conversational turns) between children and their adult caregivers in the earliest years is a key to school readiness and long-term outcomes. We integrate our patented “talk pedometer” technology into innovative programs to increase the capacity of parents, caregivers, and teachers in accelerating children’s development, school readiness, and social-emotional health.
LENA’s programs combine LENA’s best-in-class educational technology with practice-based coaching with LENA Grow, our job embedded professional development program leading the way of our growth. In recent years, LENA has begun to scale, now serving more than 12,000 children in 26 states annually and well on our way to serving 100,000 annually in 2025.

The successful candidate will be:
● A passion and commitment to equity and access to opportunity for all children: You understand the headwinds that children, families, and caregivers face, particularly in low-income communities, and are dedicated to ensuring that all children have the tools to fulfill their potential from the earliest age.
● A relationship connector: To drive sales and increased awareness in your region, you will be a creative and authentic relationship-builder. You will be naturally curious and a networker. You understand the importance of leveraging relationships and building mutually beneficial partnerships.
● Present and persuasive: To build partnerships and ensure relevance, you will be present at the appropriate roundtables, collaboratives and meetings regarding early childhood and its ecosystem across the region. You will utilize a consultative sales approach focused on listening, learning, problem solving, and influencing.
● Driven by goals: You are motivated by goals and driven to achieve. It is important in this role to problem solve, pivot on the spot, and figure out how puzzle pieces fit together. While we are a highly collaborative organization and you are part of a larger team, you will take initiative and creatively navigate obstacles.
● Able to build data-driven sales strategies and tactics: Effectively leverage sales and associated technology (Hubspot, etc) to inform approaches to lead development.
● Adept at balancing the macro and the micro: You can juggle building a region-wide strategy while building new partnerships and closing deals.

● A stand-out representative for LENA externally: You will raise awareness through active participation in state, district, and local coalitions and proactively seek opportunities to represent LENA (from presentations, conferences, and other influential activities). You are a compelling storyteller who can convey LENA’s mission and impact effectively to a variety of audiences.
● Reflective and growth-oriented: You look back on your wins and challenges to find the opportunities to grow and improve. You seek and incorporate feedback from your colleagues and partners to increase your personal impact in your role, as well as LENA’s impact in the field.

Required experience:
● At least 3 years of sales, business development, or comparable partnership/fundraising experience
● Track record of prospecting, generating leads, converting leads, and successfully closing contracts of at least $50,000
● Demonstrated customer orientation driving both successful implementations and expansion of reach or impact over time (pre-sales to ongoing cultivation)
● Demonstrated ability to rapidly build a productive network of connections
● Knowledge of the early childhood ecosystem (Head Start, county offices of early childhood, and so forth) which may include experience in policy, as a teacher/director, or working in a similar role

Compensation:
LENA’s team is passionate, fun and supportive, to learn more visit: www.lena.org/joinourteam.
We offer an excellent benefits package (including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, generous PTO, 11 holidays and a 401k with match). For candidates with 5+ years of experience in education sales or partnerships, the expected compensation is $100,000-115,000. The minimum of this position’s range is $80,000.

Location and Travel:
The Regional Partnerships Director will be based in a home office in their region. Relocation is not offered for this role. The Director can expect to visit partners and potential partners throughout the region a few times a month, depending upon schedule and meetings. Mileage and expenses are reimbursed. Overnight travel may be required for company or team wide meetings 1-3 times per year.

COVID Policies:
COVID-19 vaccination is required unless a medical or religious accommodation is requested and approved. Our full vaccination policy is available upon request.

Apply now:
To apply please submit your cover letter and resume directly to HR@LENA.ORG

LENA is an equal opportunity employer, and LENA encourages candidates from historically underrepresented groups to apply. All employment is decided on the basis of qualifications, merit, and business need. We are committed to building a team that represents a variety of backgrounds, identities, perspectives, and skills. The more inclusive we are, the better our work will be. To learn more visit www.lena.org/joinourteam. EOE/M/F/D/V

The successful candidate will be:
● A passion and commitment to equity and access to opportunity for all children: You understand the headwinds that children, families, and caregivers face, particularly in low-income communities, and are dedicated to ensuring that all children have the tools to fulfill their potential from the earliest age.
● A relationship connector: To drive sales and increased awareness in your region, you will be a creative and authentic relationship-builder. You will be naturally curious and a networker. You understand the importance of leveraging relationships and building mutually beneficial partnerships.
● Present and persuasive: To build partnerships and ensure relevance, you will be present at the appropriate roundtables, collaboratives and meetings regarding early childhood and its ecosystem across the region. You will utilize a consultative sales approach focused on listening, learning, problem solving, and influencing.
● Driven by goals: You are motivated by goals and driven to achieve. It is important in this role to problem solve, pivot on the spot, and figure out how puzzle pieces fit together. While we are a highly collaborative organization and you are part of a larger team, you will take initiative and creatively navigate obstacles.
● Able to build data-driven sales strategies and tactics: Effectively leverage sales and associated technology (Hubspot, etc) to inform approaches to lead development.
● Adept at balancing the macro and the micro: You can juggle building a region-wide strategy while building new partnerships and closing deals.

● A stand-out representative for LENA externally: You will raise awareness through active participation in state, district, and local coalitions and proactively seek opportunities to represent LENA (from presentations, conferences, and other influential activities). You are a compelling storyteller who can convey LENA’s mission and impact effectively to a variety of audiences.
● Reflective and growth-oriented: You look back on your wins and challenges to find the opportunities to grow and improve. You seek and incorporate feedback from your colleagues and partners to increase your personal impact in your role, as well as LENA’s impact in the field.

Required experience:
● At least 3 years of sales, business development, or comparable partnership/fundraising experience
● Track record of prospecting, generating leads, converting leads, and successfully closing contracts of at least $50,000
● Demonstrated customer orientation driving both successful implementations and expansion of reach or impact over time (pre-sales to ongoing cultivation)
● Demonstrated ability to rapidly build a productive network of connections
● Knowledge of the early childhood ecosystem (Head Start, county offices of early childhood, and so forth) which may include experience in policy, as a teacher/director, or working in a similar role

We offer an excellent benefits package (including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, generous PTO, 11 holidays and a 401k with match). For candidates with 5+ years of experience in education sales or partnerships, the expected compensation is $100,000-115,000. The minimum of this position’s range is $80,000.

To apply please submit your cover letter and resume directly to HR@LENA.ORG