Risepoint assists primarily regional universities in increasing their access and impact by making their academic programs available to students online. Founded in 2007, Risepoint mission is to expand access to high-quality, affordable, and workforce-relevant education, especially for working and adult students. Risepoint brings single-minded dedication to student success, an integrated set of services, and data-driven performance to our collaboration with university partners
The Senior Director – Global Growth Strategy will be the accountable cross-functional leader for identifying and pursuing new global growth opportunities for Risepoint, with a focus on emerging markets and those not yet served by our portfolio. This role represents an investment in Risepoint’s international growth strategy, and requires someone with the experience, credibility, energy, autonomy, and connections to balance strategic thinking, business and corporate development initiatives, greenfield opportunity exploration, and concrete pilot development tied to revenue growth aspirations.
This role requires the ability to travel internationally up to 50% of the time.
This role will have multiple priorities in the first year, requiring close collaboration with BD, Commercial, Partnerships, and other teams:
Global Thesis for Risepoint: The Director will quickly define Risepoint’s global/ex-US “thesis” and opportunity. To facilitate this, and with an initial focus on 5 highly attractive markets (initial assumption that we will have 3 in Asia, 1 African region, 1 other – either Gulf or Caribbean), the Director will do detailed landscaping of potential plays and market entry / expansion pathways. The Director will have a very practical, hands-on approach to fleshing out the opportunities focused on building relationships, pursuing live opportunities, defining pilot scope and economics, and aligning business cases with roadmaps/execution plans as deliverables. The Director will position the global thesis in the context of our existing international OPM business in EMEA/APAC and integrate the overall Risepoint story.
Inorganic Enablement / Corporate Development: As a key part of the Thesis work, the Director will identify the highest potential M&A targets and strategic partners and will manage the ongoing global corporate development pipeline and cultivate relationships as appropriate. The Director will also lead diligence as needed on international opportunities and will own the “master view” on the most critical inorganic theses and pathways to scale.
Organic Growth Enablement / Business Development: The Director will work closely with Risepoint’s in-seat Australia and UK BD leadership to pursue feasible and attractive opportunities to bring OPM services to nearby markets not currently served by Risepoint. In particular, the Sr Director will be charged with supporting work on: (1) Identifying the highest-priority nearby markets for OPM services (informed by deeper understanding of the market dynamics, competitive landscape, tuition levels, workforce needs and earnings economics, program demand, etc.); (2) Sourcing of relevant relationships and connectors to get in front of the right people at the institutions; (3) Understanding success factors, risks and dependencies to serve Partners in these markets; and (4) Commercial structure inputs and assumptions. The Sr Director should also play a role in evaluating the strategic rationale for the opportunities as an overlay to the traditional deal desk process. Depending on company priorities and timeline, this role may also contribute to identifying and building relationships with potential international investors/ buyers for whom Risepoint may be a fit.
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
Develop and own the Risepoint knowledge base on priority global growth opportunities, including the thesis, priority markets, commercial / economic structure, Risepoint’s right to play and win, value chain, and execution requirements. This includes new market areas as well as collaborating with relevant teams on analysis and insight on current non-US markets we serve (e.g., UK; Australia)
Lead outbound corporate development sourcing, pipeline management, and strategic partnership structuring, including building networks, pursuing and negotiating deals to pilot / launch new offerings in new geographies, serving as Risepoint’s international representative at relevant conferences and industry events in priority markets, and engaging in M&A processes as appropriate.
Facilitate organic OPM BD prioritization, deal sourcing and structuring, relationship-building, and strategic context development.
Lead additional projects related to the global growth mandate as appropriate and needed – e.g., investor landscape mapping; building pitch materials and the international story for road shows; serving as the international SME in investor settings.
Qualifications:
MBA or Master’s in an applied quantitative field (e.g., Economics, Finance, Statistics)
2+ years total at a top-tier management consulting firm, investment bank, or corporate strategy shop
5+ years in international higher / workforce education business-building, including start-up or scaled company leadership, investor and cap table management, market entry, and ongoing operations
2+ years in investor-focused roles (PE; VC) with proficiency in investment terminology and priorities
5+ years of experience across all aspects of living and working in emerging markets
Business acumen – ability to quickly on-ramp to our industry, business context, and market dynamics, and speak proficiently on implications on strategy, finance, marketing, operations, sales, and other business topics
Quantitative and analytical problem-solving – distinctive knack for diagnosing, structuring, and analyzing a wide range of complex business problems and building economic and financial models to support business cases and financial outcomes
M&A diligence and deal structuring – pattern recognition and internal playbook for structuring due diligence, contemplating deal structures and economics, leading the view on buy vs. partner, and driving to buy-no buy decisions
Project/initiative leadership – track record of structuring and driving cross-functional strategic projects, including opportunity identification, scoping, analytical execution, and stakeholder management
Relationship-building – exceptional ability to build cross-functional and senior relationships, influence stakeholders, and drive alignment and excitement across all levels of the company
International exposure and acumen – deep knowledge of models and success factors for delivering education business outcomes abroad
Executive presence and leadership – ability to deliver executive- and investor-level communications and storytelling and build trust and confidence quickly
RisePoint is an equal opportunity employer and supports a diverse and inclusive workforce
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