Director, Business Development

• Be excited about building our brand and passionate about finding new partnerships that deliver large and measurable results.
• Be diligent in researching, sourcing, and negotiating new partnerships and finding innovative ways to monetize them.
• Be a creative problem solver. We work in a highly regulated industry – you create the best experiences in spite of that.
• Be comfortable in an analytics-driven environment. We like numbers. You like tracking performance and using that performance data to improve results.
• Be willing to challenge the status quo. We are revolutionizing the way people plan, pay, and succeed in higher education, so we must be disruptive. 
• Be able to think outside of the box, enjoy being challenged and getting creative to secure profitable partnerships, and not be afraid to step outside of your comfort zone.
• Enjoy collaborating internally and externally, driving strong growth through successful partnerships.

• Drive the expansion of our partner pipeline for Ascent and CollegeConfidential.com by identifying, pitching and negotiating new partnerships.
• Collaborate with Vice President of Demand Generation and Partnerships on partner channel strategy and expanded business classes (banks, credit unions, insurance, financial advisors, college campus organizations, high school verticals, etc.).
• Research and qualify new partners that will drive volume and increase market share.
• Utilize HubSpot to build a pipeline of qualified prospects and set weekly meetings with these opportunities to continuously drive the partner pipeline.
• Partner with the Analytics team to develop profitable compensation models with partners and develop forecasts - Provide regular reports and updates to executives on the performance of the sales pipeline and other key performance indicators (KPIs).
• Onboard new partners working collaboratively with the Growth Marketing team to strengthen new partner performance.
• Represent Ascent at conferences and tradeshows to promote brand awareness and further secure partnerships.
• Serve as subject matter expert of industry, market, competitive landscape, trends, performance, and opportunities to present recommendations to the executive team.
• Gain a deep knowledge of Ascent’s products and services.

• Must have 5+ years of managerial experience negotiating and growing partnerships or clients (or equivalent).
• Passion for building and maintaining relationships through excellent communication.
• Experience managing digital campaigns and acquiring customers through partnerships.
• Exceptional strategic thinking skills and experience with web analytics tools.
• Strong project management and organizational skills with the ability to manage multiple projects at once in a fast-paced environment.
• Proactive, growth mindset with a strong attention to detail and solution oriented.
• Exceptional creative and project management skills.
• General understanding of Google Analytics.

• A robust network of existing partners with connections to partners in higher education and the student loan industry.
• Experience with student loans or financial services/products.
• Experience working with compliance teams in a highly regulated industry.
• Experience with SEM Rush or equivalent research tools.

• This position will have a pay range (commensurate with experience) of $100,000 - $150,000 annually, plus bonus. San Diego hybrid preferred, open to remote for the right candidate.
• Company Stock Options
• 401(k) + Company Match
• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Annual HSA contribution of $1,600
• Life insurance, disability, and critical illness
• 14 Paid Holidays!  Eleven (11) + Two (2) Community Days + Your Birthday!
• Snacks and drinks in the office
• Tuition reimbursement program
• Generous paid leave policies
• $2,000 Vacation Incentive Plan after 3 years + $1,000 Sabbatical Day
• Wellness, work from home funds and more!

The Job Description is intended to be a general representation of the responsibilities and requirements of the job. However, the description may not be all-inclusive, and responsibilities and requirements are subject to change.

Equal Employment Opportunity

It is the policy of the Company to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and employment applicants without regard to unlawful considerations of race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, age, sensory, physical, or mental disability, marital status, veteran or military status, genetic information, or any other classification protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws. This policy applies to all aspects of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion, benefits, training, discipline, and termination. Reasonable accommodation is available for qualified individuals with disabilities, upon request.