Sr. Director, Industry Strategy and Revenue

POSITION SUMMARY

The Senior Director, Industry Strategy and Revenue, is responsible for leading the organization’s industry-facing strategy, product portfolio, partnerships, and earned-revenue performance across the education and edtech ecosystem. This role shapes how the organization engages vendors, corporate partners, and funders—translating market insight and organizational credibility into sustainable revenue through industry products, advertising, custom content, certifications, and ticketed events.

The Senior Director owns the industry revenue strategy and supervises industry-facing sales leadership, including the Senior Sales Manager, EdSurge. This role serves as the organization’s primary front door for industry engagement beyond conference sponsorship—coordinating across divisions when partners seek broad, multi-offering relationships with the organization. With support from the Senior Sales Manager, this role ensures that complex industry engagements are structured, routed, and delivered to maximize value for both the partner and the organization.

The Senior Director’s portfolio spans four core industry-facing offerings: Solutions Summit (directly led by this role), ISTE ASCD Seal, EdTech Index, and coLab (each led by designated product leaders reporting to this role).

Working closely with Strategic Partnerships, grants, marketing, events, content teams, and executive leadership, the Senior Director represents the organization externally and provides internal strategic guidance based on market dynamics, product performance, and partner needs. Additional industry-facing responsibilities include sponsored content for EL magazine and EdSurge.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Industry Strategy, Thought Leadership, and Executive Engagement (30%)

• Set and execute the organization’s industry strategy related to vendor engagement, sponsorships, certifications, and market-facing programs.
• Lead the organization’s thought leadership in the edtech procurement space—advancing a vision that reduces friction between education buyers and sellers while ensuring high-quality, research-based solutions are the ones that get purchased.
• Position the organization’s thought leadership as a driver of philanthropic investment, making the case that ongoing innovation in edtech procurement and quality assurance merits sustained funding.
• Serve as the organization’s senior-most industry-facing representative for engagements beyond conference sponsorship, establishing trust and credibility with high-value partners at the executive level.
• Build relationships with industry leaders and cultivate early-stage interest in broad, multi-offering partnerships—then transition ongoing management to the Senior Sales Manager for execution and account stewardship.
• Translate K–12 system needs and market signals into compelling value propositions for industry partners and funders.
• Ensure the industry strategy aligns with the organization’s mission, values, and long-term goals.

Industry Product Portfolio Oversight (20%)

• Directly lead the strategy, design, and execution of the Solutions Summit at the annual ISTE ASCD conference, ensuring it delivers value to both industry exhibitors and educator attendees.
• Supervise and develop the designated product leaders for the ISTE ASCD Seal, EdTech Index, and coLab—providing strategic direction, coaching, removing barriers, and ensuring alignment with organizational goals and revenue targets.
• Set portfolio-level priorities, ensuring resources and attention are allocated appropriately across offerings based on market opportunity, maturity, and strategic value.
• Monitor product-level performance data (engagement, revenue, satisfaction, renewal rates) across the portfolio to inform investment, iteration, or sunsetting decisions.
• Ensure coherence across the product portfolio so that offerings reinforce one another and present a unified value story to industry partners.
• Coordinate with content, technology, events, and membership teams to ensure integrated product execution.

Industry Revenue and Sales Oversight (20%)

• Own the strategy for industry-facing revenue, including product revenue, advertising, custom content, certifications, and ticketed events.
• Provide direct supervision and performance management for industry sales roles, including the Senior Sales Manager, EdSurge.
• Set annual revenue targets, pricing approaches, and performance metrics in collaboration with executive leadership.
• Review and approve sales strategies, partnership packages, and deal structures.
• Monitor sales pipelines, forecasts, and conversion performance; intervene as needed to address risks or gaps.
• Ensure revenue activities align with brand standards, editorial independence, and partner value expectations.

Business Development and Strategic Partnerships (15%)

• Cultivate and steward relationships with vendors, corporate partners, and sponsors aligned to industry programs and products.
• Identify new revenue opportunities and partnership models that advance reach, relevance, and sustainability.
• Support proposal development, renewals, and partnership negotiations tied to industry offerings.
• Represent the organization in complex partnership discussions and negotiations.

Organizational Strategy and Advisory Support (15%)

• Advise executive leadership on industry trends, market dynamics, product performance, and revenue implications.
• Ensure industry initiatives and products are aligned with organizational priorities and risk tolerance.
• Contribute to executive decisions related to launching, refining, or sunsetting industry-facing offerings.
• Act as a bridge between external market insight, product intelligence, and internal strategic planning.

LOCATION REQUIREMENT

Priority will be provided to candidates living in the DC Metro area (MD, DC, or Northern VA). This role requires on-site presence at the Arlington, VA office one day per week.

Knowledge

• Master’s degree with 8–12 years of experience in education technology, industry engagement, revenue strategy, product management, or partnership leadership, or an equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Deep understanding of K–12 education systems, edtech markets, and industry purchasing behavior.
• Experience monetizing programs, events, certifications, or sponsorships in mission-driven organizations.
• Familiarity with product management principles and experience overseeing product leaders responsible for programs, platforms, or certification offerings.

Skills and Abilities

• Strong strategic, analytical, and commercial judgment.
• Ability to convert organizational credibility into sustainable earned revenue.
• Product leadership skills, including the ability to set portfolio-level direction, supervise product leaders, and manage offerings at different stages of maturity.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and relationship-building skills.
• Demonstrated ability to coordinate complex, cross-organizational engagements—establishing executive-level trust with high-value partners and transitioning relationships to sales leadership for ongoing management.
• Experience supervising sales or revenue-aligned roles.
• Ability to articulate a compelling thought leadership narrative that attracts both industry partners and philanthropic funders.
• Ability to manage complex initiatives and lead cross-functional teams spanning product, sales, content, events, and technology.

Critical Success Factors / Leadership Attributes

• Builds and develops high-performing teams with clear accountability.
• Exercises sound judgment and discretion in complex, high-visibility environments.
• Encourages collaboration and shared ownership of outcomes.
• Executes with discipline by setting clear plans, monitoring progress, and delivering results.
• Balances product innovation with revenue responsibility, ensuring offerings are both mission-aligned and commercially viable.

Experience

• 8–12 years of experience in education technology, industry engagement, partnerships, product management, or revenue-generating programs.
• Proven experience overseeing industry-facing sales or revenue portfolios.
• Track record of growing earned revenue while maintaining mission and brand integrity.
• Experience managing or providing strategic oversight of product leaders and product lines, including certification programs or platform-based offerings.
• Experience serving as a primary point of coordination for complex, multi-stakeholder industry relationships at the executive level.
• Experience developing thought leadership or strategic narratives that have attracted philanthropic or grant funding.
• Experience working with edtech companies and understanding market dynamics.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

• Normal demands associated with a deadline-driven office environment.
• Daily interaction with external partners, vendors, and internal teams at all levels of the organization.

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

• Ability to remain at a desk for extended periods.
• Ability to communicate and exchange information.
• Ability to operate standard office equipment.
• Ability to travel to off-site meetings and events.
• Ability to lift or move objects weighing up to 10 pounds.