Regional General Manager, Alternative Credentials

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to make learning limitless– and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class higher education at scale. As the parent company of edX, a leading online learning platform, 2U powers thousands of  higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with our college, university, and corporate partners, we are helping accelerate careers and transform lives. 

What We’re Looking For:

The Regional General Manager is a dynamic, entrepreneurial, and strategic leader responsible for the overall ownership, growth, and success of 2U’s largest partnerships within its Alternative Credentials Business in theUS region. This role manages senior relationships with partnering universities, leads a small regional team, and oversees all cross-functional internal operations, including indirect reporting to the Director, edX. The ideal candidate combines exceptional relationship-building skills with deep business acumen to drive from strategy to revenue, manage complex contracts, and ensure the long-term health of alternate credential portfolios.

Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To:

Strategic Relationship Management

• Executive Engagement: Serve as the strategic relationship manager for the largest edX and Exec Ed partners, building deep, trusted partnerships with institutional leaders, including Deans, Provosts, and senior faculty to ensure partnership growth and success.
• Sentiment & Satisfaction: Maintain high partner satisfaction, including through Partner Net Promoter Scores (NPS), through regular check-ins, proactive communication, and swift resolution of partner concerns.
• Escalation Leadership: Act as the escalation point for complex issues, ensuring timely resolution to maintain long-term collaboration.
• Strategic Planning: Act as the key constituent into strategic planning, bridging partner sentiment into business goals. 
• Contractual Oversight: Own the strategic development, review, and negotiation of partner contracts, ensuring adherence to obligations and managing renewals or expansions.

• Financial Accountability: shared responsibility with GMs for overall program and revenue growth, as well as financial health, across all products within the regional partner portfolio.
• Opportunity Identification: Lead and coordinate the identification, development, and closing of new product opportunities aligned with 2U’s portfolio and product strategy, with colleagues across Partnerships, including upselling and cross-selling.
• New business development: Responsible for driving new growth within existing partners, including new schools, across Executive Education and edX. To work collaboratively with BD to drive net new partner opportunities. 

• Internal Alignment and leadership: Work within a matrixed partnership team to ensure coherent roles and responsibilities and a cohesive partner experience, including across BD, GMs, Portfolio Strategy and Partner Marketing. Manage matrixed internal functional heads—including Tech, Curriculum & Learning Education, Marketing, Student Success, and Finance—to develop high-quality courses.
• edX - Act as a key leader working with the new Executive Director of edX in developing and executing edX strategy, in a coherent manner with our partner and portfolio strategy. 
• Performance Metrics: Oversee regional operations and measure performance against company goals, proactively establishing targets for improvement.
• Staff Leadership: Directly manage local General Managers for edX, with matrixed leader responsibility across partnerships. Across Alt Cred, the Regional GM is responsible for growth within the region and a strategic point of escalation for GM on existing partners. The GM is responsible for existing partner portfolio growth, performance  and deepening relationships with existing partners.
• Strategic Planning: Act as the key constituent into strategic planning, bridging partner sentiment into business goals.

Things That Should Be In Your Background:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree preferred.
• Experience: 10-15+ years of experience in EdTech and/or Higher Education, including 7-10+ years managing external partners and leading large-scale internal operations and teams.
• Track Record: Proven success in a matrix management environment with an entrepreneurial approach to building effective partnerships in support of business strategy.
• Skills:
  • Excellent commercial acumen and strategic judgement, particularly within the EdTech or Higher Ed space.  
  • Strong financial acumen, including financial models.
  • Confident decision-making and the ability to lead people to results.
  • Excellent communication, interpersonal, and listening skills, with proven success in go to market roles.
  • Ability to thrive in an atmosphere of constant change and fast-paced environments.

We will prioritize those who live in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area and who are available to come into our Headquarters in Arlington, VA two days a week.

Benefits & Culture

Our global employee base is a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers, and doers working together to transform lives through higher education. We believe that every employee can advance our shared purpose, and that life at 2U should be fun and meaningful. If you’re excited by the opportunity to provide millions of learners and counting with access to world-class higher education, then join us – and do work that makes a difference. 

We offer comprehensive benefits (unique per country) and excellent work/life balance.
Full-time, U.S.benefits include: 

• Medical, dental, and vision coverage
• Life insurance, disability, and 401(k) employer match
• Free snacks and drinks in-office
• Generous paid holidays and leave policies, including unlimited PTO
• Additional time off benefits include: volunteer days, parental leave, and a company-wide winter break

The anticipated base salary range for this role is $202,000 - $229,000, with potential bonus eligibility.  Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, budget for the position and cost of labor in the market in which the candidate will be hired.

2U Diversity and Inclusion Statement

At 2U, we are committed to building and sustaining a culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken to bring together an employee base that embodies diverse walks of life, ideas, genders, ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, abilities and other unique qualities. We strive to offer a workplace where every employee feels empowered by what makes us different, as well as by how we are alike. 

2U is committed to providing reasonable accommodations during our recruitment process. If you need assistance or accommodations, please reach out to us at: recruitingaccommodations@2u.com. 

About 2U

2U partners with the world's top universities and companies to develop and deliver education programs that accelerate careers and transform lives. Through partnerships with the world’s leading colleges, universities, and companies, 2U delivers thousands of online programs to millions of learners worldwide on edX, its global learning platform. From executive education and professional credentialing to master’s degree programs and free, open courses, 2U transforms how top institutions deliver workforce-aligned online education, enabling professionals to advance without pausing their careers. Learn more at 2U.com.

The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed.

2U is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against applicants or employees and ensures equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship, military or veterans’ status, or any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. 2U’s equal opportunity policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, job benefits and pay.