Head of Business Development & Partnerships

ABOUT ED3 DAO

Ed3 DAO is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates at the intersection of education and emerging technology. Our mission is to upskill one million educators through online learning and our global community of practice. We strive to operate as an organization aligned with living systems, guided by the eight principles of regenerative economies. We create practical, pedagogically-grounded courses in artificial intelligence (AI) and other emerging technologies — all built to serve K-12 and higher education institutions.

We are a fully remote, asynchronous, and globally distributed organization that blends the impact of a nonprofit with the agility, ambition, and innovative spirit of a startup.

THE ROLE

Ed3 DAO is hiring its first Head of Business Development & Partnerships — a strategic leader who will shape and scale our approach to revenue generation, market expansion, and institutional partnerships.

Reporting to our founder/CEO, you will lead revenue strategy and execution across our core vertical: online courses for educators delivered through strategic partnerships with universities, professional learning organizations, and school districts. This includes expanding into new higher education and continuing education partnerships, developing a repeatable and values-driven business development process, and representing Ed3 DAO in high-trust, high-impact partnerships.

You’ll lay the groundwork for future team growth, while owning key metrics and working cross-functionally to build a sustainable, scalable business development function.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategy & Execution

• Develop and lead a business development strategy focused on new partner acquisition, revenue growth, and mission-aligned market expansion.
• Define and manage business development KPIs, pipeline metrics, and lightweight reporting and dashboards.
• Ensure Ed3 DAO’s offerings are effectively positioned and priced for institutional buyers and partners, and designed to support Ed3 DAO’s mission to upskill 1 million educators on emerging technologies.

Partner Development & External Engagement

• Identify, develop and close strategic partnerships with universities, continuing education programs, and professional learning orgs.
• Represent Ed3 DAO with external stakeholders — including university leaders, funders, and ecosystem partners to build strong, trust-based relationships.
• Manage inbound interest and partnership inquiries, ensuring timely follow-up and qualification
• Ensure compliance and alignment with public and philanthropic funding requirements in proposal development and sales processes.

Cross-Functional Collaboration & Team Building

• Serve as key thought partner to the CEO on organizational growth strategy and resource allocation.
• Collaborate with the content team to ensure course offerings are aligned with partner and market needs.
• Partner with marketing to develop messaging, collateral, and partnership enablement materials to support growth.
• Lay the foundation for a future business development team, including documentation of playbooks and mentoring future hires

QUALIFICATIONS

Requirements:

• 7+ years of experience in higher education-related sales, strategic partnerships, and/or business development.
• Demonstrated success building business development / partnerships teams in consultative institutional environments
• Track record of developing and executing on growth strategies that drive new partnerships and driving earned revenue.
• Strong analytical and operational skills, with experience managing partnership pipelines, forecasting, and CRM systems.
• Ability to travel (15-20% travel time expected).
• Familiarity with public sector procurement processes or state/district decision-making in education.

Bonus-points:

• Experience serving in a leadership role within a university (e.g., former Dean or department head)
• Prior experience in a lean or startup environment.
• Experience working with rev-share models.
• Demonstrated interest in pedagogy, education innovation, and the impact of AI in education.
• MBA or equivalent graduate-level business training

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

• Salary Range: $160,000–$175,000 (commensurate with experience)
• Benefits: Health Insurance: 100% employee premium covered + 50% dependent, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 401K with match, 20 days PTO, 100% paid parental leave
• Work Style: Fully remote; async-first culture with high autonomy, and weekly team meetings