Edtech.com's Summary

ApplyBoard is hiring a Head of Commercial Partnerships. The role involves leading global institution-facing efforts with full P&L responsibility and requires developing partner engagement strategies, expanding the company's footprint in new markets, and growing revenue through value-added services. The candidate will oversee a team responsible for sales, onboarding, retention, and revenue growth while optimizing ApplyBoard's Recruitment-as-a-Service offering and developing new revenue streams.

Highlights

Own global institutional partner lifecycle from acquisition to expansion.
Lead partner engagement strategy across all destinations.
Optimize and scale the Recruitment-as-a-Service (RaaS) model.
Full P&L ownership of ApplyBoard’s institution-facing business.
10+ years in B2B sales, partnerships, or client services required.
Proficiency in Salesforce or similar CRM needed.
Competitive salary with performance-based incentives.
Comprehensive health and wellness benefits offered.
Hybrid and flexible working arrangements.
Personal development and leadership growth opportunities.

Head of Commercial Partnerships Full Description

Head of Commercial Partnerships

Kitchener

New York City

Ontario

Full time

ApplyBoard simplifies the study abroad search, application, and acceptance process by connecting international students, recruitment partners, and educational institutions on one intuitive and personalized platform. ApplyBoard is a mission-driven, hyper-growth organization. It has been attracting dedicated individuals for more than eight years who are inspired every day to break down barriers to international education and take their careers to new heights at a company that will invest in their career growth. Our six core values are our compass in our mission to Educate the World and the foundation of our unique company culture. As an organization built on a foundation of diversity, it’s important that our team members are representative of the students from more than 150 countries that we support.

The Opportunity:

ApplyBoard is seeking a nimble, strategic, and mission-driven Head of Commercial Partnerships to lead our global institution-facing efforts. This executive role holds full P&L responsibility for our institutional business and is accountable for growing and diversifying ApplyBoard’s global footprint.

You’ll oversee a cross-functional team responsible for sales, onboarding, retention, and revenue growth while expanding our presence in new markets, optimizing our Recruitment-as-a-Service (RaaS) offering, and developing new revenue streams that reinforce ApplyBoard’s leadership in international education.

This role is ideal for a leader who can move from high-level strategy to actionable insights, inspire teams into execution, and build long-term value for both partners and the business.

Location: Canada (Kitchener or Ontario preferred)
Reports to: Chief Commercial Officer
Type: Full-time, Executive Leadership

What You’ll Be Doing Every Day:

Institution Partner Strategy & Growth

Own the global institutional partner lifecycle – from acquisition and onboarding to retention and expansion.
Develop and lead the partner engagement strategy across all destinations.
Expand ApplyBoard’s institutional footprint in new markets to diversify our business globally.
Grow revenue per institution by driving adoption of value-added services and differentiated solutions.
Segment partners by value and potential, with clear tiering and resource allocation models.

Commercial Leadership & Revenue Ownership

Take full P&L ownership of ApplyBoard’s institution-facing business.
Optimize and scale our Recruitment-as-a-Service (RaaS) model, working with institutions to deliver enrollment growth as a managed service.
Identify, test, and scale new revenue streams aligned with partner needs and ApplyBoard’s platform capabilities.
Own performance against revenue, margin, and growth targets.

Sales & Account Management Leadership

Lead and scale a high-performing team of Partner Sales Managers and Account Executives across global destinations.
Build strong cadences for forecasting, performance reviews, and pipeline health.
Act as an executive sponsor to key institutional partners and prospects.

Cross-functional Collaboration

Partner with Product, Marketing, Legal, and Operations to shape the institutional experience.
Collaborate with Destination Leaders to match student demand with strategic supply.
Represent the voice of institutions in strategic planning, product development, and pricing innovation.

Operational Excellence

Define and track KPIs across the institutional lifecycle: acquisition, engagement, performance, and satisfaction.
Drive CRM best practices, data integrity, and partner insights to inform growth strategies.
Reduce friction in onboarding and implementation through scalable processes and tooling.

What You Bring to the Table

10+ years in B2B sales, partnerships, or client services
Proven P&L or revenue ownership, with a track record of scaling account portfolios and launching new offerings
Strong people leadership skills, with a history of building and managing high-performing, multicultural teams
Deep understanding of strategic account growth, segmentation, and partner lifecycle management
Demonstrated experience entering and growing new markets and building differentiated service models
Balance of strategic thinking and operational execution — can turn ideas into results
Analytical and data-driven, with comfort in fast-paced, high-growth environments
Proficient in Salesforce or similar CRM, dashboards, and partner analytics
Excellent communicator and stakeholder manager, both internally and externally
Mission-driven with a passion for expanding access to education

Preferred Industries:

Technology, SaaS platform sales, and two-sided marketplaces
Experience in education or international student recruitment is a strong plus, but not required

What We Offer:

A chance to transform global education and impact thousands of lives
Competitive salary and performance-based incentives
Hybrid and flexible working arrangements
Comprehensive health and wellness benefits
Personal development and leadership growth opportunities
A collaborative, mission-driven, and innovative culture

About ApplyBoard

ApplyBoard empowers students around the world to access the best education. With more than 1,000,000 students from over 150 countries helped with their journey in less than a decade, we are just getting started.

ApplyBoard’s 1,200 global team members in 30 countries assist students and our 1,500 partner institutions by empowering the international student sector with innovative technology and insights. As a five-time consecutive Deloitte Fast 50 and Fast 500 ranked company, ApplyBoard is growing and scaling like few other companies. On top of our strong growth, our people are growing personally and professionally. ApplyBoard India was Great Place to Work® Institute (India) certified for outstanding employee experience and workplace culture.

Thank you for your interest in joining the ApplyBoard Team and being part of our mission to Educate the World. While we are lucky to attract a high level of interest in each of our roles, only qualified applicants will be contacted and selected for an interview.

ApplyBoard welcomes and encourages applications from people with disabilities. Accommodations are available upon request for candidates in all aspects of the hiring and selection process.

Original Job Description