Associate Director of Partner Growth and Success

About Groves Learning Organization

Groves Learning Organization (GLO) is a nonprofit based in St. Louis Park, Minnesota, with a fifty-two-year history of supporting students facing language-based learning challenges through a K-12 school and learning center. Eight years ago, we expanded outreach with Groves Literacy Partnerships (GLP), aiming to address statewide literacy disparities and improve accessibility. Throughout all divisions, GLO is committed to redefining the way our nation is taught, one student, one teacher, and one school at a time.

About Groves Literacy Partnerships

Groves Literacy Partnerships (GLP) is a school partnership model grounded in the science of reading research. The Groves Method model includes 1) evidence-based K-3 foundational skills literacy instruction, 2) science of reading-focused professional development, 3) personalized educator coaching, and 4) outcomes-based data analysis tools. These elements support the Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS), ensuring instructional fidelity and student progress. Currently, GLP collaborates with over eighty schools statewide, including independent, public charter, and public district schools. Our collective outcomes show positive results, with approximately 12,000 Minnesota students making progress in narrowing reading disparities this academic year (2023- 2024). Starting in 2024-2025, GLP is also launching a new knowledge-based comprehension curriculum for K-3 classrooms.

Position Overview

The Associate Director of Partner Growth and Success plays a key role in fostering growth with current partners through retention strategies and the introduction of new products and services, as well as expanding our customer base by developing new relationships and opportunities.

This individual drives customer success, loyalty, and sustainability with school and district leaders who are current and prospective customers of Groves Method products and services. Working closely with the Director of Partner Development and Success, this individual is responsible for the oversight of key customers, facilitating communication between partners and expert teams within GLP while ensuring customer needs are met.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Strategy: Develop a deep understanding of customer needs, goals, and challenges. Provide strategic guidance and solutions to meet customer sustainability objectives.
• Innovation: Communicate customer feedback to drive innovation of GLP products and services.
• Partnership Development and Relationship Management: With a customer-first mindset, serve as the primary point of contact for current customer accounts, ensuring ongoing engagement and satisfaction, build and maintain strong relationships with district and school leadership, support quality delivery, evaluate customer commitments, and enable business and sales growth.
• Collaboration: Collaborate with cross-functional GLP teams and GLO shared services teams to ensure alignment with customer needs and objectives.
• Financial Management: Support customer billing and invoicing, ensuring quality and on time customer payments.
• Compliance and Regulation: Identify and communicate areas of compliance risk and support processes and procedures.
• Quality Assurance: Understand and learn customer objectives, challenges and needs. Regularly check in with customers to gather feedback and ensure their ongoing satisfaction with products and/or services. Serve as a reliable and responsive point of contact for customer questions, concerns, needs and/or inquiries.
• Performance Monitoring: Monitor and track customer satisfaction, loyalty, and retention metrics. Take proactive measures to address customer concerns and improve the customer experience.
• Continuous Improvement and Process Optimization: Stay informed about industry and competitive trends, best practices, and regulatory requirements. Provide guidance and recommendations to internal teams and customers. Contribute to, support, and participate in continuous improvement projects related to customer feedback and competitive analysis.
• Products and Services: Implement sales of new and enhanced products and services with current customers. Collaborate in the development of sales materials.
• Business and Sales Growth: Enable business and sales growth by identifying and pursuing opportunities for upselling and cross-selling additional products and services to current partners.
• Communication: Participate in industry conferences, events, and networking opportunities to promote sustainability efforts and build relationships with customers and partners.
• Risk and Resource Management: Identify risks and vulnerabilities based on customer experience and feedback. Partner to develop and implement mitigation strategies.
• Technology Integration: Support the implementation, management, enhancement, and use of all operationally focused technology tools. Use technology tools to ensure quality data collection and customer transparency.
• Building Strong Relationships: Develop and maintain strong relationships with district and school leadership, ensuring ongoing engagement and satisfaction.
• Evaluating Customer Commitment: Assess and evaluate customer commitment levels, identifying opportunities to enhance their experience and loyalty.
• New Customer Development: Drive the development of new customers by identifying potential leads, cultivating relationships, and converting prospects into satisfied clients.
• Market Expansion: Research and recommend strategies for expanding into new markets and states, helping GLP grow its presence and reach.
  
  
  

JOB SPECIFICATIONS

Education, Experience, and Credentials

• Bachelor's degree in a related field is required; an advanced degree is a plus.
• At least 10 years of experience in sales, fundraising, customer services, or client services.
• Experience in K-12 educational settings with a background in literacy is a plus.
• Experience using Salesforce or other CRM software to manage customer relationships and sales processes is a plus
• Ability and willingness to work in a hybrid environment, remotely from home office and in person at the GLO offices.
• Ability and willingness to travel up to 25%.
  
  
  

Knowledge, Skills, And Abilities

• Verbal and Written Communication: Ability to clearly and persuasively communicate complex information in a straightforward manner, both orally and in writing.
• Active Listening: Proficiency in listening to understand client needs, concerns, and feedback to tailor responses effectively.
• Negotiation and Persuasion: Skill in negotiating terms and persuading potential partners or clients to align with business objectives.
• Presentation Skills: Competence in preparing and delivering engaging presentations to various stakeholders.
• Interpersonal Skills: Building rapport, maintaining relationships, and managing conflicts effectively with clients and partners.
• Problem-Solving: Ability to identify issues, analyze problems, and develop solutions quickly and effectively.
• Product/Service Knowledge: Understand the science of reading programs, products or services offered, including features, benefits, and competitive advantages.
• Market and Industry Trends: Awareness of market dynamics, industry trends, and competitor activities to tailor communications and strategies.
• Sales Processes and Techniques: Familiarity with sales cycles, lead generation, prospecting, closing techniques, and CRM tools.
• Customer Relationship Management: Knowledge of customer lifecycle management, retention strategies, and customer satisfaction metrics.
• Brand and Messaging Guidelines: Understanding of the company's brand voice, messaging, and positioning to maintain consistency in communications.
• Customer Focus: Ability to deliver in a customer-focused organization with high levels of customer service, responding promptly and thoroughly to the inquiries and needs of individuals both internal and external to the organization, as applicable.
• Diversity, Equity, Inclusion: Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion through continuous development, and modeling inclusive behaviors.
• OKRs and KPIs: Ability to work towards shared objectives and goals through frameworks such as Objectives and Key Results (OKRs) and Key Performance Indicators (KPIs).
• Data-based Decision Making: Demonstrated ability to use data to make decisions.
• Problem-Solving: Problem-solving abilities and capacity to implement effective solutions.
• Work Independently: Ability to work independently and make decisions autonomously.
• Technology: Knowledge of Google Suite applications and Microsoft Teams applications.
  
  
  

Physical Requirements

The employee must be able to:

• Hear, speak, and effectively verbally communicate in the English language, including following oral and written instructions, in order to communicate with people inside and outside the organization.
• Apply manual dexterity and visual acuity for computer keyboarding and office equipment use and to review detailed reports and information.
• Move around the school and office area repeatedly throughout the day.
  
  
  

This job description may not necessarily contain all of the functions and requirements of the position. Employees may be requested to perform additional duties and tasks at any time. Groves Academy reserves the right to revise and update this job description at any time.