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How to Apply

A cover letter and resume are important submissions for the hiring team to get a sense of your experience. In the cover letter, in two pages or less, please let us know how this role aligns with your career aspirations and skill set. Submit both a cover letter and resume as one file (because of system limitations).

Who We Are

Through curricular innovation, tools for student success, and educational research and analytics, the University of Michigan Center for Academic Innovation is building the future of education. Our vision is a future in which education connects and empowers learners everywhere to reach their full potential throughout their lives. To realize our vision, we make it our mission to collaborate across campus and around the world to create equitable, lifelong educational opportunities for learners everywhere.

About the Partnership Development Team

The Partnership Development team at the Center for Academic Innovation leads the delivery of partnerships that expand access to high-quality online learning through Michigan Online. We collaborate with external organizations and internal partners at CAI and beyond to design and implement cohort-based learning experiences aligned with workforce and community needs.

Our team serves as a key connector across the Center, working closely with Education Solutions, Course Operations, and Learning Experience Design to ensure partnerships are delivered with operational excellence and a strong partner experience. We build scalable delivery models, coordinate cross-functional execution, and translate partner goals into impactful learning engagements that extend the reach of the University of Michigan.

For more information, please visit our website: Academic Innovation.

Responsibilities*

Partnership Delivery

• Serve as the operational point of contact for assigned partners, growing into ownership of a defined portfolio.
• Lead end-to-end delivery of partnerships from mobilization through execution and close-out.
• Ensure fulfillment of contracted scope, timelines, and deliverables.
• Monitor partnership progress and proactively identify risks, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
• Support renewal and expansion efforts through strong delivery performance.
• Cultivate strong, professional relationships with partners through clear communication, responsiveness, and proactive engagement.
• Ensure a high-quality experience at every stage of the partnership lifecycle.
• Support issue resolution and stakeholder alignment with diplomacy and professionalism.

Service Model & Infrastructure Development

• Contribute to the refinement and implementation of scalable partnership delivery service models for both external and internal partners.
• Identify process improvements that enhance efficiency, clarity, and consistency across partnership engagements.
• Support the development of tools, templates, and systems that enable operational excellence at scale.

Cross-Functional Collaboration

• Strategically collaborate with Course Operations, Learning Experience Design, Education Solutions, and other CAI stakeholders to ensure coordinated execution.

• Align internal teams around partnership milestones, expectations, and responsibilities.

• Translate partner needs into actionable internal workstreams.
• Contribute to shared documentation and reporting systems (e.g., Salesforce, Asana).

Team & Student Fellow Development

• Contribute to the supervision and mentorship of CAI Fellows supporting partnership-related initiatives.
• Model strong project management practices and cross-team collaboration.

What You'll Do

The Center for Academic Innovation at the University of Michigan is seeking a qualified Partnership Enablement Specialist who will be responsible for supporting and leading the successful delivery of partnerships from mobilization through wrap-up. This role ensures that contracted scope is executed with operational rigor, cross-functional coordination, and a high standard of partner experience. The Specialist will report to the Strategic Partnerships Lead contributing to the development and refinement of comprehensive partnership delivery service models for external partners, helping to build scalable infrastructure that supports sustainable growth.

Required Qualifications*

• Bachelor's degree in business, education, communications, public administration, organizational development, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and relevant professional experience.
• 3-5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience in one of the following:
  • Learning and development, online education, or instructional initiatives with demonstrated aptitude for client services/account management; OR

  • Account management, client services, or partnership delivery with demonstrated interest in learning and development.

• Demonstrated success managing complex projects involving multiple stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Experience working in collaborative, cross-functional environments.
• Ability to learn and appropriately use new technologies to improve processes, communication, and outcomes, including AI-enabled tools where relevant to the role, consistent with university policy and job responsibilities.

Modes of Work

Positions that are eligible for hybrid or mobile/remote work mode are at the discretion of the hiring department. Work agreements are reviewed annually at a minimum and are subject to change at any time, and for any reason, throughout the course of employment. Learn more about the work modes.

The work requirements allow both onsite and offsite work and an employee has an expected recurring onsite presence. On occasion, the employee may be required and must be available to work onsite more frequently if necessitated by unit leadership or their designee and/or the job requirements.

Additional Information

Please Note: This is a 5 year term limited position with the possibility of renewal depending on funding.

Candidates must have legal authorization to work in the United States.

The mode of work for this position is Hybrid with a minimum of 4 days in the office per week, Monday through Thursday, with an option of remote work on Fridays. On occasion, you may be required and must be available to work onsite on Fridays if necessitated by our center's policy and domain leadership or by your job requirements.

The salary for this position will be based upon the selected candidate's education and experience.

We support the creative, responsible, and ethical use of AI tools to enhance our work, in alignment with institutional policies and best practices.

Excellent benefits are available, for details, see http://benefits.umich.edu/

Organizational Statement on Harassment

We believe all individuals deserve to be treated with respect and dignity and have the right to work in a professional atmosphere that promotes mutual respect and a safe space for collaboration. Any concerns shared with any staff members and student employees in the Center for Academic Innovation will be reported to the Equity, Civil Rights, & Title IX Office to be reviewed and addressed, and the Center for Academic Innovation encourages reporting of any forms of harassment including sexual and gender-based harassment

Salary Information

The general salary range for this position is $65,000 - $75,000. Candidates can expect to be paid a competitive and equitable salary. Factors used to determine salary include education level, experience, knowledge and skills for the position and salaries that are currently established within the unit. All candidates are encouraged to discuss salary questions to honor alignment and transparency throughout the recruiting process.

Background Screening

The University of Michigan conducts background checks on all job candidates upon acceptance of a contingent offer and may use a third party administrator to conduct background checks. Background checks will be performed in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act.

Application Deadline

Job openings are posted for a minimum of seven calendar days. This job may be removed from posting boards and filled anytime after the minimum posting period has ended.

Decision Making Process

Applications will be reviewed as received throughout the posting period and continue until the position is filled.

U-M EEO Statement

The University of Michigan is an equal employment opportunity employer.