Director of Strategic Partnerships

Title: Director of Strategic Partnerships

Company Overview:

Do you enjoy making a difference in a child's life, transforming education, and evolving learning? Come join Teachstone, the interaction company! Teachstone® was founded in 2008 to deliver the Classroom Assessment Scoring System® (CLASS®) nationwide and around the globe. Developed through years of research, the CLASS observation tool measures the interactions between teachers and children, which have been shown to drive learning and lifelong achievement. Teachstone helps organizations conduct classroom observations and provides professional development so that teachers improve, and children learn more. Our online subscription service, myTeachstone, simplifies CLASS implementation by combining observation data with a robust library of CLASS resources and professional development.

At Teachstone, everything we do is about improving the ways teachers interact with their students. We train coaches and observers, build and deliver online support programs, design professional development – all of it grounded in one proven fact: the interactions teachers have with students have a lasting impact on their academic and developmental success. By helping educators describe, measure and improve their interactions and relationships with students, Teachstone is transforming education nationwide, one interaction at a time.

Role Overview:

Teachstone is seeking a visionary, relationship-driven Director of Strategic Partnerships to steward the long-term success and growth of our most important client relationships. This role is central to our mission: ensuring our largest and most complex partners not only receive exceptional service, but also realize the full strategic value of partnering with Teachstone to advance educator-child interactions at scale.

This is not a traditional account management role. The Director of Strategic Partnerships serves as the internal orchestrator for a portfolio of key client partnerships, working cross-functionally (without direct authority) to align a variety of teams within Teachstone toward shared client outcomes.

Role Responsibilities:

Client Strategy & Growth

• Own the strategic vision and multi-year roadmap for at least five strategic partnerships (state agencies, large districts, federal partners, private child care providers).
• Establish and expand upon Teachstone’s relationship as a trusted partner with a wide range of individuals within client’s organization
• Leverage renewals as an opportunity to create agreements that position Teachstone to have a demonstrable positive impact on partner organizations 
• Prepare and lead executive briefings, strategic business reviews, and impact storytelling that fuels expansion.

Cross-Functional Leadership

• Lead internal partnership planning processes that align all departments around shared goals for each strategic partner.
• Serve as the single point of strategic accountability across internal teams for assigned accounts.
• Facilitate continuous improvement cycles for each project team anchored in data on the team’s progress toward demonstrable outcomes 
• Drive resolution of escalated issues with a focus on long-term relationship impact.

Insight Generation & Advocacy

• Capture and synthesize client feedback, CLASS data, and implementation learnings to generate actionable insights that other functional and project teams can make use of.
• Advocate internally for client needs, elevating system-level risks or opportunities to leadership.
• Support product and service refinement by channeling voice-of-customer insights back into Teachstone’s roadmap.

Internal Enablement & Scaling

• Contribute to the development of key account playbooks, renewal strategies, and insight-sharing templates.
• Mentor colleagues on best practices in strategic partnership engagement.
• Help define the operational rhythms and infrastructure needed to scale strategic partnership management at Teachstone.

Role Qualifications:

• 7+ years in strategic partnerships, customer success, or similar role
• Proven ability to lead without authority across cross-functional teams to drive results.
• Track record of managing high-value, high-stakes partnerships with complex scopes or political stakeholders.
• Exceptional communicator: skilled in executive-level messaging, internal influence, and conflict navigation.
• Analytical and insight-driven: comfortable turning data and qualitative feedback into strategy.

Preferred Experience:

• Deep knowledge of early childhood education, K–12 systems, government contracting, or impact measurement.
• Familiarity with the CLASS framework or adjacent educational quality tools.
• Success within a growth-stage organization 

Key Competencies

• Strategic Thinking & Systems Orientation
• Relationship Stewardship
• Cross-Functional Influence
• Insight Generation
• Change Navigation
• Executive Presence

What We Offer:

• Fair, Competitive Pay:  We ensure equal pay for equal work, using consistent salary bands based on market benchmarks, reviewed annually. Prior salaries, negotiation skills, or fear of conflict don’t influence your pay.
• Salary Range: $115,000 – $135,000
• Comprehensive benefits: Medical/dental, 401(k), PTO, insurance, development opportunities. Details provided at offer. Eligibility depends on your role and employment status.

Ready to Make a Difference?

At Teachstone, we believe that every interaction shapes a brighter future. If you're passionate about transforming education and want to be part of a team that's committed to meaningful impact, we want to hear from you. Apply today and help us create classrooms where every child thrives!

We encourage all individuals to apply and bring their unique perspectives to our team. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, gender, gender identity, sexual orientation, protected veteran status, disability, age, or any other characteristic protected by law. We value the different experiences and ideas our team members bring and believe they are essential to solving complex challenges and driving our mission forward.