Senior Level Program Executive Jobs

Description

Salary Range:

Salary commensurate with experience and qualifications

About SMU

SMU’s more than 12,000 diverse, high-achieving students come from all 50 states and over 80 countries to take advantage of the University’s small classes, meaningful research opportunities, leadership development, community service, international study and innovative programs.

SMU serves approximately 7,000 undergraduates and 5,000 graduate students through eight degree-granting schools: Dedman College of Humanities and Sciences, Cox School of Business, Lyle School of Engineering, Meadows School of the Arts, Simmons School of Education and Human Development, Dedman School of Law, Perkins School of Theology and Moody School of Graduate and Advanced Studies.

SMU is data driven, and its powerful supercomputing ecosystem – paired with entrepreneurial drive – creates an unrivaled environment for the University to deliver research excellence.

Now in its second century of achievement, SMU is recognized for the ways it supports students, faculty and alumni as they become ethical, enterprising leaders in their professions and communities. SMU’s relationship with Dallas – the dynamic center of one of the nation’s fastest-growing regions – offers unique learning, research, social and career opportunities that provide a launch pad for global impact.

SMU is nonsectarian in its teaching and committed to academic freedom and open inquiry.

About the Position:

This role is an on-campus, in-person position.

The Managing Director, Business Development, is responsible for generating new revenue and expanding strategic client relationships for Cox Executive Education. Under the direction of the Senior Assistant Dean of Executive Education & Strategic Partnerships and the Senior Managing Director of Business Development, the role develops and manages a portfolio of corporate, public-sector, and nonprofit accounts; identifies business priorities that can be addressed through executive education; and leads the consultative sales process from prospecting and qualification through proposal, negotiation, and close.

Working with senior decision-makers, faculty, and internal partners, the Managing Director translates client needs into commercially viable solutions while maintaining accountability for pipeline health, revenue, margin, and account growth.

The ideal candidate is a business development or sales leader with a record of generating revenue, building pipelines, closing complex B2B solutions, and expanding accounts.

Essential Functions:

• New Business Development and Prospecting:Build and execute an account development plan aligned with Executive Education priorities and verticals. Identify target organizations and decision-makers; generate leads through outreach, referrals, events, conferences, alumni and faculty networks, social selling, and partner channels; and qualify opportunities based on strategic fit, need, timing, budget, and revenue potential.

• 
  Consultative Sales and Opportunity Management: Lead discovery with senior executives and organizational stakeholders to understand business priorities, performance challenges, desired outcomes, decision criteria, and purchasing processes. Shape compelling solutions in partnership with faculty and internal experts; develop proposals, pricing, budgets, and business cases; negotiate terms; and close agreements consistent with revenue, margin, and policy requirements.

• 
  Strategic Account Growth and Client Relationships:Own relationships with a portfolio of priority accounts. Develop account plans, map stakeholders, maintain executive-level engagement, identify cross-sell and renewal opportunities, and expand relationships across business units and service lines. Conduct post-engagement business reviews focused on client value, future needs, referrals, renewals, and additional opportunities.

• 
  Pipeline, Forecasting, and Sales Performance:Maintain complete and timely Salesforce records for leads, contacts, opportunities, activities, next steps, probability, expected close dates, revenue, and margin. Provide accurate forecasts and pipeline reports; monitor conversion, sales-cycle, win-rate, and account-growth metrics; and take corrective action to maintain sufficient pipeline coverage.

• 
  Sales-to-Delivery Transition and Internal Partnership:Coordinate the transition of sold/closed programs to the Client Engagement Team, ensuring the agreed-upon scope, financials, client commitments, and success criteria are clearly communicated. Collaborate with Business Operations, Marketing, faculty, and other internal stakeholders to support proposals, pricing, client engagement, and business development goals. Remain engaged as the commercial relationship owner while the delivery team manages program execution.

• 
  Occasional evening or weekend work as required by program and event schedules.

• 
  Occasional travel to meet clients and prospects and attend conferences.

Qualifications

Education and Experience:

A Bachelor’s degree is required, preferably in Business Administration (BBA). A Master's degree in Business Administration (MBA) is preferred.

A minimum of seven (7) years of business development experience in professional services, university executive education, consulting, or another service-based organization is required.

Experience or industry expertise in one or more of the following sectors is also required: healthcare, energy and oil and gas, technology, manufacturing, consumer products, transportation, legal services, nonprofit, defense, or aerospace.

Experience in new business development, consultative selling, and complex B2B solutions is required. Proven ability to develop professional networks and negotiate effectively is preferred. Experience in executive education, professional services, consulting, or other relationship-driven industries desired.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

Candidate must demonstrate strong interpersonal and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate broadly across the University and develop and maintain effective relationships with a wide range of constituencies. Must also demonstrate strong written communication skills. Demonstrated ability to establish credibility, build rapport, and deliver value to senior-level clients is essential. Proven ability to develop professional networks and negotiate effectively is preferred.

Candidate must possess strong problem-solving skills with the ability to identify and analyze problems, as well as devise solutions. Must also have strong organizational, planning and time management skills.

Candidate must have a strong business acumen, executive presence, and the ability to establish credibility, influence decision-making, and build trusted relationships with C-suite executives and key stakeholders.

Candidate must have a strong working knowledge of Microsoft Office (Outlook, PowerPoint, Excel, and Word), Adobe, and the ability to use a customer relationship management (CRM) system, such as Salesforce.

Physical and Environmental Demands:

• Carry/lift 25 lbs.
• Sit for long periods of time
• Stand

Deadline to Apply:

The position is open until filled.

Priority consideration may be given to submissions received by October 13, 2026.

EEO Statement

SMU is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, national origin, sex, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, sexual orientation, or gender identity and expression.

Benefits:

SMU offers staff a broad, competitive array of health and related benefits. In addition to traditional benefits such as health, dental, and vision plans, SMU offers a wide range of wellness programs to help attract, support, and retain our employees whose work continues to make SMU an outstanding education and research institution.

SMU is committed to providing an array of retirement programs that benefit and protect you and your family throughout your working years at SMU and, if you meet SMU's retirement eligibility criteria, during your retirement years after you leave SMU.

The value of learning at SMU isn't just about preparing our students for the future. Employees have access to a wide variety of professional and personal development opportunities, including tuition benefits.

Primary Location

Job

Organization

Schedule

Shift

Employee Status

Job Type

Job Level

Travel

Job Posting