Account Director, Education

About the role

The Account Director, Education owns the end-to-end sales lifecycle for a designated territory, prospecting and engaging senior education leaders at four-year universities, community colleges, and emerging high schools to drive new business growth. This role requires building a structured and repeatable sales process that aligns with Coursera and Udemy's combined go-to-market strategy for scaling unique products across the integrated platform. The hire will leverage multiple communication channels to engage university presidents, provosts, chancellors, and deans while collaborating cross-functionally with internal stakeholders to convert complex education procurement decisions. Success is defined by meeting or exceeding established activity metrics, driving retention lifecycle actions, and identifying and executing expansion opportunities that hit quarterly and annual quotas. The position demands a customer-first builder mindset that moves fast, simplifies ruthlessly, and iterates relentlessly on metrics that matter in a fast-paced, globally distributed environment. The hire will also develop a comprehensive understanding of all product offerings, with a specific focus on buyers, education procurement processes, and for-credit use cases that expand value within existing accounts. This role is critical to shaping how the world discovers and builds skills at a pivotal moment of change for the combined company.

Key facts

What you'll do

Prospect, engage, and sell to senior education leaders across four-year institutions, community colleges, and high schools (emerging), as well as other business buying personas within your aligned territory.

Build pipeline for New business in your territory through targeted outreach and strategic account planning.

Ensure timely renewals and drive growth within existing assigned accounts to protect and expand recurring revenue.

Develop opportunities for cross-sell in established accounts via direct prospecting and partnership with the Sales Development team.

Meet or exceed established weekly and daily activity metrics, consistently drive retention lifecycle activities with install clients, and identify and execute on expansion opportunities to hit quarterly and annual quotas.

Develop a comprehensive understanding of all product offerings, with a focus on understanding buyers, education procurement processes, and expansion through for-credit use cases.

Stay informed about evolving business and technology challenges faced by clients to tailor solutions that address their strategic priorities.

Collaborate with internal stakeholders to design and execute tailored solutions that align with the combined Coursera and Udemy capabilities.

Own key stages of the sales cycle, including discovery, needs analysis, solutioning, and negotiation, to advance opportunities efficiently.

Maintain accurate and timely records in CRM to ensure visibility into pipeline health and enable data-driven decision-making.

Partner closely with Customer Success to identify at-risk accounts and implement retention strategies that strengthen long-term relationships.

Contribute to forecasting and quota attainment by providing reliable pipeline updates and realistic commitments.

Act as a trusted advisor to education leaders by demonstrating deep expertise in digital skills, learning outcomes, and measurable impact.

Leverage data and insights to refine selling strategies and continuously improve conversion rates across the territory.

Requirements

8+ years of progressive experience in enterprise software sales, with a strong track record in education, technology, or related sectors.

Demonstrated success selling to C-suite and senior leadership at large institutions, including universities, community colleges, and school districts.

Proven ability to manage complex, long-cycle sales processes involving multiple stakeholders and decision-makers.

Experience navigating public sector or education procurement processes, including compliance, purchasing, and contracting requirements.

Strong command of consultative selling techniques and the ability to translate client needs into tailored solutions.

Exceptional verbal and written communication skills, with the capacity to present to senior executives and technical audiences.

Self-driven mindset with the discipline to prioritize multiple opportunities and manage a high volume of activities in a fast-paced environment.

Comfort working within a globally distributed, hybrid-first team structure, with experience collaborating across time zones.

Willingness to travel domestically within the United States for customer meetings, industry events, and team gatherings as required.

Commitment to upholding Coursera and Udemy standards as a trusted advisor and brand representative in all interactions.

Practical notes

Hours, travel, visa, or deadlines stated in SOURCE.

Willingness to travel domestically within the United States for customer meetings, industry events, and team gatherings as required.