Higher Education Community & Partnerships Manager

TL;DR

Higher Education Community & Partnerships Manager: Owning the institutional growth strategy across universities and bootcamps with an accent on building relationships with academic leadership and driving curriculum integration. Focus on developing community programming from scratch and establishing Figma as the standard tool in design education.

Location: Must be based in the United States (Remote or hybrid in San Francisco/New York hubs).

Salary: $105,000 - $221,000 USD

Company

A collaborative design platform empowering teams to streamline workflows and create products together in real time.

What you will do

• Identify and cultivate a network of educators at top university and bootcamp programs.
• Partner with faculty to integrate design tools into course curricula and assignments.
• Collaborate with university technology centers to promote free education programs.
• Build and maintain relationships with deans, department chairs, and program leadership.
• Design and launch events and activations to champion the platform in academic settings.
• Measure and track adoption, engagement, and relationship depth across institutional partnerships.

Requirements

• 5+ years of experience in academic partnerships, faculty engagement, or institutional relationship management.
• Proven success influencing university leadership to drive institutional outcomes.
• Experience building programs or communities from scratch without a defined playbook.
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills tailored for academic audiences.
• Must be based in the United States.
• Ability to attend in-person onboarding.

Nice to have

• Experience as an educator or working directly within a university setting.
• Familiarity with design education, HCI programs, or creative disciplines.
• Background in community building and education marketing.
• Experience in a high-growth tech company or startup.

Culture & Benefits

• Competitive salary with equity and annual bonus plan.
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.
• Retirement plan with company contribution.
• Generous PTO, company recharge days, and parental leave.
• Learning & development stipend and work-from-home support.