Higher Education Industry Advisor

## About the role - Strategic Planning: Lead multi-year, multi-horizon digital transformation planning for multiple Higher Education accounts in the region. - Industry Leadership & Engagement: Serve as the Higher Education subject-matter expert in internal planning and customer engagements in the region. Provide thought leadership on education trends (AI-enabled learning, research innovation, policy shifts, security postures) and help co-create transformation visions and roadmaps with senior customer executives. - Solution Sales & Opportunity Origination: Own and drive high-impact solution selling in Higher Education from early opportunity development through to agreement and adoption. Originate, qualify, and advance large transformational cloud, security, & AI opportunities (e.g., M365 Copilot, agentic solutions). Identify new solution scenarios and relevant EdTech partners to address white-space needs and create new value for institutions. - Deal Orchestration: Lead and orchestrate complex, multi-stakeholder deals, aligning account teams, technical specialists, partners, and other internal stakeholders to ensure successful outcomes. Engage at CxO and board level to articulate end-state visions and compelling business cases (ROI, improved student outcomes, efficiency gains) that secure executive buy-in. Drive repeatable partner motions with education ISVs and global integrators to scale proven solutions. - Continuous Learning: Maintain deep expertise in relevant AI use cases for Higher Education. Stay current on industry developments, technology advances, and regulatory requirements. ## Requirements - Master's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Health Sciences, Supply Chain, Education, Business or related field AND 8+ years customer-facing experience in operations, enterprise-level improvement program management, product management, transportation, hospitality, automotive, consumer goods, financial services, retail, management consulting, consultative selling, public sector, technology or industry-relevant equivalent management or technical work experience - OR Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Information Technology, Engineering, Health Sciences, Supply Chain, Education, Business or related field AND 10+ years customer-facing experience in operations, enterprise-level improvement program management, product management, transportation, hospitality, automotive, consumer goods, financial services, retail, management consulting, consultative selling, public sector, technology or industry-relevant equivalent management or technical work experience - OR equivalent experience. - Extensive Higher Education sector experience with a proven history of advising or working closely with institutional leaders on digital transformation. - Demonstrated success originating and closing large, complex deals in the Higher Education or public sector, with tangible outcomes (e.g. improved student success, research productivity, operational efficiency). - Deep expertise in AI, security, and/or relevant cloud technologies (e.g., Azure OpenAI, M365 Copilot) and ability to map advanced capabilities to real-world education scenarios. - Understanding of education trends and challenges (digital learning, data privacy, funding and procurement mechanisms, etc.) and ability to translate these insights into strategic initiatives. - Exceptional executive presence and communication skills (persuasion, storytelling). - Proven ability to influence senior decision makers and clearly connect technology investments to business/mission outcomes. - Thought leadership and innovation mindset - public speaking, publishing, or other evidence of shaping industry conversations is a plus. - Language skills: Fluency in English (written & verbal) required; additional languages are an asset.