Company
Learning.com believes that when K-12 students, regardless of their circumstances, develop healthy and proficient relationships with technology, they are better equipped to improve academic outcomes, develop practical life skills, and foster more meaningful connections with others. Founded in 1999, the company partners with millions of students, educators, district administrators and state legislators to prepare students for success in the digital world. Learning.com has earned more than 30 industry awards including the Award of Excellence from “Tech & Learning;” ISTE Best of Show; “The Oregonian’s Top Workplace”, and the Employee Resource Group Council’s “Diversity Impact Awards” 2023 and 2022.
Learning.com delivers engaging and effective lessons, professional development and easy-to-use K-12 platforms – EasyTech and EasyCode – that adapts to meet the unique needs of students and educators in developing digital citizenship, computer science, coding, artificial intelligence, and fundamental digital skills. These skills include keyboarding, and online communication and collaboration tools, all available as standalone courses or integrated within an existing core curriculum.
At Learning.com we accomplish our goals by attracting, developing, and retaining exceptional employees representing different experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives.
The Private Equity Investors
Lumos Capital Group is an impact investment firm focused on the human capital development sector globally. Human capital is all the knowledge, talent, skills, values, and judgment that we possess. They believe that investing in human capital means investing in their capacity for innovation and ability to create value for each other – everything that helps to create and fulfill human potential. They focus specifically on high growth private companies developing innovative technologies and platforms in education technology, knowledge services and human capital development. Their mission is to be the leading partner for entrepreneurs building transformational companies that are defining the future of human capital.
Opportunity
Reporting to the SVP of Sales and Customer Success, the Managing Director of Business Development will be responsible for leading the company’s strategic expansion through state-level sales relationships, building and nurturing connections with key education stakeholders, including state legislators and departments of education.
Primary responsibilities:
Account Management and Relationship Building:
- Leverage existing state-level relationships and contracts to influence state policy related to cultivating digital skills to build students’ talents and provide equitable access to the development of these skills across the state.
- By cultivating these relationships, drive expansion, renewal, and increased impact within current Learning.com state partners.
- Serve as an internal advocate to ensure Learning.com’s state partners are maximizing the impact and utilization of these solutions to not only develop the skills, but ensure the students have the confidence to engage in instructional areas they never imagined they could/would.
New Business Development
- By understanding the unique needs of states to drive impact to educators, students and communities, cultivate new relationships within state departments of education, legislators, and other key stakeholders to expand reach in new target states through state-level contracts and funding.
- Leverage industry events and conferences to network, identify new opportunities, and position Learning.com as a thought leader in digital literacy.
Collaboration and Coordination
- Work closely with Learning.com’s lobbyist network to influence state policy and legislation around digital literacy requirements and funding.
- Collaborate with community stakeholders in states to identify creative approaches to support state digital literacy needs.
- Work cross-functionally with the sales leadership, marketing, product, and customer success teams to develop and execute strategic sales plans, align messaging and collateral with market needs, and ensure seamless onboarding and implementation of solutions while identifying opportunities for upsell and renewal.
Research and Analytics
- Develop and present comprehensive reports to state partners, detailing program performance, challenges, and actionable recommendations to optimize outcomes.
- Ability to define success criteria of the Digital Literacy program with State Partners and legislators.
- Monitor market trends and competitor activity to inform sales strategies, aligning efforts with broader organizational goals and providing regular updates to executive leadership.
Ideal Candidate
You are a dynamic and strategic leader with exceptional relationship-building skills, able to connect with diverse state-level stakeholders and influence decision-making at the highest levels. Your communication, interpersonal abilities, tenacity and creative problem solving will enable you to navigate complex challenges, craft compelling narratives, and inspire collaboration across teams, communities and states, all while maintaining focus on delivering impactful results.
You should have the following experiences and skill sets:
- Proven ability to build and maintain strong relationships with state-level decision-makers and influencers, including legislators, department of education officials, policy influencers, community leaders and student safety advocates and associations
- Experience and credibility in speaking with states about education solutions with a balance of strong sales and education acumen, with a successful track record of navigating complex procurement processes and negotiating favorable contracts.
- Demonstrated ability to influence state policy and legislation, driving legislative change and securing state-level funding for education initiatives.
- Strong strategic thinking skills with the ability to develop and execute complex sales agreements involving multiple stakeholders, along with creative problem-solving to tailor solutions to meet state-specific needs and funding requirements.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to craft compelling reports and articulate the value of solutions to key state stakeholders, negotiate contracts, and close deals effectively.
- Proven ability to manage multiple state-level initiatives, consultants, and priorities effectively in a fast-paced, results-focused environment, while balancing independent work and team collaboration.
- Familiarity with the political dynamics, decision-making processes, and unique challenges faced by state departments of education, enabling the recommendation and implementation of appropriate solutions.
Learn More
The Knowledge Leaders search process is thorough and may include: a written assessment, multiple interviews (recorded and in person), background and social media checks, employment and education verifications, a drug screen, and professional reference checking. After all, our mission is to transform education by recruiting the best world leaders.
Submit your resume to Todd Hand at Knowledge Leaders.
Knowledge Leaders, LLC provides equal employment opportunities to all applicants and candidates for employment. Knowledge Leaders, LLC prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws.
