Head of Strategy and Partnerships - Contract Role Location - London/Hybrid (with UK-wide travel) Contract: Full-time About the Role: My client is looking for a strategic and entrepreneurial senior leader to shape and deliver their Strategy and Partnerships. As the Head of Strategy and Partnerships, you’ll play a pivotal role in driving forward an ambitious plan in engagement — curating a distinctive UK-wide portfolio of events, content, and networks that support our alumni’s growth journey beyond the course. Key Responsibilities: Develop and implement a future-focused strategy. Lead the development of segmented engagement plans and research-driven support initiatives. Align with wider government SME strategy and write proposals for senior approval. Build and deepen partnerships with stakeholders, universities, and delivery partners across the UK. Collaborate with curriculum leads, advisory councils, and academic experts. Work closely with the Head of Marketing and Demand Generation to shape compelling outreach campaigns. Oversee segmentation and policy intervention delivery across alumni cohorts. Lead the production of a national alumni event programme, including 4 major UK events and a year-round webinar series. Line management of 2 staff. Ensure all communications and events maintain exceptional service standards, with high engagement and measurable outcomes. What We’re Looking For: Essential: Proven experience in engagement, knowledge exchange, or similar roles in higher education, trade associations, or commercial membership organisations. Ability to secure partnerships the business can develop to support in offerings for the alumni or support in delivering events. Demonstrated leadership in building and managing high-performing teams. Strong background in event production, programme development, and strategic delivery. Experience working closely with marketing and communications teams to generate compelling content and campaigns. Skilled at managing multiple stakeholders, with exceptional collaboration and influencing abilities. Ability to monetize. Commercially savvy, with budget and operations management experience. Excellent verbal and written communication, and confident in producing formal strategy papers and presentations. Strategic thinker with outstanding project and portfolio management skills. Desirable: Experience in developing sponsorship or partnership packages. Familiarity with CRM systems and using data for engagement strategy development. Knowledge of SME challenges and policy frameworks supporting their growth.