Education Strategy & Development Analyst / Associate

About Constructor

Constructor is an international ecosystem spanning education, research and technology. Its education entities include Constructor University, a research university in Bremen, Germany, and partner institutions such as EBAC and Nexford University, together covering degree programs, online education and professional training on several continents. The group employs almost 1,000 people with entities in Europe, America, and Asia.

About the Role

Constructor is building a global education group: a research university in Bremen (top 400 by THE ranking 2027), online and professional education partners, and more institutions to come through acquisitions, partnerships and new campuses. This role is the analytical core of that build-out. It exists to answer, on a continuing basis, three questions for group leadership: where should Constructor expand, which institutions are worth acquiring or partnering with, and how should our institutions operate.

The work is two-sided. You keep a standing pipeline of universities, colleges and school groups under review and bring recommendations on the ones worth pursuing; and you study how the best-run institutions in the sector work, so that their models and practices feed into the strategy of Constructor University and the group's other education entities. The immediate priority is the next campus for Constructor University, which has outgrown its Bremen campus and needs to teach an increasing share of its students outside Germany. You will own the analysis and the recommendations; negotiation and closing are led by the Head of Strategy & Corporate Development, to whom the role reports. You will work directly with group leadership, the management of our education entities and external advisors. Title and level depend on experience.

Key Responsibilities

Expansion Pipeline

• Maintain a standing pipeline of universities, colleges, K-12 groups and campus locations across priority countries
• Evaluate entry models for each market (acquisition, partnership, branch campus, repurposing existing facilities) and recommend which fits
• Produce country briefs: regulation for private and foreign-owned institutions, student visa regime, market structure, main operators
• Keep in regular contact with the people who run, advise and regulate education in target markets: university and school leadership, operators, regulators, brokers and partners, so the group hears about opportunities and changes early

Institutional Diligence

• Lead diligence on shortlisted institutions: academic and operating model, management and ownership, accreditation and regulatory position
• Build the financial case: normalised P&L, unit economics per student, enrolment and capacity scenarios, valuation against comparable transactions
• Form an independent recommendation on each target and defend it with group leadership
• Support senior management once a target moves into a transaction, including advisor coordination and post-acquisition planning

Education Models & Group Strategy

• Study the business models and best practices of leading and fast-growing education groups and institutions, and turn them into benchmarks: revenue and cost structure, staffing, programme economics, growth models
• Apply them, with the leadership of our own institutions, to Constructor University and the group's other education entities: operating-model reviews, growth and location strategy, new programmes and formats
• Prepare materials for group leadership and board discussions on the education business, and take on special projects as the group's education strategy develops
• Keep the group's record of institutions reviewed and the documentation behind each recommendation complete and current

Requirements

• 2-5 years in top-tier strategy consulting, transaction advisory, or corporate development / strategy at an education or other multi-site group
• Sharp analytical thinking: able to structure an unfamiliar market or institution quickly and get to a decision-ready view; comfortable with the numbers behind it
• Commercial judgment: able to tell an interesting institution from an attractive acquisition or campus opportunity
• Proactive and self-sufficient: finds the next question before being asked, does the underlying research personally and keeps stakeholders informed without being chased
• At ease building relationships with academics, operators and regulators across countries and cultures
• Able to present and defend a recommendation to senior management
• Interest in how universities work as businesses and academic organisations; experience with education institutions is a plus, not a requirement
• Fluent English; other languages are very welcome

Benefits

• Help build an international education group, working on decisions that result in acquiring, partnering with or launching entire institutions
• See universities from both sides: evaluate new institutions and apply what you learn to the ones already in the group
• Work directly with the executives making acquisition, expansion and operating decisions
• Flexible location across our European offices or remote within Europe