The Sr. Manager, Partner Operations will unify and lead three teams that sit at the center of how WFE acquires, activates, and delivers value to employer clients: Implementation, Platform Operations, and Solutions Consulting.
This role is responsible for the client partner lifecycle — from configuring and launching new employer clients, to managing ongoing platform health and client experience, to providing technical consulting that turns client requirements into scalable solutions. These three functions are deeply interdependent, and this role exists to ensure they operate as one coherent system with a consistent focus on client value realization.
This is a builder's role. The Sr. Manager, Partner Operations will define how these teams work together, set standards for client-facing excellence, and build the operational infrastructure — including SOPs, KPIs, and SLAs in partnership with the Ops Excellence function — that supports WFE's growth without proportional headcount growth.
Essential Duties & Responsibilities:
TEAM LEADERSHIP & MANAGEMENT
- Lead and develop three distinct teams — Implementation, Platform Operations, and Solutions Consulting — ensuring each has clear goals, strong operating rhythms, and effective people management.
- Manage team leads and senior ICs within each function, providing coaching, feedback, and professional development.
- Set performance standards, run regular 1:1s, and build a culture of accountability and continuous improvement across the combined team.
- Partner with HR on hiring, onboarding, and team structure as the organization scales.
- Partner with the Ops Excellence Sr. Manager and the Product Operations Manager, WFE Platform and Services — both direct reports to the Sr. Director — to develop and maintain SOPs, KPIs, and SLAs for Partner Operations functions, and be accountable to those standards.
IMPLEMENTATION
- Own the end-to-end process for onboarding new employer clients to the Workforce Edge platform — from contract execution through go-live, including initial educational provider configuration.
- Ensure implementations are completed on time, within scope, and result in a client that is configured correctly and ready to transact.
- Oversee the initial implementation and platform configuration of new educational providers — ensuring that provider program structures, eligibility rules, and data specifications are correctly set up in WFE prior to go-live; ongoing provider data management and financial operations are owned by Enrollment & Financial Operations.
- Build and maintain implementation playbooks, project templates, and quality checklists that reduce time-to-launch and error rates.
- Partner with Sales and Account Management to manage handoffs and set appropriate expectations for new clients.
- Identify patterns in implementation challenges and work cross-functionally to address root causes in product, process, or client readiness.
PLATFORM OPERATIONS
- Oversee the Platform Operations team responsible for managing the day-to-day technical and operational health of active employer client accounts.
- Ensure platform configurations are accurate, integrations are functioning, and data flowing between WFE and clients is correct and timely.
- Define and monitor SLAs for platform-related issues, escalations, and configuration changes.
- Partner with Product and Engineering to prioritize technical issues that affect client experience.
- Own backend systems accuracy — ensuring client records, benefit configurations, and platform settings reflect current client agreements.
CLIENT VALUE & COMMERCIALITY
- Ensure clients are actively realizing value from the Workforce Edge platform — driving adoption, utilization, and measurable outcomes tied to client benefit objectives.
- Partner with Account Management to identify at-risk clients, surface usage gaps, and develop action plans that demonstrably improve client experience and outcomes.
- Support renewal and expansion conversations by ensuring operational health metrics and client success stories are documented and accessible.
- Champion a commercially-minded approach across Partner Operations teams — framing platform work in terms of client value delivered, not just tasks completed.
SOLUTIONS CONSULTING
- Lead the Solutions Consulting team responsible for translating complex client requirements into technical and operational solutions.
- Ensure the team provides expert guidance to employer clients on how to configure and maximize the Workforce Edge platform for their workforce and benefit needs.
- Develop reusable frameworks, decision trees, and consultation playbooks that enable consistent, high-quality client advisory.
- Partner with Sales and Account Management on complex renewals, expansions, and new business pursuits that require technical solutioning.
CROSS-FUNCTIONAL LEADERSHIP
- Serve as the operational owner of the client lifecycle from launch through ongoing platform stewardship.
- Represent Partner Operations in cross-functional planning, product roadmap discussions, and escalation forums.
- Build strong partnerships with Enrollment & Financial Operations, Sales, Product, and Finance to ensure seamless handoffs and shared accountability for client outcomes.
- Contribute to WFE's operating model by identifying opportunities to standardize, automate, or improve client-facing processes.
Job Skills:
- Ability to lead multiple teams simultaneously, each with distinct functional expertise, and align them toward shared outcomes.
- Strong operational mindset — comfortable building processes, setting standards, and holding teams accountable to them.
- Experience managing partner-facing teams in a SaaS, edtech, or benefits administration environment.
- Technical aptitude sufficient to understand platform configurations, integration protocols, and data exchange standards — and to make informed decisions about them.
- Ability to navigate complex cross-functional relationships and influence without direct authority.
- Strong communication skills, with the ability to translate technical concepts for business audiences and business requirements for technical teams.
- Data-driven approach to performance management — comfortable defining metrics, tracking trends, and using data to prioritize work.
Work Experience:
- 8+ years of relevant experience in operations, client success, implementation, or technical account management roles. 4+ years of leadership experience with at 2+ years of experience managing managers or leading multiple teams.
- Experience in a SaaS platform or benefits administration environment strongly preferred.
- Track record of building or scaling operational functions, including developing playbooks, SOPs, and team structures.
- Experience working cross-functionally with Product, Engineering, Sales, and Finance.
- Demonstrated ability to lead teams through change and ambiguity.
Education:
- Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree a plus.
Other:
- Must be able to travel occasionally should a business need arise. For most roles travel would not be common. Travel may involve plane, car or metro. In accordance with ADA policies, reasonable accommodations regarding travel limitations can be provided. Travel will be more common for roles such as Account Executives (25 - 50%), senior leaders (10 – 20%) or Capella Core Faculty (5 – 10%).
- Ability to work onsite in Corporate or Campus location (in a typical office environment) may be required based on role. If so, this would include being mobile within the office, including movement from floor-to-floor using elevators or stairs.
- If offsite or hybrid role, must have access to work in setting which enables meeting all requirements of the role (including privacy, reliable internet access, phone, ability to video conference, etc.) at a remote location.
- Faculty and Federal Work Study roles require access to work in setting which enables meeting all requirements of the role (including computer, privacy, reliable internet access, phone, ability to video conference, etc.) at a remote location.
- This role may require lifting, however reasonable accommodations will be provided in accordance with our ADA policies.
- Must be able to meet critical thinking and problem solving aspects aligned to job duties, as well as effectively communicating with co-workers.
- Must be able to work more than 40 hours per week when business needs warrant. Accommodations related to schedule may be considered.
- Able to access information using a computer.
- Other essential functions and marginal job functions are subject to modification.
SEI offers a comprehensive package of benefits to employees scheduled 30 hours or more per week. In addition to medical, dental, vision, life and disability plans, SEI employees may take advantage of well-being incentives, parental leave, paid time off, certain paid holidays, tax saving accounts (FSA, HSA), 401(k) retirement benefit, Employee Stock Purchase Plan, tuition assistance as well as entertainment and retail discounts. Non-exempt employees are eligible for overtime pay, if applicable.
Careers - Our Benefits, Strategic Education, Inc
SEI is an equal opportunity employer committed to fostering an inclusive and collaborative culture where individuals can grow their careers and contribute fully. We strive to attract talent with broad experiences, skills and perspectives. We welcome applications from all. While it is not typical for an individual to be hired at or near the top end of the pay range at SEI, we offer a competitive salary. The actual base pay offered to the successful candidate may vary depending on multiple factors including, but not limited to, job-related knowledge/skills, experience, business needs, geographical location, and internal pay equity. Our Talent Acquisition Team is ready to discuss your interest in joining SEI. The expected salary range for this position is below.
$119,300.00 - $178,900.00 - Salary
If you require reasonable accommodations to complete our application process, please contact our Human Resources Department at Careers@strategiced.com.
