VP, Academic Partnerships

VP of Academic Partnerships (Part-time)

Location: Remote or Hybrid
Reports to: CEO, Lawson Kuehnert
Level: Senior Leadership

About Outset

Outset is building transformative pre-college experiences for ambitious students exploring careers in medicine and healthcare. Through immersive, hands-on programs hosted with leading academic institutions and healthcare organizations, we help students gain early exposure to the real world of medicine, clinical practice, and health innovation.

We are seeking a Part-time (10-20 hours per week), Remote, VP of Academic Partnerships to lead and expand Outset’s university, medical center, and academic institution relationships. This is a senior leadership role responsible for shaping and executing our partnership strategy, deepening institutional trust, and ensuring our programs are built on strong, high-quality academic collaborations.

The Role

The VP of Academic Partnerships will build and manage relationships with universities, medical schools, hospitals, medical centers, and other key academic stakeholders, serving as a primary external representative of the company alongside the CEO.

This role is ideal for someone who has experience working in key account sales or educational partnerships and combines executive presence with strong business judgment, understands how academic institutions operate, and can turn relationships into durable, mission-aligned partnerships. The VP of Academic Partnerships will work closely with the CEO and cross-functional leaders across program, operations, legal, and growth.

What You’ll Do

• Build, negotiate, and manage relationships with universities, academic departments, medical centers, simulation centers, and related institutions
• Identify new institutional partnership opportunities and drive them from prospecting through signed agreement and long-term renewal
• Serve as the senior point of contact for partner institutions, building trust with administrators, faculty, program directors, and external stakeholders
• Lead partnership negotiations, including scope, economics, brand usage, operational expectations, and renewal terms
• Collaborate with legal and leadership on contracts, risk management, compliance, and institutional approvals
• Create systems for partner communication, relationship tracking, renewal planning, and issue escalation
• Represent Outset in senior external meetings, campus visits, conferences, and strategic discussions

What We’re Looking For

• 10+ years of experience in partnerships, key accounts business development, higher education leadership, university relations, healthcare partnerships, or a related field
• Significant experience working with universities, academic medical centers, hospitals, or other complex businesses or institutions
• Proven track record of sourcing, negotiating, and managing high-value strategic partnerships
• Strong understanding of how higher education and academic healthcare institutions make decisions and evaluate external partners
• Exceptional relationship-builder with strong executive presence and communication skills
• Comfortable operating in a fast-moving, entrepreneurial environment while engaging sophisticated external stakeholders
• Highly organized and able to manage multiple high-stakes relationships simultaneously
• Mission-driven and excited by the opportunity to expand access to meaningful educational experiences for students

What Success Looks Like

In this role, success means:

• Expanding Outset’s network of high-quality university and medical center partners
• Building long-term, trusted institutional relationships that support repeatable program growth
• Increasing the quality, credibility, and distinctiveness of Outset’s academic offerings
• Creating a scalable partnership function with strong systems, clear communication, and excellent execution
• Serving as a trusted strategic advisor to the CEO on partnerships and external institutional strategy

Why Join Outset

This is an opportunity to play a defining leadership role at a mission-driven company operating at the intersection of education, healthcare, and career exploration. You’ll help shape the institutional relationships that power our programs and influence how students access transformative early experiences in medicine and healthcare. If you are excited to build enduring academic partnerships, represent a high-growth education company at the highest level, and help create exceptional opportunities for students, we’d love to hear from you.