Account Director, Hybrid

About EAB

At EAB , our mission is to make education smarter and our communities stronger. We work with more than 2,800 institutions to drive transformative change through data-driven insights and best-in-class capabilities. From kindergarten to college to career, EAB partners with leaders and practitioners to accelerate progress and drive results across enrollment, student success, institutional strategy, data analytics, and advancement. We work with each partner differently, tailoring our portfolio of research, technology, and marketing and enrollment solutions to meet the unique needs of every leadership team, as well as the students and employees they serve.

At EAB, we serve not only our partner institutions but each other—that's why we are always working to make sure our employees love their jobs and are invested in their communities. See how we've been recognized for this dedication to our employees by checking out our recent awards .

For more information, visit our Careers page.

About Hybrid

Recently acquired by EAB, Hybrid is a globally recognized and award-winning agency that operates as a full-service marketing partner for the education sector, connecting universities with students worldwide. Powered by unrivaled insight, advanced technology, and AI-driven enrollment strategies, our integrated marketing solutions help education brands grow. We tackle the sector’s toughest challenges head-on and continuously strive for excellence, staying on the pulse of emerging trends. When you join our division of EAB, you become part of a tight-knit, ambitious, supportive, and rapidly growing team. You’ll work on big ideas with talented colleagues who respect your input, challenge your thinking and push you to do your best work. Visit our website to learn more about our story

The Role in Brief:

The Account Director, Strategic Partnerships will lead a portfolio of Hybrid's key education partners, taking responsibility for client success, retention, and long-term growth while providing leadership and development across the account management team.

Reporting to the Group Account Director, this individual will directly manage and mentor Senior Account Managers and Account Managers, establishing effective working processes that ensure exceptional client service, strategic campaign delivery, and consistent communication.

The Account Director will serve as a senior strategic advisor to university partners, translating their enrollment and marketing objectives into integrated digital marketing strategies while ensuring internal teams are aligned to deliver measurable results.

Working closely with POD Leads, Paid Media, SEO, Analytics, Creative, Production, and other cross-functional teams, this individual will drive operational excellence, strengthen client relationships, support business development, and foster a collaborative, high-performing team environment.

The ideal candidate combines strong agency account leadership, digital media knowledge, people management experience, and a consultative approach to client relationships. They should be comfortable balancing strategic oversight with operational accountability, developing team members, and identifying opportunities to bring innovation and additional value to partners. This hire may be based in Philadelphia, PA, Richmond, VA, or Washington, D.C.

Primary Responsibilities:

Client Success & Strategic Account Leadership

Lead and oversee a portfolio of key strategic education partners, taking responsibility for client satisfaction, retention, and long-term account growth.

Partner closely with the Group Account Director to ensure client relationships remain strong and account strategies support broader commercial and organizational objectives.

Serve as a senior strategic advisor to clients, developing a deep understanding of their enrollment, recruitment, marketing, and business objectives.

Guide the development of integrated digital marketing strategies that connect partner objectives with paid media, SEO, creative, analytics, and other marketing solutions.

Ensure Senior Account Managers maintain effective operational management of their accounts, delivering a seamless and consistent client experience.

Lead strategic client discussions, business reviews, and planning conversations, translating campaign performance into actionable insights and recommendations.

Maintain current knowledge of digital media, higher education marketing, emerging technologies, and industry trends to provide informed strategic guidance to clients and internal teams.

Oversee campaign delivery quality, ensuring appropriate testing, optimization, performance monitoring, and ongoing management of digital and third-party marketing activities.

Serve as the primary escalation point for complex client challenges within the team, developing and managing clear internal and external action plans to ensure timely resolution.

Work with the Group Account Director to establish both short- and long-term strategic opportunities for innovation while maintaining a strong focus on clients' immediate student recruitment and marketing needs.

Team Leadership & Development

Directly manage, coach, and mentor a team of Senior Account Managers and Account Managers, establishing clear performance expectations and supporting professional growth.

Develop and implement individual development plans that align employee goals with team priorities and organizational objectives.

Conduct regular performance discussions, formal reviews, and ongoing coaching to support employee development, accountability, and career progression.