Executive Director, Custom Executive Education

About this role

Grade 15

Job Type: Officer of Administration Regular/Temporary: Regular Hours Per Week: 35 Salary Range: $168,000 - $198,000

The salary of the finalist selected for this role will be set based on a variety of factors, including but not limited to departmental budgets, qualifications, experience, education, licenses, specialty, and training. The above hiring range represents the University's good faith and reasonable estimate of the range of possible compensation at the time of posting.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Vice Dean of Executive Education, the Executive Director of Custom Executive Education leads Columbia Business School's custom executive education portfolio - a business generating $10 to $20 million in annual revenue and delivering bespoke learning programs to corporate and organizational clients across the globe. The Executive Director is the senior-most business and operational leader for the custom portfolio, responsible for revenue growth, client stewardship, program quality, and team performance in an increasingly competitive market. The role calls for a leader who combines commercial instincts with deep expertise in executive learning - someone who can hold and grow a sophisticated international client base while aggressively building the domestic market, and who can lead a mid-sized team with the discipline and energy that a performance-oriented business demands.

About Columbia Business School

For over a century, Columbia Business School has helped develop leaders and builders of enterprises who drive value for their stakeholders and society at large through our MBA, MS, PhD, and Executive Education programs. We are equally committed to cultivating new scholars and teachers, and to creating and disseminating pathbreaking knowledge, concepts, and tools which advance the understanding and practice of management through our faculty research and PhD programs. Our vision is simple: to develop ideas and leaders that transform the world - from the very center of business.

Our ever-evolving curriculum - featuring pioneering courses, STEM certification, and immersive experiential learning - prepares students to excel in key areas such as digital transformation, entrepreneurship, AI and innovation, twenty-first century finance, the intersection of business and society, and climate and sustainability. The CBS administration enables CBS’ educational and scholarly mission through strategic and operational guidance and support, optimizing School resources through well-designed, transparent processes with a culture of respect for all.

Responsibilities

Business Development and Revenue Growth

Owns the custom portfolio's revenue targets, developing and executing a growth strategy that expands the domestic client base while protecting and deepening relationships with international clients. Leads business development efforts personally and through the team - identifying prospects, building relationships, developing proposals, and closing engagements at senior levels. Builds and maintains a robust pipeline, with clear visibility into near-term and long-term revenue opportunities across industries and geographies. Monitors competitive dynamics in the executive education market and position CBS's custom offerings to win against peer institutions and non-academic providers. Partners with the open enrollment team and broader Executive Education leadership to identify cross-selling opportunities and present a unified CBS value proposition to clients.

Client Stewardship and Program Excellence

Serves as the senior relationship owner for the custom portfolio's most significant clients, ensuring CBS delivers on its commitments and deepens its value to client organizations over time. Oversees the design and delivery of custom programs, ensuring academic rigor, faculty quality, and client outcomes are consistently high. Partners with faculty, program directors, and academic leadership to develop program content that reflects CBS's intellectual strengths and meets the evolving needs of client organizations. Builds and maintains feedback mechanisms that capture client experience and drive continuous improvement in program design and delivery. Ensures CBS's custom portfolio reflects emerging priorities in executive learning, including digital and hybrid delivery formats, AI fluency, and leadership development in a rapidly changing business environment.

Team Leadership and Operations

Leads, develops, and manages the custom executive education team, setting clear expectations, investing in staff growth, and building a performance-oriented culture aligned with the business's commercial demands. Oversees the operational infrastructure of the custom portfolio, including contracting, pricing, financial planning, and margin management. Partners with the Executive Education finance and operations teams to ensure the portfolio is managed with appropriate rigor and that revenue and expense performance is tracked and reported accurately. Works closely with marketing and communications to ensure the custom portfolio is well-positioned externally and that CBS's brand is consistently and compellingly represented to corporate clients.

Strategic Leadership

Serves as a senior member of the Executive Education leadership team, contributing to school-wide strategy on executive learning and representing the custom business in broader CBS planning conversations. Partners with the Vice Dean and Senior Associate Dean on multi-year strategy for the custom portfolio, including investment priorities, geographic focus, and academic partnerships. Represents CBS in senior client and external forums, serving as a credible and compelling ambassador for the School's executive education mission.

Minimum Qualifications

Bachelor's Degree Required. Minimum of 7-9 years of progressive experience in executive education, professional services, consulting, or a related field, with demonstrated success in a commercial leadership role. Proven track record of revenue growth and client relationship management at senior levels, including experience closing and stewarding large, complex engagements. Strong people leadership skills, including experience managing and developing mid-sized teams in a performance-driven environment. Deep familiarity with the executive education market, including competitive dynamics, client expectations, and trends in corporate learning and development. Exceptional communication and executive presence, with the ability to represent CBS credibly to C-suite clients and senior organizational leaders.

Preferred Qualifications

Experience in a university-based executive education program or professional school environment. International business development experience, including familiarity with key markets for executive education outside the United States. MBA or relevant advanced degree strongly preferred.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

Columbia University is committed to the hiring of qualified local residents.