Sr. Director, Custom Programs, Business Development, Executive Education

Wharton School Overview

The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania is a world-renowned business school founded in 1881. It is home to over 850 staff, a faculty of more than 235 professors, and 5,000 students. Each year, 13,000 professionals participate in Wharton Executive Education’s custom programs.

Job Profile Title

Title: Director E, Business and Finance

Job Description Summary

The Senior Director, Custom Business Development, Wharton Executive Education, leads business development strategy, manages team performance, and oversees day-to-day operations. This role aligns with portfolio priorities, manages pipelines, forecasts, and the business development lifecycle, and collaborates with cross-functional teams.

Job Description

The role involves executing business development strategy, managing team performance, and overseeing day-to-day operations. This includes leading the full business development lifecycle, from lead generation and qualification to deal execution across segments and modalities. The role also requires cross-functional collaboration with marketing, program development, and academic stakeholders, maintaining senior-level client relationships, and supporting contract negotiation and proposal development.

Success Metrics

• Revenue growth
• Pipeline health and conversion rates
• Team performance and productivity
• Expansion of strategic client relationships
• Quality and consistency of proposals and contracts

Minimum Qualifications

• Master's degree and 7–10 years of relevant experience, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• Minimum of 7 years of progressive experience in business development, consultative sales, and account management
• Demonstrated experience leading and developing high-performing business development or sales teams
• Experience leading the full business development lifecycle through proactive outbound business development
• Experience collaborating across cross-functional teams
• Strong analytical, communication, presentation, and negotiation skills
• Experience using CRM platforms and pipeline management tools

Preferred Qualifications

• Strong preference for 10-15 years of relevant experience
• Experience selling customized enterprise learning, talent development, or leadership development solutions to Fortune 1000 or global organizations
• Experience leading geographically dispersed or hybrid business development teams
• Knowledge of executive education market trends and corporate learning ecosystems
• Experience developing strategic account growth plans and expanding long-term client partnerships
• Familiarity with proposal development processes, contracting, pricing strategy, and complex procurement environments
• Experience working in a matrixed organization with multiple stakeholders and competing priorities