Director of Strategic Growth and Partnerships

Growth Architect. Strategic Partner. Brand Amplifier.

Location: Sandyford, Dublin | Hybrid Work Model

Introduction

The Irish Management Institute (IMI) has been at the vanguard of executive education in Ireland for over 70 years, empowering the development of exceptional leaders and supporting organisational transformation in all its forms. IMI ranks in the top 2% of executive education providers globally and is proud to be No.1 in Ireland for the quality of its teaching faculty.

From our base in Sandyford, Dublin, we continue to redefine how leadership is taught and applied, delivering cutting-edge programmes and learning experiences that resonate with senior leaders in today’s fast-changing world.

New Role at the Senior Leadership Team

The recent acquisition of IMI by the Business Post Group marks an exciting new chapter for the institute and for business in Ireland more generally. This significant development further strengthens IMI’s position at the heart of Ireland’s executive education community and supports its ambitious growth plans in Ireland and internationally.

A new role of Director of Strategic Growth and Partnerships is being created as we now prepare to expand our reach and deepen our impact in the communities that we serve. The successful candidate will take the lead in shaping IMI’s commercial future, growing and strengthening client partnerships and propositions. The role holder will join the Senior Leadership Team at IMI, reporting to the CEO.

Why IMI?

At IMI, you become part of a proud legacy of leadership, innovation and impact. You’ll join an organisation synonymous with providing direction and support to public and private organisations at home and abroad and you will work with a team that understands the nexus between leadership, learning and enterprise.

We offer a collaborative and purpose-driven culture, flexible working arrangements, and the opportunity to shape and influence how leaders learn, grow and succeed.

Your Impact:

• Play a pivotal role on the Senior Leadership Team.
• Contribute to the development and execution of a new IMI strategy.
• Set the direction for IMI’s commercial function.
• Grow and augment relationships with key clients, partners, and stakeholders.
• Inspire and lead high-performing business development teams, in addition to the marketing and customer experience teams.
• Elevate the IMI brand and value proposition in a competitive, dynamic marketplace.
• Champion innovation, continuous improvement and a culture of accountability and collaboration.

What You Will Own:

Strategic Leadership

• Shape a commercial strategy aligned with IMI’s market standing and ambitions.
• Engage with key clients, ensuring alignment with organisational strategy and leadership development goals, support the co-creation of tailored executive education solutions.
• Translate market insights and client needs into innovative, high-impact learning experiences that differentiate IMI in a competitive landscape.
• Guide the development of an integrated programme, marketing and CX roadmap.
• Amplify IMI’s relevance and voice across boardrooms, in policy corridors and among the C-Suite community.
• Represent the customer voice internally, ensuring their current and evolving needs shape IMI’s market offerings.
• Engage with key stakeholder including Board and Advisory Council.

Performance & Growth

• Deliver sustained revenue growth across all commercial lines.
• Curate and evolve IMI’s portfolio of executive education offerings in collaboration with faculty and clients to ensure relevance, rigour, and commercial value.
• Contribute to the development of bespoke learning journeys that blend thought leadership, practice, and real-world application for senior executive audiences.
• Build value-based relationships with clients, members, partners, alumni, faculty and industry influencers.
• Use market and IMI data to determine go-to-market strategies and to enhance sales and profitability performance.
• Leverage technology and AI to improve customer insight and forecasting.

Leadership and Culture

• Lead, coach, mentor and inspire high-performing teams and individuals.
• Set ambitious goals and provide clarity, support and recognition in the achievement of results.
• Foster a high-trust, high-performance culture where innovation thrives.

Financial and Operational Excellence

• Manage P&L revenue performance, budgets, KPIs, and forecasting with a focus on ROI and value for money.
• Optimise systems e.g. CRM and digital processes for efficiency and scalability.
• Use data-driven insights to enhance forecasting and trend analysis.

What You Will Bring:

• A bachelor’s degree in business, marketing or a related field.
• A proven track record in a senior commercial leadership role, ideally in executive education, consulting, or a professional services environment.
• Proven success in developing and executing growth strategies.
• A strong network and understanding of the Irish and international business landscape.
• Expertise in leading commercial, sales, and marketing teams to deliver high performance.
• Financial acumen and experience managing complex budgets and revenue targets.
• Exceptional interpersonal, communication, and negotiation skills.
• A data-informed mindset with the agility to lead in a fast-paced, evolving environment.

If you have the vision, commercial acumen and leadership presence to drive the future of executive learning at IMI, we’d love to hear from you.

Please submit you CV and appropriate covering letter in strictest confidence to clare.valente@imi.ie

Closing date for applicants Friday 6^th June 2025 at 5.00pm.