Director, Stanford LEAD

Stanford Graduate School of Business (GSB) has built a global reputation based on its immersive and innovative management programs. We provide students a transformative leadership experience, pushing the boundaries of knowledge with faculty research, and offering a portfolio of entrepreneurial and non‑degree programs that deliver global impact. We invite you to be part of our mission of developing innovative, principled, and insightful leaders who change lives, change organizations, and change the world.

Executive Education is responsible for the development and management of all the school’s non‑degree program offerings. The mission of our organization is to use GSB faculty ideas to inspire global leaders to change their thinking and drive positive impact throughout their organizations. Executive Education also provides an ideal vehicle for the GSB to experiment with innovation in both content and pedagogy.

Executive Education is seeking a Director for Stanford LEAD: the GSB’s flagship online yearlong, cohort‑based program for mid‑ to senior‑level professionals around the world. In this role, you will guide the strategic direction, operational excellence, and long‑term vision for LEAD – serving as the program’s product leader while partnering closely with faculty, course facilitators, and cross‑functional teams across ExecEd.

As Director, you will oversee both the enrollment lifecycle and the learner experience, functioning much like a product owner who deeply understands user needs, identifies opportunities, and drives continuous improvement. You will manage admissions processes, shape well‑balanced cohorts, collaborate with marketing and outreach teams, and steward the academic and community journey for thousands of global learners each year. You will also lead and develop a team of staff responsible for executing core program functions and ensuring a high‑quality experience across the learner journey.

Primary Responsibilities

• Serve as LEAD’s primary ambassador, acting as the official face and voice of the program to the global learner community.
• Define the product’s long‑term vision and strategy, ensuring alignment with overall business goals.
• Oversee and execute the end‑to‑end management of program activities, identifying priorities, setting objectives, optimizing processes, and allocating resources to meet program goals while maintaining operational excellence.
• Conduct market research, competitor analysis, and user research to understand customer pain points and needs.
• Partner with Stanford GSB faculty to help develop, refine, and iterate course and program enhancements, aligning content and delivery with learner needs and the academic standards that distinguish Stanford Executive Education.
• Guide and contribute to enrollment, outreach, and communication strategies, including prospective learner engagement, admissions processes, and community messaging to build strong, diverse, and well‑balanced cohorts.
• Develop, manage, and oversee tracking of customer journey metrics and program budgets, including forecasting, monitoring, and reporting to support strategic planning and sustainable growth.
• Serve as the central point of communication, translating objectives between different teams and informing stakeholders about progress, budget, and business goals.
• Lead, coach, and develop the staff team responsible for program execution, identifying skill gaps, providing training and development, and ensuring teams operate effectively and with a continuous‑improvement mindset.

To Be Successful In This Position, You Will Bring

• Bachelor’s degree and eight years of relevant experience, or a combination of education and relevant experience.
• Demonstrated leadership skills and ability to influence and motivate constituencies which could span multiple organizational boundaries.
• Demonstrated excellent planning, organizational and analytical skills.
• Demonstrated ability to make sound business decisions using good business judgment and innovative and creative problem‑solving.
• Demonstrated ability to manage financial, organizational and staff resources.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications skills with the ability to cultivate professional and business partnerships.
• Relevant subject matter expertise.

The expected pay range for this position is $162,809 - 188,000 per annum. Stanford University provides pay ranges representing its good faith estimate of the salary or hourly wage the university reasonably expects to pay for a position upon hire. The pay offered to a selected candidate will be determined based on factors such as scope and responsibilities of the position, qualifications of the selected candidate, departmental budget availability, internal equity, geographic location and external market pay for comparable jobs. At Stanford University, base pay represents only one aspect of the comprehensive rewards package.

Stanford University provides a comprehensive rewards package. The Cardinal at Work website ( provides detailed information on Stanford’s extensive range of benefits and rewards offered to employees. Specifics about the rewards package for this position may be discussed during the hiring process.

The job duties listed are typical examples of work performed by positions in this job classification and are not designed to contain or be interpreted as a comprehensive inventory of all duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Specific duties and responsibilities may vary depending on department or program needs without changing the general nature and scope of the job or level of responsibility. Employees may also perform other duties as assigned.

Consistent with its obligations under the law, the University will provide reasonable accommodations to applicants and employees with disabilities. Applicants requiring a reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process should contact Stanford University Human Resources by submitting a contact form.

Stanford is an equal employment opportunity and affirmative action employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law.

Additional Information

• Schedule: Full‑time
• Job Code: 4123
• Employee Status: Regular
• Grade: K
• Requisition ID: 108030
• Work Arrangement: Hybrid Eligible