Executive Director, Executive Education Programs

Executive Director, Executive Education Programs

The Columbia Climate School seeks a highly accomplished, entrepreneurial, and operationally strong leader to serve as Executive Director for Executive Education and Non-Degree Programs at a pivotal moment of growth and opportunity.

As global demand for climate expertise accelerates across industry, government, and civil society, the Climate School is making a strategic investment in executive education as a primary pathway to translate cutting-edge research into real-world climate solutions. This role is responsible for building, scaling, and leading a best-in-class executive education enterprise, positioning the School as a global leader in climate-focused professional learning.

Embedded within the Office of Engagement and Impact with close ties to Academic Affairs, the Executive Director will provide strategic leadership and operational oversight for a growing portfolio of executive education, professional certificates, custom programs, and non-degree offerings. This is a builder role, requiring a leader with a demonstrated track record of successfully developing and scaling executive education or professional learning programs, including responsibility for revenue growth and program expansion.

The Executive Director will play a central role in scaling impact, strengthening industry and public-sector partnerships, and delivering high-quality, financially sustainable programs with global relevance. The role requires a leader who can set strategy and execute, bridging faculty, industry, and institutional partners across a complex, matrixed university environment.

Responsibilities

• Strategic leadership and program development
  • Lead the implementation and execution of a multi-year strategy for executive education and non-degree programs aligned with the Climate School's academic priorities and institutional goals.
  • Define and execute go-to-market strategies, including market segmentation, pricing, channel strategy, and portfolio positioning.
  • Identify and develop new offerings—including open-enrollment, cohort-based, certificate, and custom programs—that meet the needs of corporate, government, NGO, and multilateral partners.
  • Build executive education as a core impact and revenue-generating function for the School.
  • Align program development with the Climate School's impact goals, including translation of research into measurable, real-world outcomes.
• Program design and faculty engagement
  • Translate the School's research strengths into compelling, market-responsive educational products that drive both impact and revenue.
  • Develop scalable delivery models, including in-person, online, and hybrid formats, leveraging technology platforms to expand global reach.
  • Manage faculty engagement and incentive models that enable sustained participation in executive education programming.
  • Support the implementation of programs by faculty and researchers, including communicating deliverables and deadlines, and reviewing work products to ensure quality and appropriateness for finalization.
  • Monitor program quality and performance management, including systematic collection and analysis of participant and instructor feedback to drive continuous improvement.
  • Ensure academic rigor, relevance, and differentiation across all offerings.
• Business Development, Partnerships, and External Engagement
  • Build and manage senior-level relationships across corporate, government, nonprofit, and multilateral sectors to drive program demand and co-create offerings.
  • Own the end-to-end learner experience, from recruitment through post-program engagement, with a focus on repeat participation and long-term relationships.
  • Collaborate with communications and marketing partners and represent the School at external meetings and events to position the Climate School as a global leader in climate executive education.
• Institutional collaboration and compliance
  • Foster collaboration across the Columbia Climate School and with University-wide entities, including the Provost's Office, the Office of General Counsel, and other schools and departments across Columbia University.
  • Work closely with executive education teams at other schools with whom partnership and alignment brings benefits to the program.
  • Collaborate closely with the Office of Engagement and Impact's partner affiliates' program, Academic Affairs, and others within the Climate School to align on priorities and activities, handing off contacts interested in other aspects of Climate School programs and efforts.
  • Ensure alignment with University policies, processes, and norms, including compliance, contracting, and academic governance requirements.
  • Operate effectively within a complex, matrixed environment to foster collaboration.
• Operational and Financial Management
  • Own and deliver against annual and multi-year revenue and margin targets, including the development of a scalable financial model for portfolio growth.
  • Provide end-to-end operational leadership, including program delivery, staffing, budgeting, pricing, contracting processes, and financial performance.
  • Develop budgets and track financial data for personnel and non-personnel expenses.
  • Define, track, and report on key performance indicators, including enrollment, revenue, margins, participant satisfaction, and impact metrics.
• Team leadership
  • Manage the Executive Education team through direct and/or dotted-line reporting, cultivating staff growth and development, and maintaining a high-performing team with expertise in program management, marketing, partnerships, and learner experience.
  • Supervise staff and external contractors supporting marketing, program delivery, and logistics.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree strongly preferred, particularly in business, public policy, sustainability, environmental science, or a related field.
• 8-10 years of progressively responsible leadership experience in executive education, professional education, consulting, corporate learning, or a related field.
• Demonstrated success building and scaling non-degree or executive education programs in a complex organization, including responsibility for revenue growth and program expansion.
• Proven ability to cultivate and manage senior-level industry, government, and nonprofit relationships.
• Strong operational and financial acumen, with experience managing budgets, teams, and program portfolios.
• Experience managing program economics, pricing strategies, and financial performance.
• Ability to work effectively with faculty and academic leaders in a research-intensive university environment.
• Exceptional communication, negotiation, and stakeholder-management skills.
• Comfort operating in a fast-moving, ambiguous, and build-phase environment.
• Demonstrated ability to translate strategy into execution in a matrixed organization.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience in climate, sustainability, energy, finance, infrastructure, or related sectors.
• Familiarity with higher education executive education models.
• Global experience and comfort working across cultures and geographies.

Equal Opportunity Employer / Disability / Veteran

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