Vice President, Network Strategy and Engagement

About the Business-Higher Education Forum

The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) is a dynamic national non-profit organization that works with innovative leaders throughout the higher education, business, philanthropy, and government sectors to develop a skilled, adaptable workforce that drives innovation, fuels economic growth, and empowers individuals to thrive in meaningful careers. Our coalition of corporate and college leaders works together to build replicable solutions to equip people with the skills, experiences, and opportunities to thrive in a rapidly changing economy and ensure higher education is a launchpad to economic opportunity.

About the Opportunity

The Business-Higher Education Forum (BHEF) is seeking a mission-driven, strategic Vice President of Network Strategy and Engagement. This is a newly created role that will work directly with the CEO to lead the growth, curation, and activation of BHEF’s national network. The VP will join a growing organization comprised of a dynamic coalition of leaders and play a key role in our next phase of growth and impact.

A priority for this role is to continue to strengthen and expand BHEF’s corporate network, expanding engagement with senior talent executives and positioning BHEF as a trusted partner to companies navigating AI-driven workforce transformation. This role will ensure the network continues to build a balanced, high-value coalition of corporate and academic leaders.

The VP will play a critical role in ensuring the network is not only growing, but increasingly influential—driving strategic partnerships, informing BHEF’s national agenda, and fueling the development of scalable initiatives through the Solutions Lab.

Reporting to the CEO, this leader will serve as a key external-facing member of the senior team, building relationships with C-suite and senior leaders, guiding a selective and strategic approach to network expansion, and driving both membership and partnership-based revenue. The VP will own the network experience, ensuring engagement translates into measurable impact for our members, and field leadership.

This is an excellent opportunity for an entrepreneurial leader who is passionate about driving innovation in the compact between business and education—and who wants to play a catalytic role in how talent is developed, recruited, and deployed in a rapidly changing economy. The ideal candidate brings experience in corporate talent strategy, learning and development (L&D), talent acquisition, or human capital management, and is energized by the opportunity to drive a national agenda that helps business and higher education work more seamlessly together. Experience with networked or membership-based organizations is preferred.

What You’ll Do

Network Engagement and Value Creation (40%)

Develop and execute network strategies that ensure network participation translates into meaningful collaboration and outcomes.
Design and oversee national convenings that catalyze new partnerships, surface priorities, build community, and advance BHEF’s mission to align education and employment.
Oversee the network experience, ensuring high retention, strong recruitment, sustained engagement, and impact.
Lead engagement strategies that ensure network participation translates into meaningful collaboration—with a focus on depth of engagement and initiatives, not just volume.
Lead planning and execution of special projects, including the development and launch of novel network initiatives.

Network Growth and Retention (30%)

Drive efforts to strategically expand the network, with a focus on growing and deepening corporate participation—targeting CHROs, Chief Learning Officers, VPs of Talent, and other senior talent executives at priority companies.
Build and manage relationships with corporate and college partners that lead to strategic initiatives, sustained engagement, and investment.
Own the network revenue model, including pricing structure and revenue growth strategies, and deliver against annual membership and partnership revenue targets.
Collaborate with the CEO, CFO, & Chief Programs Officer to manage network budget, performance metrics, and forecasting tools that ensure long-term sustainability.

Strategic Stakeholder and Partner Engagement (15%)

Serve as an external-facing representative of BHEF, building trust and credibility with C-suite members and ensuring high-priority stakeholder interactions yield actionable outcomes.
Lead engagement with board and network partners around network initiatives and new partner referrals.
Identify and cultivate strategic partnerships that enhance the influence and reach of the network.

Insight Development and Field Leadership (15%)

Translate network priorities and insights into strategic opportunities including new initiatives and fundable, scalable solutions.
Partner with Solutions Lab team to develop and advance fundable, scalable solutions aligned with network needs.
Contribute to BHEF’s thought leadership by elevating insights, trends, and emerging practices from across the network.
Ensure BHEF is positioned as a leading voice at the intersection of talent strategy, higher education innovation, and workforce transformation.

Education and Experience

10–15+ years of progressive leadership experience in partnership, client success, membership, business development, or advisory roles.
Demonstrated success engaging and influencing senior corporate leaders, including C-suite executives, and building high-value partnerships.
Experience working in or with corporate talent, human capital management, recruitment, or learning and development functions—including CHROs, Chief Learning Officers, VPs of Talent Acquisition, and VPs of Learning & Development—with a genuine interest in driving initiatives that help business and higher education develop talent more seamlessly together.
Proven ability to translate relationships into strategic initiatives, partnerships, and revenue.
Experience collaborating across functional lines to drive program development, thought leadership, and external engagement.
Experience developing insights and comfort as a thought leader.
Experience in or with membership, coalition, or network-based organizations strongly preferred.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

Strategic Leadership: Ability to shape and execute strategies that drive network growth, engagement, and impact.
Relationship Building: Strong ability to build trust and credibility with senior leaders across corporate and higher education sectors.
External Orientation: Comfortable serving as a visible, external representative of the organization in high-stakes environments.
Executive Communication: Advanced written and verbal communication skills, with an ability to engage and influence C-suite audiences.
Collaboration: Ability to work effectively across teams and align network activity with organizational priorities.
Adaptability: Thrives in dynamic, fast-paced environments and brings a proactive, solutions-oriented mindset.
Interest in workforce development, education innovation, and/or the future of work.

Our Culture & What We Offer

At BHEF, we pride ourselves on a collaborative, mission-driven, and flexible work environment. Our team values innovation, curiosity, inclusivity, the power of networks, and has a shared commitment to driving economic opportunity at the intersection of talent strategy, education, and workforce development. We are a networked organization at our core—we believe that building and sustaining strong, cross-sector networks is one of the most powerful ways to create lasting, systems-level change. We have a remote work policy with team members nationwide and an office in Washington, DC.

The salary range for this position is $200,000–$220,000, depending on experience, plus a bonus tied to organizational and individual performance and a benefits package that includes:

Company Sponsored 401k Plan (with up to a 6% match)
Health/Dental/Vision/Rx Plans
Flexible Spending Accounts/Health Savings Accounts
Long-Term/Short-Term Disability Coverage
Life Insurance
14 Annual Holidays, Generous PTO, and the week off between Christmas and New Year's
$75 per month cell phone reimbursement

Join us to drive workforce innovations through one of America’s greatest economic assets: higher education.

How to Apply

Please submit a resume with a brief cover letter describing your most relevant experiences for this role by June 5, 2026, with the subject line “VP of Network Strategy and Engagement” at info@bhef.com.

The Business-Higher Education Forum is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to building a team that reflects the diversity of the communities we serve and welcome applicants of all backgrounds.