Director, Educational Partnerships

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in North Carolina.

📋 Description

• Create and direct Sonic Automotive’s overarching strategy for establishing enduring talent pipelines by collaborating with colleges, universities, and technical institutions.

• Cultivate future leaders in sales, F&I, and operations through organized early-career pathways.

• Act as a strategic liaison between educational entities and retail operations.

• Formulate a national partnership strategy aimed at community colleges, universities, HBCUs, and technical trade programs.

• Foster relationships with academic leaders, career services, and faculty to integrate Sonic and EchoPark into curricula, programs, and career pathways.

• Collaborate with Talent Acquisition on campus recruiting strategies, hiring events, classroom interactions, and branded initiatives.

• Provide Talent Acquisition teams and store leaders with the necessary tools and messaging to attract and engage early-career talent.

• Develop recruitment strategies that emphasize earnings potential, career progression, and entrepreneurial opportunities.

• Organize campus events in coordination with brand and dealership leadership.

• Work alongside Talent Acquisition on recruiting efforts for internships and Leadership Development Programs.

• Define and monitor pipeline metrics, including volume, conversion rates, retention, and time-to-productivity.

• Evaluate program effectiveness, enhance partnership ROI, and deliver insights and recommendations to executive leadership.

⛳️ Requirements

• A minimum of 3 years of experience in talent acquisition, workforce strategy, campus recruiting, or external partnerships.

• Strong business acumen with the ability to translate talent strategies into operational outcomes.

• Proven experience in influencing senior leaders within a multi-location or decentralized setting.

• Willingness to travel 40–50% to campuses and dealership sites.

• Preferred: experience in automotive retail operations, hospitality, or multi-unit service environments.

• Preferred: knowledge of technical, vocational, or dealership training pathways.

• Expertise in developing and influencing external partnerships.

• Data-driven execution with a focus on continuous improvement.

• Strong storytelling capabilities and employer branding skills.

• Ability to succeed in a fast-paced, performance-oriented culture.

🏝️ Benefits

• Remote work.

• Total annual compensation ranging from $100K to $120K.