Director, Stanford LEAD

Director, Stanford LEAD

Graduate School of Business, Stanford, California, United States

Stanford's 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 Exec Ed.

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. Your work will include managing admissions processes, shaping well-balanced cohorts, and collaborating with marketing and outreach teams to understand trends and support sustainable growth. At the same time, you’ll steward the academic and community journey for thousands of global learners each year, supporting curriculum innovation, strengthening engagement, and ensuring LEAD continues to meet the evolving needs of diverse professionals worldwide.

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.

This is a highly visible leadership role within Executive Education, blending strategic customer journey management, academic stewardship, and cross‑functional program leadership.

This is a full‑time 100% FTE hybrid position with the expectation to be on‑site at the Stanford campus a minimum of 2 days a week.

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…