About RapidCanvas
RapidCanvas is a leading AI platform that enables organizations to rapidly design, deploy, and scale AI solutions without the traditional complexity of data engineering or ML operations. Our mission is to bring practical, transformative AI to every industry — and Higher Education is one of our fastest-growing verticals.
As universities face pressure to modernize student experience, automate operations, and deploy GenAI responsibly, RapidCanvas gives institutional leaders the tools to build AI capabilities quickly, safely, and at scale. We are now expanding our Higher-Education team with a strategic hire who understands both the operational realities of Higher Ed and the commercial pace of high-growth technology companies.
We are seeking a strategic AI Growth Director – Higher Education to drive expansion of RapidCanvas across universities, colleges, and higher-ed systems. This leader will blend deep domain knowledge from serving as a former CIO or senior IT leader in Higher Education with customer-facing or sales experience at a fast-growing EdTech, SaaS, or AI startup. You will open executive-level conversations, guide institutions through AI transformation, and convert complex challenges into scalable RapidCanvas solutions.
Responsibilities
Go-To-Market & Revenue Leadership
- Own Higher-Education revenue targets for RapidCanvas.
- Develop market strategy, segmentation, and account prioritization for the Higher Ed vertical.
- Build a pipeline of CIO, Provost, and VP-level relationships across higher-ed institutions.
- Lead consultative, enterprise-level sales cycles focused on AI automation and digital transformation.
- Collaborate with RapidCanvas with go to market teams to shape messaging and GTM motions.
Higher-Ed Expertise & AI Advisory
- Apply firsthand experience as a former CIO / Deputy CIO / CTO at a university or college to guide institutional decision-making.
- Educate and advise leaders on AI adoption, student experience modernization, administrative automation, and data readiness.
- Understand institutional budgeting, governance, and technology landscapes to remove barriers to adoption.
Customer Solutioning & Executive Advisory
- Translate institutional pain points into RapidCanvas AI use cases and implementation plans.
- Develop AI roadmaps that align with student, academic, and operational priorities.
- Drive executive buy-in, value realization, and long-term customer growth.
Business Development & Partnerships
- Build partnerships with SIS/LMS vendors, state systems, system integrators, and tech providers.
- Represent RapidCanvas at higher-ed CIO councils, conferences, and industry events.
- Establish lighthouse reference institutions and early flagship deployments.
Ideal Candidate Profile
Must-Have Experience
- Former CIO, Deputy CIO, CTO, or senior IT leader at a college, university, or higher-ed system.
- Experience in a customer-facing, sales, BD, partnerships, or consulting role at a high-growth EdTech or SaaS company.
- Deep understanding of the institutional IT ecosystem (SIS/LMS/ERP, vendor relationships, governance, security, data flows).
- Strong executive communication skills and comfort advising C-suite academic and administrative leaders.
- Experience driving digital or AI transformation initiatives within higher ed.
Preferred
- 10+ experience selling or implementing AI, cloud, automation, data, or analytics solutions.
- Startup or scale-up experience where autonomy, speed, and creativity are required.
- Existing network of higher-ed CIOs, IT leaders, or state system executives.
