Executive Director, Business Planning and Operations

Executive Director, Business Planning and Operations   

College Board – State and District Partnerships  

Location: This is a fully remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office). 

Type: This is a full-time position 

About the Team  

The State and District Partnerships (SDP) team at College Board is a dynamic and high-energy group dedicated to expanding opportunities for students by collaborating with educators in high schools, school districts, and state departments of education. We are committed to promoting the use of College Board programs and services, including the SAT Suite of Assessments, Advanced Placement (AP), and BigFuture. Our division is relentless in our pursuit of increasing the number of students who have access to these programs and ensuring our partners have the support they need to implement them effectively.   

Within SDP, the Business Planning & Operations (BP&O) team focuses on developing and implementing efficient business processes across the division and with cross-organizational teams to ensure the seamless delivery of our programs. We leverage data, observation, experience, and creativity to guide decision-making and process development, making all of our teams in SDP more effective.  

About the Opportunity   

As the Executive Director of Operations, you will work with the VP, Sales and Operations, to help set the direction for and fully lead our business operations. You will lead and manage the Operations team, which consists of Divisional Operations, Regional Operations, and Contracts Administration.  The Operations team provides centralized support and guidance to our five regional field teams that are charged with growing our program reach and impact. Your leadership will drive the simplification and elimination of processes, resolve operational and customer service issues, deliver high quality virtual and in person event management, and ensure strong fiscal management of divisional resources. Through your work, you will create conditions for operational success and provide essential service support and deliverables for the regions. 

In this role, you will:  

Leadership and Management (40%) 

• Lead a business operations team of ~13 staff who are responsible for business operations across the division including budget management, event/stakeholder management, resource management, contract generation and execution, and our customer escalation process.   

• Develop and execute multi-faceted strategies on all operational work for the division to better strengthen and streamline our supports to our sales team  

• Deeply understand the opportunities and challenges of the regional teams, to provide data-driven solutions developed and executed by the operations team that meet the needs of the regions and the division to ultimately grow our business 

• Track and manage progress to goals of our Business Planning & Operations team  

• Provide coaching and support to ensure the Operations team meets their goals, remains engaged, and contributes meaningfully to our mission 

• Serve as partner to other divisions and in organizational-wide operational initiatives on behalf of SDP 

Operational Strategy and Project Oversight (40%) 

• Set strategy and lead investment efforts in operational innovations while reducing operational costs, optimizing quality, and achieving delivery goals  

• Ensure SDP’s financial strength by overseeing our budget, with particular attention to the College Board’s priority goals; preparing quarterly, monthly, and annual reports, in close collaboration with the regions and OSVP 

• Oversee operational aspects of SDP digital presence and functionality in parallel with sales enablement resources ensuring unification of workflows, document navigation, with targeted milestones throughout the year. 

• Work closely with Membership and Governance to strategically plan, deliver, and ensure compliance with regional governance activities and responsibilities for our regions 

• Support SDP OSVP and VP, Sales and Operations to ensure SDP’s compliance with all Talent Initiatives (e.g. staff onboarding, hiring, engagement, and performance) 

• Oversee operational aspects in planning of regional sponsorships and partnerships, contracts, and RFPs to ensure appropriate planning, staffing, and financials are considered and included  

• Oversee workflow to reduce risk of single points of failure across BP&O’s four teams (Sales Enablement & Operations, Strategic Impact Partnerships, Strategic Business Operations, and Strategic Regional Operations). 

• Support SDP external partnerships and conference strategy and to align on execution and regional engagements to achieve partnership goals 

• Lead or directly manage divisional or regional projects as assigned by VP, Sales and Operations 

• Represent the VP, Sales and Operations in divisional and cross-divisional meetings as needed 

Oversee Contracts Administration (20%) 

• Ensure on-time, consistent and highly accurate processing of all sales revenue contracts across K12 and higher ed partnerships, data privacy agreements, technology agreements, and other client forms related to the purchase of our programs and services in collaboration with programs, operations, technology, finance, legal, and other internal partners 

• Help facilitate the annual update of sales contracting processes, terms and conditions language/riders, and Salesforce integration working with partners across other divisions 

• Communicate and ensure dependencies are planned for with the Sales Enablement team (including RFP/proposal development) and other internal partners 

• Facilitate internal conversations when needed to help leadership and different divisions arrive at an agreed upon approach that meets both client and organizational needs  

About You 

You have: 

• 10+ years in operations management, ideally with experience in finance, procurement, non-profits, and/or education  

• Experience, leading, managing and/or coaching a team to results 

• Demonstrable competency in strategic planning and execution, including designing and implementing simplified business operations strategies, plans, and procedures 

• Thrives in an ambiguous, fast-moving environment, with the ability to drive clarity and solutions 

• Orients to action and enjoys problem solving and overcoming challenges 

• Enjoy working across teams and leaders to drive to the best possible solution for all involved 

• Working knowledge of data analysis and performance/operation metrics 

• Aptitude in decision-making and problem-solving 

• Knowledge and understanding of secondary and higher education environments, and of educational systems (schools, colleges, departments of education, agencies) 

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including excellent oral presentation/public speaking skills 

• Strong relationship builder  

• Proficient in all Microsoft Office applications 

• Ability to travel 3-4 times per quarter  

• Authorization to work in the United States 

About Our Process   

• Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled   

• While the hiring process may vary, it generally includes: resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks.    

About Our Benefits and Compensation 

College Board offers a competitive benefits and compensation program that attracts top talent looking to make a difference in education. As a self-sustaining non-profit, we believe in compensating employees equitably in relation to each other, their qualifications, their impact, and the relevant market.  

The hiring range for a new employee in this position is $160,000 to $215,000. College Board differentiates salaries by location so where you live will narrow the portion of this range in which you can expect a salary.  

Your salary will be carefully determined based on your location, relevant experience, the external labor market, and the pay of College Board employees in similar roles. College Board strives to provide our best offer up front based on this criteria.  

Your salary is only one part of all that College Board offers, including but not limited to:    

• A comprehensive package designed to support the well-being of employees and their families and promote education. Our robust benefits package includes health, dental, and vision insurance, generous paid time off, paid parental leave, fertility benefits, pet insurance, tuition assistance, retirement benefits, and more 

• Recognition of exceptional performance through annual bonuses, salary growth over time through market increases, and opportunities for merit raises and promotions based on increased scope of responsibility 

• A job that matters, a team that cares, and a place to learn, innovate and thrive 

You can expect to have transparent conversations about benefits and compensation with our recruiters throughout your application process. 

About Our Culture  

Our community matters, and we strive to practice and improve our culture daily. Here are some headlines:  

• We are motivated to positively impact the educational and career trajectories of millions of students a year  

• We prioritize building a diverse and inclusive team where every employee can thrive, and every voice is heard 

• We are a dynamic hybrid team, giving staff members the choice to either be fully remote or hybrid if they live close to a College Board office. Hybrid employees go into offices every Tuesday and Wednesday 

• We welcome staff to join any or all six of our affinity groups: ARISE (Alliance for Asian Retention, Inclusion, Success, and Engagement; DIASPORA (Alliance for Pan-African Success and Achievement); Pride (alliance for LGBTQ+ staff and allies); Resilience (alliance for Native staff and advocates); SALSA (Staff Alliance for Latinx Success and Achievement); and WIN (Women’s Impact Network) 

• We value learning and growth; we offer formal and informal ways to lead through your superpowers, sharpen your strengths, and meet your development goals 

• We know that our impact is strongest together. Our College Board Cares program offers all staff up to $1,000 annual match against partner non-profit organizations   

• We offer a transparent approach to promotions and merit raises, annual performance-based bonuses, and how to grow your career here over time 

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