Director, Special Projects

Director, Special Projects

College Board -   L& A

Location:   This is a remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the   option   of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office) . All CB employees   are required to   occasionally travel to meet in person for business purposes.

Role Type :   This is a full-time position

About the Team

Learning & Assessment is   College   Board's center for researching, designing, delivering, and strengthening high-quality assessments that serve more than 7+ million students annually and advance   opportunity   around the world. The division brings together 150+ experts in research, psychometrics, and assessment design and development to ensure our assessments are rigorous, accessible, and grounded in evidence.   The Director, Special Projects   operates   as a “chief of staff” and strategic thought partner to the Senior Vice President, who leads the Learning & Assessment division. This is a high-impact, high-visibility role at the center of one of the organization’s most   important areas   of work.

About the Opportunity

The Director will   serve as   a trusted partner and force multiplier to the Senior Vice President, helping drive the division’s priorities, operating rhythm, leadership alignment, and execution against ambitious goals.   The role will lead  goal-setting  and performance-driving efforts across the division, ensure critical initiatives are well planned and executed, and   help manage the Senior Vice President’s internal and external agenda .  Operating at the intersection of strategy and execution, the Director will identify priorities, surface risks, unblock progress, prepare executive-level materials, lead special projects, and represent the Senior Vice President and division in a variety of settings, including with   C-Suite and Executive Leaders   across the College Board.    The role requires equal comfort orchestrating cross-functional work through others and personally project-managing initiatives end-to-end — the Director will flex between both, often within the same day .     This role will serve as  a critical partner in helping the   Senior Vice President manage priorities ,   maximize effectiveness , and drive the division to reaching mission critical outcomes .

As a member of the Senior Vice President’s leadership team, the Director will   also   serve as a key connector across the division   on mission critical initiatives,   ensuring clarity, alignment, accountability, and strong communication between the Senior Vice President, her leadership team, and managers across the organization.

In this role, you will

SVP Support ( 4 0 %)

• Serve as Chief of Staff   and strategic thought partner to Senior Vice President,   helping the S enior Vice President   manage priorities, make effective decisions, and maximize impact across the   L&A Departments   and adjacent   divisions and   teams .

• Drive cross-functional initiatives from concept to execution, aligning stakeholders across Psychometrics,   Assessment Design & Development ,   Academic Leadership Engagement Team,   Research ,   and external partners who   don't   report directly to this role.

• Own follow-through decisions made in meetings — track commitments, flag slippage, and close loops quickly.

• Represent the Senior Vice President in internal working groups and meeting s,  making recommendations and decisions on behalf of SVP  and   L& A, through   sound judgment, professionalism, and executive presence.

• Draft, proofread, and edit mission critical correspondence, emails, and presentations for the Senior Vice President,  representing  the entire division and College Board .

Divisional Support   ( 3 0 %)

• Develop a deep understanding of the   L&A capabilities and   functions and   serve as a member of the   L& A   leadership team, while providing sound counsel and professional discretion .

• Refine   and own the operating infrastructure   ( cadences, reporting tools, dashboards, and   analysis   )   that gives the Senior Vice President and Leadership Team real-time visibility into progress against divisional goals, surfaces risks early, and   helps   drives the decisions and course-corrections needed to stay on track   and achieve outcomes.

• Define and drive the division’s culture and employee engagement ,   ensuring   these efforts   reinforce collaboration,   community , transparency, inclusion, and commitment to the College Board’s mission.

• Partner with our Finance Business Partner on   the   annual budgeting process   and   quarterly   financial reviews .

• Collaborate closely with our Talent Business Partner (HR) on promotion/raise processes, organizational design, headcount,   talent and succession planning,   and other Talent initiatives .

• Plan, manage, and lead our weekly di visional Leadership Meeting   and   quarterly   all- divisional meetings,  bi-annual   in-person convenings, and   quarterly   in-person   leadership retreats .

• Work c los ely   with   the   Assistant Director, Division Operations & Knowledge Management   to   support   the Senior Vice President ’s priorities and   ensure   team operations and   divisional   communications   are   as effective as possible .

Special Projects ( 3 0 %)

• Advance high-priority special projects that require strong problem solving, cross-functional coordination, and the ability to move complex work from ambiguity to execution.

• Foster relationships with a broad set of employees from across the College Board,  including senior management   and other special projects staff across the organization ,  establishing  mutual trust and respect that helps the team drive   org -wide impact .

About You

• Minimum   5 -10+ years professional experience including, ideally, several years of experience in a strategic operations role and experience working   closely   with a senior executive

• Bachelor’s degree

• An outstanding record of professional achievement and leadership

• A passion for supporting educational and career opportunities for millions of students

• Comfort with ambiguity, complexity, and fast-moving priorities

• Experience managing complex, cross-functional projects simultaneously, with attention to detail and command of project specifications   including driving   and through lateral leadership and influence

• Strong strategic, analytical, and problem-solving skills , including using data to inform decisions and actions

• Excellent judgement and ability to engage with, influence, and make recommendations to senior leaders across the organization

• Strong ability to work collaboratively   and build trust across teams

• Exceptional  verbal and written communications skills, including facilitating meetings and presenting remotely and in-person to groups of 40 or more

• Experience leading effective meetings and driving follow-through and progress tracking

• Proficiency   with using generative AI to   expedite   workflows, drive efficiencies, and enhance final work products

• Ability to travel 1-2 times per quarter , particularly to New York City and Washington, DC

• Authorization to work in the United States

All roles at College Board require

• A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work.

• Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and comfort with learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively.

• Clear and concise communication skills, written and verbal.

• A learner's mindset and a commitment to growth: welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receiving   timely , respectful feedback, and continuously improving through iterative learning and user input.

• A drive for impact and excellence: solving complex problems, making data-informed decisions, prioritizing what matters most, and continuously improving through learning, user input, and external benchmarking.

• A collaborative and empathetic approach: working across differences, fostering trust, and contributing to a culture of shared success

• Authorization to work in the United States

About Our Process

• Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled.   This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.

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

What We Offer

At   College   Board, we offer more than a paycheck- we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive.   We’re   a self-sustaining nonprofit that believes in fair and competitive compensation grounded in your qualifications, experience, impact, and the market.

A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation

• The hiring range for this role is $80,000–$125,000,

• Your exact salary will depend on your location, experience, and how your background compares to others in similar roles at the College Board.

• We aim to make our best offer upfront, rooted in fairness, transparency, and market data.

• We adjust salaries by location to ensure fairness, no matter where you live.

You’ll   have open, transparent conversations about compensation, benefits, and what   it’s   like to work at   College   Board throughout your hiring process. Check out   our   careers page   for more.