Executive Director, ACCUPLACER and CLEP

Job Description:

Executive Director, ACCUPLACER and CLEP

College Board – AP&I

Location: Fully remote

Type: This is a full-time position

About the Team

The ACCUPLACER and CLEP team is responsible for the development, delivery and customer experience of two digital assessment programs that serve a diverse group of high-school, college, and adult students. Both programs strive to serve students wherever they are on their educational journey, regardless of the path they took to get there. The ACCUPLACER program offers a series of digital assessments that evaluate students’ skills in reading, writing, and math and helps colleges and workforce training providers gauge student readiness for required coursework and identify areas where students may need additional support to succeed. CLEP is a credit-by-examination program that covers over 30 introductory college-level subjects. It gives learners an opportunity to demonstrate their knowledge and skills acquired through prior learning and earn college credits at many colleges and universities, saving them time and money in their pursuit for college degrees.

About the Opportunity

Leading the ACCUPLACER and CLEP programs, you will be responsible for the overall strategy, product management, operations, and external engagement of two of the College Board’s digital assessment programs. You will drive long-term growth and innovation through strategic planning, cross-functional leadership, and partnership development. The role includes full P&L ownership, oversight of vendor and partner relationships, and direct management of a team supporting a diverse range of functions.

In this role, you will:

Lead strategy and product management (40%)

• Develop comprehensive, long-term product strategy, and short and long-term product plans and roadmaps driven and informed by user and market research.

• Apply new ideas from within the education and technology fields to develop innovative product solutions.

• Oversee strategic analyses and lead development and maintenance of business cases in support of processes changes, expansion strategies, or new investments.

• Provide overall leadership for program policy implementation, budgeting and expense management, customer support services, constituent outreach and marketing/promotion strategies.

• Assess (and if appropriate, adjust) the subjects and offerings available for both programs, ensuring ongoing relevance to current and potential markets, and relative profitability.

• Identify opportunities for growth in new and existing markets, and lead the development and implementation of expansion strategies.

• Assume responsibility for top-line and bottom-line P&L.

Manage program operations and vendor relationships (40%)

• Define priorities and guide the work of key staff supporting the ACCUPLACER and CLEP programs in the College Board’s Technology, Operations, Psychometrics, and Assessment Design and Development teams. This includes oversight of program activities related to test development, publications, assessment application enhancements, test center coordination, and customer service.

• Oversee the work of third-party vendors, developing plans that outline the tasks to be undertaken on behalf of the program each fiscal year, developing related performance level agreements, and managing progress toward those deliverables.

• Oversee creation and delivery of training, policy documentation, test security and test delivery procedures, and other aspects of program delivery.

• Set terms for contract negotiation, program fee structures, and program implementation on behalf of the College Board. Ensure that contractual terms are met and that a high-quality program leads annually to contract renewal.

• Oversee delivery of the annual ACCUPLACER Conference and Training event, including all planning, budgeting, logistics, promotion, and delivery.

• Lead all program activities relating to state and federal contracts, legislation and exam approvals.

• Oversee College Board relationship with Defense Activity for Non-Traditional Education Support (DANTES) and ensure that College Board meets the obligations in its contract to deliver CLEP to eligible military service members.

• Establish and cultivate partnerships with external organizations that provide new revenue streams for the ACCUPLACER and CLEP programs or deliver complimentary services that allow the programs to serve students more effectively and efficiently.

• Identify and implement improvements to the operational processes (both internal to the program and working with other College Board and third-party groups), with the goal of increasing the programs’ margin contribution.

Serve as the primary spokesperson and “face of ACCUPLACER and CLEP” both within and outside the College Board (10%)

• Administer, coordinate, and perform a variety of program promotion tasks, including: meeting with outside individuals or institutions to provide information about the programs; serving as an official College Board spokesperson on the ACCUPLACER and CLEP programs and related issues; obtaining feedback from outside individuals or entities regarding the programs and related services; and recommending changes in programs, products or services.

• Act as primary point of contact for ACCUPLACER- and CLEP-related activities in the College Board. In coordination with other College Board departments, develop outreach strategy and goals.

• Prepare communications and research to support reports and position papers for external audiences and senior management.

Perform other responsibilities (10%)

• Manage special projects and assignments at the direction of the VP or other College Board leadership.

• Oversee the business operations and discretionary project budget for all facets of the ACCUPLACER and CLEP program.

• Manage the ACCUPLACER and CLEP team, currently consisting of product owners, project managers, outreach staff, data analysts, marketing and communications specialists, and others.

About You

You have:

• Bachelor’s degree (master’s degree preferred)

• 7+ years of relevant product or program management experience (experience with digital testing, test delivery, and outreach is preferred)

• 5+ years of supervisory experience

• Demonstrated experience and success in strategic and business planning, management of complex programs and projects

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

• Evidence of skills and mindsets required to live out College Board’s Operating Principles, notably:

• A commitment to candid, timely, respectful feedback

• A learner orientation and an openness to ideas and diverse perspectives

• The ability to push for excellence through data-informed decision-making, iterative learning, external benchmarking and user-inputs

• Strong problem-solving skills, including the ability to break down complex issues and identify clear paths forward

• A track record of prioritizing high-impact work, simplifying complexity, taking initiative, and making decisions quickly with clarity of purpose

• A habit of collaborating across differences, practicing empathy, and contributing to a culture of trust and shared success

• Ability to manage multiple complex tasks simultaneously

• Ability to coordinate work with multiple external vendors/organizations to ensure delivery of high-quality products and services that meet constituent needs

• Experience in team building and personnel management

• Excellent knowledge of the academic environment

• Advanced problem-solving skills

• Strong customer service orientation

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking/presentation skills

• Knowledge of marketing, planning and budgeting

• Computer literacy, including word processing, database, and spreadsheet applications

• The ability to travel routinely to College Board offices or on behalf of College Board business

• 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 $225,000. 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.

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