Director, Special Projects at TheCollegeBoard in Chicago, Illinois

Job Description:

Director, Special Projects




College Board: AP&I




Remote with hybrid option available




About the Team

The College Board's Advanced Placement and Instruction (AP&I) division (~275 staff) develops and administers coursework taken by more than 3 million students worldwide each school year, and the related subject-matter exams utilized by more than 4,000 colleges and universities for course placement and awarding of college credit. These include credit and placement examination programs like CLEP and ACCUplacer; Advanced Placement (AP) in 40+ disciplines; and associated teacher professional learning programs.


The Advanced Placement Program is the largest offering in the division's portfolio. AP&I has six departments: Curriculum and Assessment, which develops the course frameworks, designs the exams, and guides the grading and scoring process; Delivery, which manages the annual cycle of transactions with schools - from student registration to exam administration, scoring, and score reporting; Access, which focuses on expanding availability of AP and Pre-AP courses, participation among traditionally underserved students, and supporting teachers; Strategy, which measures and evaluates the program's components, identifies and evaluates program opportunities and threats, and leads the development and implementation of strategic initiatives; Digital, which leads product development of the Bluebook digital assessment platform, manages the implementation of digital testing for AP Exams, and provides instructional resources via AP Classroom; and Instructional Design, charged with developing and implementing a curricular research and design phases to proceed all major content development projects.



About the Opportunity



As the Director, Special Projects, your responsibilities will involve: (1) managing projects and requests from AP&I stakeholders (educators, parents, students, external partners), on behalf of and in collaboration with the SVP and other College Board executives and colleagues; (2) maintaining and strengthening relationships between the Office of the SVP and key internal and external partners, exercising solid judgment and discretion while authoring and disseminating information and leading special projects; and (3) advancing the division's work by managing bi/annual cycles including goal-setting and reporting and promotions and raises, as well as serving as a key liaison to Talent and the Office of the President/CEO.



Workflow and Request Management for the Office of the SVP (30%)



• Collaborate closely with the Executive Assistant to leverage the SVP's time effectively, ensuring the SVP is focused on the highest priorities and that key tasks remain on track for timely completion.


• Ensure that all SVP's initiatives are appropriately prioritized, resourced, and on-track, focusing on coordination of cross-functional work streams, data collection and maintenance, and management of key external events. Project management tasks include establishing timelines and delegating assignments; coordinating project deliverables with other departments/organizations; and evaluating and updating project status for reporting and decision-making.



Communications Support and Special Projects (30%)



• Respond to (internal and external) requests for information and data, accurately and on time.


• Develop and maintain communications from the SVP to key external constituents and partners.


• Draft regular, internal communications to keep staff informed about organization priorities, successes, and other developments.


• Undertake special initiatives on behalf of the SVP, including but not limited to selected research, writing and communications projects, the development of presentations, the evaluation of proposals and partnerships, and the preparation of briefing materials on key topics.
• Develop an understanding of College Board instructional programs including - Advanced Placement, Pre-AP, SpringBoard, CLEP, and ACCUPLACER-and foster relationships with the leaders and stakeholders of each.



Strategic Divisional Support (40%)



• Manage enterprise-level processes on behalf of the division, including annual goal setting and tracking, and reporting progress to senior leadership, College Board membership, and the Board of Trustees.


• Convene strategic conversations and develop strategic content for the divisional leadership team and internal stakeholders. Responsibilities include co-developing agendas and pre-reads; organizing and memorializing follow-up items; and helping leads communicate outcomes to the broader division and organization.


• Support the SVP, managers, and other AP&I staff by managing Talent-related process and issues (e.g.: executive goal setting, promotions and raises, engagement surveys, resource planning) for the division.
• Work with the divisional leadership and members of the Talent division to develop and launch initiatives to support and cultivate staff engagement.



About You



You have:


• 5+ years of experience supporting senior executives, managing projects and human resources processes.


• Diplomacy: Discretion, maturity, and grace in interacting with people at all levels of the organization, always. This is a highly visible role.


• Excellent project management and organizational skills and attention to detail - often on tight deadlines. The ability to multitask and prioritize work and communicate status to SVP is a must.


• Strong analytical skills and a data-driven approach to decision-making and prioritization.


• Superior verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to write, proofread, and edit.


• Excellent customer service orientation: Ability and willingness to proactively solve problems, anticipate and prioritize key tasks, and resolve issues.


• A commitment to equity and the College Board's mission.


• Ability and willingness to travel in the US (at least 5 times annually, including ~2 trips to the New York City office).


• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (especially PowerPoint), and willingness to learn other software.


• Bachelor's degree is required; Master's degree preferred


• You are authorized to work in the US



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 $80,000 to $125,000. 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 these 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 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.
  
  

About the Process

• 
  Interview Process Includes: Application submission; Recruiter Phone Screen; Hiring Manager Interview; Performance Exercise (such as drafting a short presentation or producing a writing sample); Panel Interview; Reference Checks (an approximately 6-12-week process)
  
  

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