Director, State Partner Success Manager

External Posting Role Title: Director, State Success Manager College Board – College Readiness Division 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). All CB employees are required to occasionally travel to meet in person for business purposes. Preferred locations: Colorado, Michigan, Kentucky, New England, Ohio, or Indiana. Role Type: This is a full-time position About the Team The College Readiness Assessments (CRA) division is a team of mission-driven people who deliver the SAT Suite of Assessments (SAT, PSAT/NMSQT, PSAT10, and PSAT 8/9) to millions of students across the world each year to help open their paths to life after high school. The SAT Suite connects students to a wide range of post-high school opportunities, including scholarships, careers, colleges, and universities. In 2023, we retired the use of paper/pencil testing and are now a fully digital SAT Suite offering an assessment that is easier to give, easier to take, more secure, and more relevant.   The Partner Success team owns the end-to-end success of College Board’s state partnerships, ensuring that contracts are executed with excellence and that states realize the full value of the SAT Suite. The team is comprised of Success Managers and Success Specialists who serve as the primary operators and strategic partners to state customers. Success Managers lead day-to-day relationships and contract execution, while Specialists provide critical operational support and cross-functional coordination to ensure seamless delivery. The team is responsible for: Delivering consistent, high-quality execution across all state contracts Building and maintaining strong, trust-based relationships with state partners Translating complex program and policy requirements into clear, actionable guidance Proactively identifying risks and resolving challenges to ensure smooth implementation Partner Success is a proactive, outcomes-driven function that focuses beyond implementation to manage customer relationships prioritizing adoption, customer experience, and long-term partnership value. At its core, the Partner Success team ensures that what we deliver doesn’t just work—it delivers meaningful, lasting impact for the states, educators, and students we serve. About the Opportunity As Director, State Success Manager, you will serve as a strategic partner and trusted advisor to state education agencies and internal College Board stakeholders. You will oversee statewide readiness and execution for the SAT Suite of Assessments, ensuring seamless delivery, comprehensive training, and actionable data use across states. In this role, you will also lead the design and facilitation of statewide data workshops, empowering state leaders to utilize assessment data for continuous improvement and equity-driven policy decisions. You’ll operate with high autonomy and influence, serving as the critical connector between College Board’s strategy, state priorities, and implementation excellence. In this role, you will: State Contract Ownership & Strategic Relationship Leadership (40%) Serve as the single-threaded owner of assigned state contracts, acting as the primary strategic partner to State Departments of Education and the “go-to” for all contract-related engagement Lead overall relationship management, including executive engagement, long-term planning, and alignment to state priorities and policy context Set the direction for contract execution by defining priorities, guiding decision-making, and ensuring alignment across internal stakeholders Partner closely with SDP state leads and district account managers, Policy, Government Relations, and Higher Ed to inform state strategy, contribute to growth opportunities, and ensure delivery aligns with commitments made during the sales process Serve as a subject matter expert and trusted advisor to state assessment leaders, guiding them through implementation challenges and strategic planning Represent College Board in high-stakes customer moments (e.g., planning and implementation meetings and workshops, escalations, renewal conversations), ensuring clarity, confidence, and trust Contract Execution Oversight & Delivery Accountability (30%) Own end-to-end accountability for successful contract execution, ensuring all deliverables, milestones, and readiness activities are completed with consistency and quality Set the rhythm of the business across assigned states, including weekly, monthly, and annual touchpoints aligned to the state contract lifecycle (e.g., Summer Planning, Implementation Workshops, Readiness, Score Reporting) Oversee the work of Success Specialists, ensuring that day-to-day coordination, regular state communications, and general contract execution are delivered at a high level in addition to partnering on statewide implementation and training strategies across multiple states that align with strategic goals as well as contractual requirements. In partnership with other CRA teams, design, deliver, and continuously enhance professional learning and data workshops for district and school coordinators. Lead key cross-divisional coordinator with key partner divisions beyond State and District Partnerships (SDP) and Operations to ensure contracts and customer needs are properly supported (i.e., Learning & Assessment (Psychometrics, Assessment Design and Development), Risk Management (Legal, Services for Students with Disabilities)) Identify risks, monitor performance (e.g., awareness and usage of enhancements, readiness metrics, irregularity reports, satisfaction), and intervene as needed to ensure successful outcomes Ensure that execution reflects a consistent “One College Board” experience across SDP, Operations, Program Access, and Policy & Delivery Cross-Functional Leadership & Internal Coordination (20%) Act as the liaison between key partner divisions serving state contract work (State & District Partnerships, Operations, K12 Delivery Specialists) and collaborator to other CRA teams on overall support strategy for states to ensure alignment and coordination in support of state needs Drive clarity in roles, responsibilities, and handoffs, reinforcing operating norms and ensuring efficient collaboration across teams Lead internal alignment forums (e.g., strategy syncs, customer prep calls, post-call debriefs) to ensure coordinated execution and clear next steps Escalate and resolve complex issues by engaging the right stakeholders and driving timely, effective solutions Customer Experience, Insights & Continuous Improvement (10%) Use customer feedback, performance data, and on-the-ground insights to identify systemic friction and drive improvements to the Partner Success model Partner with Success Specialists to translate execution-level insights into scalable solutions, playbooks, and process improvements Contribute to building a more consistent, predictable, and scalable operating model across all state contracts Ensure that lessons learned, best practices, and success stories are captured and leveraged to strengthen both delivery and future growth efforts Contribute to and participate in College Board and College Readiness Assessment’s broader initiatives, team culture, and regular convenings About You Exceptional candidates can effectively speak to: 5-7 years of related experience in K-12 education, assessment, customer success, or educational technology. Strong background in training design and delivery with proven success leading workshops, webinars, and professional learning sessions. Demonstrated ability to build trusted relationships with educators, administrators, and customers. Excellent oral and written communication skills; able to explain complex processes clearly. Experience with tools such as Microsoft Office, Salesforce, and Smartsheet. Flexible, proactive, and able to balance multiple responsibilities in fast-moving environments. Willingness to travel 12–24 times per year. Experience as a District Test/Assessment Coordinator is preferred. 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. 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 –$130,000. 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. #LI-remote #LI-MD1 College Board reaches more than 7 million students a year, helping them navigate the path from high school to college and career. We’re a mission-driven, not-for-profit membership organization dedicated to excellence in education. Founded 125 years ago, we are committed to clearing a path for all students to own their future. We pioneered programs like the SAT® and AP® to expand opportunities for students and help them develop the skills they need. Our BigFuture® program helps students plan for college, pay for college, and explore careers. Learn more at cb.org. Clearing a path for all students to own their future. At College Board, our work is guided by four Operating Principles, and we seek team members who not only align with these principles but actively live them out in their day-to-day work. Prioritize and Simplify – We focus on what matters most, reduce complexity, and move quickly when needed. Say and Receive – We give and receive feedback candidly and kindly, welcoming growth and healthy debate. Go for Greatness – We pursue excellence using data, iteration, and bold thinking to raise the bar. Lead as One College Board – We build a culture of trust, inclusion, and shared responsibility for long-term impact. In addition to a competitive salary and benefits, we offer: Annual bonuses and opportunities for merit-based raises and promotions A mission-driven workplace where your impact matters A team that invests in your development and success Learn more about College Board’s Operating Principles, Our Remote-first Workplace Policy, Benefits, Recruiting Process and More. College Board is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. We’re committed to equal employment opportunity regardless of race, color, ancestry, religion, sex, national origin, sexual orientation, age, citizenship, marital status, disability, gender identity, or Veteran status.