Executive director, student activation
Executive Director, Student Activation
About the Team
The College Board’s Advanced Placement and Instruction (AP&I) division develops and administers coursework taken by three million students worldwide each school year, and the related subject-matter exams utilized by thousands of colleges and universities for course placement and awarding of college credit. The AP Program Access department within the AP&I division leads the growth and reach of the AP Program, extending first-time AP participation and ensuring those students persist through completion.
About the Opportunity
The Executive Director, Student Activation, will build and lead a new team within AP responsible for direct-to-student tools and program experiences that increase program interest, first-time participation, and exam completion. This role exists to ensure students do not opt out of opportunity before they ever opt in.
Impact Metrics
• Increase first-time AP participation, including within priority schools and districts.
• Increase program completion among students engaged through activation efforts.
• Increase reach from AP Potential identification to AP course enrollment.
• Launch and scale new student experiences (competitions, readiness badging) with measurable adoption and engagement benchmarks.
• Ensure strong cross-functional delivery, team performance, and continuous improvement.
In this role, you will:
Develop Engagement Strategy and Plan for Scale (35%)
• Set and own strategy for AP Potential as a core student activation tool.
• Lead development of the student competition strategy for AP, identifying key partners, and mobilizing AP student participation at such events.
• Lead a planning process to assess the creation of an AP Student Alumni Network as a tool to support student success and college and career planning.
Launch and Manage an Activation Portfolio (35%)
• Design, launch and manage AP Potential campaigns to students and parents in collaboration with partner teams within AP and across Divisions.
• Develop student and family engagement opportunities and programming in collaboration with BigFuture to support AP participation within student college and career planning.
• Integrate middle school readiness badges to accompany the introduction of Pre-AP projects and support student practice.
Team Leadership (30%)
• Lead and manage a team responsible for student tools and engagement initiatives.
• Set priorities, manage performance, and coach team members to achieve goals.
• Cultivate an inclusive and high-achieving culture that enables all team members to live out College Board’s Operating Principles effectively.
About You
To qualify for this role, you must have:
• Expertise in education, nonprofit environment, or college access with 10+ years of performing as a team leader/management role in the space for at least 5 of those years.
• A proven ability to drive performance and growth.
• Outstanding communication skills.
• Strong relationships and a track-record of effective outreach to and engagement with students and families.
• A passion for innovation.
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.
What We Offer
At College Board, we offer more than just a paycheck—we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive.
A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation
The hiring range for this role is $152,000–$215,000. Your exact salary will depend on your location, experience, and how your background compares to others in similar roles at the College Board.
Equal Opportunity Employer
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.
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About the Team
The College Board’s Advanced Placement and Instruction (AP&I) division develops and administers coursework taken by three million students worldwide each school year, and the related subject-matter exams utilized by thousands of colleges and universities for course placement and awarding of college credit. The AP Program Access department within the AP&I division leads the growth and reach of the AP Program, extending first-time AP participation and ensuring those students persist through completion.
About the Opportunity
The Executive Director, Student Activation, will build and lead a new team within AP responsible for direct-to-student tools and program experiences that increase program interest, first-time participation, and exam completion. This role exists to ensure students do not opt out of opportunity before they ever opt in.
Impact Metrics
• Increase first-time AP participation, including within priority schools and districts.
• Increase program completion among students engaged through activation efforts.
• Increase reach from AP Potential identification to AP course enrollment.
• Launch and scale new student experiences (competitions, readiness badging) with measurable adoption and engagement benchmarks.
• Ensure strong cross-functional delivery, team performance, and continuous improvement.
In this role, you will:
Develop Engagement Strategy and Plan for Scale (35%)
• Set and own strategy for AP Potential as a core student activation tool.
• Lead development of the student competition strategy for AP, identifying key partners, and mobilizing AP student participation at such events.
• Lead a planning process to assess the creation of an AP Student Alumni Network as a tool to support student success and college and career planning.
Launch and Manage an Activation Portfolio (35%)
• Design, launch and manage AP Potential campaigns to students and parents in collaboration with partner teams within AP and across Divisions.
• Develop student and family engagement opportunities and programming in collaboration with BigFuture to support AP participation within student college and career planning.
• Integrate middle school readiness badges to accompany the introduction of Pre-AP projects and support student practice.
Team Leadership (30%)
• Lead and manage a team responsible for student tools and engagement initiatives.
• Set priorities, manage performance, and coach team members to achieve goals.
• Cultivate an inclusive and high-achieving culture that enables all team members to live out College Board’s Operating Principles effectively.
About You
To qualify for this role, you must have:
• Expertise in education, nonprofit environment, or college access with 10+ years of performing as a team leader/management role in the space for at least 5 of those years.
• A proven ability to drive performance and growth.
• Outstanding communication skills.
• Strong relationships and a track-record of effective outreach to and engagement with students and families.
• A passion for innovation.
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.
What We Offer
At College Board, we offer more than just a paycheck—we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive.
A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation
The hiring range for this role is $152,000–$215,000. Your exact salary will depend on your location, experience, and how your background compares to others in similar roles at the College Board.
Equal Opportunity Employer
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.
Apply tot his job
Apply To this Job