Executive Director, EaR Strategy & Alignment, Public Affairs

About Our Process

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. 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 $152,000 – $230,000.
• 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-MS1
• #LI-REMOTE

Qualifications

• 10+ years of experience in public affairs, policy communications, or strategic communications, including significant experience within complex, high-visibility, politically sensitive environments
• Experience supporting state or federal legislative or regulatory initiatives through communications strategy
• Strong communications strategy background, including experience designing and executing integrated campaigns that marshal media, messaging, and stakeholder sequencing across policy and research initiatives
• Proven ability to lead cross-program or cross-organizational strategy in complex, matrixed settings, building trust and influence without direct authority and working through ambiguity Exceptional writing skills, with demonstrated ability to translate complex policy or research content into clear, compelling narratives
• Experience collaborating with research or subject matter experts to align publication releases with strategic messaging and media engagement
• Proven ability to assess external landscapes, anticipate risks and opportunities, and recommend effective engagement strategies
• Strong rapid response and crisis communications experience in politically or publicly sensitive environments
• A goal- and metric-oriented mindset with experience using data and insights to guide strategy and measure impact
• Executive presence, including the ability to represent EaR credibly with senior program leaders, navigate complex conversations, influence decision-making, and communicate clearly and confidently
• Ability to manage multiple initiatives, priorities, and stakeholders simultaneously
• Ability to travel 4 to 7 times per year to College Board offices or on behalf of College Board business
• Authorization to work in the United States for any employer
• 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 a comfort 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.