Chief College Officer (Immediate Opening)

IDEA Public Schools•Austin, TX

About The Position

Chief College Officer Role Mission As the Chief College Officer (CCO) at IDEA Public Schools, you will lead the vision and execution of our "College for All" mission while advancing IDEA's long-term 2035 impact statement: We want every student to have a life of meaningful, empowered choice. College remains the most likely path to achieving that goal and therefore will continue to be IDEA's focus strategy. But college is not the ultimate destination—a meaningful life is. In this role, you will oversee the full continuum of college success—from college match and access to alumni college completion—ensuring that IDEA students are prepared not only to graduate from college, but also to pursue fulfilling lives of agency, opportunity, and purpose. Reporting directly to the Deputy Superintendent, you will manage strategic initiatives that guarantee 100% of IDEA seniors matriculate to college and that a growing number of alumni persist and graduate, while also strengthening their capacity to navigate multiple pathways toward empowered futures.

Requirements

Bachelor's degree required
10+ years of progressive experience in college access, student success, or education leadership
Experience managing multi-functional teams and large-scale initiatives and systems
Demonstrated success in improving college enrollment and completion outcomes for underrepresented students
Strategic planning and KPI tracking
Managing and coaching large teams toward measurable goals
Using data to drive decisions and improve systems
Influencing internal and external stakeholders across complex organizations
Public speaking, written communication, and strategic storytelling
Building national strategies and translating them into region- and campus-level action
Solving complex problems with urgency and insight

Nice To Haves

Master's degree in Education , Counseling, or related field preferred

Responsibilities

College Matriculation and Match : Ensure 100% of IDEA seniors matriculate each year. Oversee all strategies related to college applications, financial aid, post-graduation follow-up, and matriculation follow-up. Lead a college match strategy that ensures 50%+ of seniors enroll in Tier 1 or Tier 2 colleges.
College Counseling Excellence : Coach and support college counselors, school leaders, and regional leaders to ensure college counseling excellence. Align college match strategies with the 2035 vision by helping students make choices that expand their long-term life opportunities, not just immediate enrollment.
Alumni Success and College Completion : Increase alumni college graduation rates annually to 60 +% six-year rates . Oversee the alumni coaching program, ensuring outcomes-focused and solutions-driven advising. Lead innovation in IDEA's college persistence model, including virtual and campus-based support systems.
Higher Education Partnerships : Strengthen partnerships with higher education institutions to support IDEA alumni . Integrate IDEA's 2035 impact lens by supporting alumni to see college as a launching point for empowered and meaningful lives.
College Counseling Team Leadership : Recruit, develop, and retain top talent for college counseling roles across IDEA's network. Oversee onboarding, training, and leadership development for College Counselors and Directors of College Counseling.
Team Performance and Culture : Monitor team performance, provide actionable coaching, and invest deeply in staff culture and belonging. Foster a national culture of achievement, joy, and mission alignment among the counseling team—anchored in the belief that every student deserves empowered choice.
Organizational Leadership : Lead a high-performing HQ team through clear vision-setting, strategic planning and execution, progress monitoring, and leadership development. Build a strong team culture through feedback, recognition, collaboration, and shared accountability with the Executive Team made up of Chiefs, Deputy Superintendent, President, and CEO | Superintendent.
Strategic Goal Alignment : Ensure goal alignment across all College Success team functions with IDEA's broader 2035 strategy.
Cross-Functional Collaboration : Collaborate cross-functionally with Academics, Schools, Talent, and Operations teams to ensure K–16 continuity that supports student empowerment.
Executive Team Collaboration : Collaborate and communicate across the entire Executive Team made up of Chiefs, Deputy Superintendent, President and CEO | Superintendent.
Data-Driven Innovation : Use data and strategic insights to continuously improve college success systems and outcomes across the organization.