Director, Partnerships Strategy: Thrive
About The Position
The Bridge Between High School and a Bachelor's Degree A scholar's journey doesn't pause the day they graduate high school — and neither does College Track's promise. Getting a first-generation student to college is only half the story. Getting them through it — with the right partnerships, the right support, and the right systems behind them — is where real transformation happens. That's where you come in. We're looking for a Director of Partnerships Strategy: Thrive to lead the operational engine behind College Track's national network of college and university partnerships. You'll be the connective tissue between our high school programming and our College Thrive team, making sure every scholar's transition to campus is seamless, every partnership delivers on its promise, and every data point points toward one thing: persistence, retention, and on-time graduation. If you love building systems, stewarding relationships, and translating strategy into results that change lives — this role was built for you.
Requirements
- A fierce advocate's mindset. First and foremost, you believe in College Track's mission to help scholars overcome systemic barriers on the path to a degree.
- Bachelor's degree required; Master's degree preferred
- 5+ years of experience in higher education, higher ed partnerships, or a related field
- A track record managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects or portfolios
- Solid understanding of college persistence, financial aid, and advising processes
- Proven ability to work cross-functionally and drive alignment across teams
- Strong relationship-building instincts — you know how to build trust and keep it
- Excellent project management, organizational, and communication skills
- Comfort navigating ambiguity and solving problems on the fly
- Experience letting data guide decisions
- Willingness to travel monthly across Greater U.S. regions, including our California sites, to connect with regional teams and partners
- Working knowledge of relevant software and tools
Nice To Haves
- Master's degree preferred
Responsibilities
- Manage the full College Thrive lifecycle of College Track's college and university partnerships — ensuring every requirement, benefit, and deliverable is executed with fidelity
- Lead the planning and rollout of partnership benefits, including pilots, timelines, and site-team coordination
- Build and continuously improve the guides, tools, and materials that keep internal teams aligned
- Spot new opportunities within existing partnerships and bring data-informed recommendations to the table
- Own the full partner engagement cadence — kickoffs, launches, mid-year check-ins, and debriefs
- Build trusted, lasting relationships with college and university partners through proactive communication and sharp execution
- Represent College Track externally with clarity, professionalism, and vision
- Partner closely with College Counseling and College Thrive teams to ensure every scholar's handoff from high school to college is seamless
- Align high school partnership strategy with College Thrive implementation
- Solve for gaps in transition, communication, or scholar experience before they become problems
- Track partnership-related outcomes: persistence, retention, on-track-to-6-year and actual graduation rates
- Turn data into insight — identifying trends and opportunities to sharpen partnership effectiveness
- Train College Thrive teams on how to use partnership opportunities to strengthen advising and retention
- Report progress to senior leadership and keep refining the system as you go
Benefits
- Up to 23 discretionary time off days (sick + vacation) in year one
- 23 paid office closure and holiday days
- Comprehensive health care and financial security benefits
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What This Job Offers
Job Type
Full-time
Career Level
Director
