Director, Student Success Pathways

Cotulla Education

18h•Remote

About The Position

At Cotulla Education, home to the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, Centura College, Tidewater Tech, and American Lineman College, we are dedicated to transforming lives through hands-on, career-focused education. Our mission is to empower students to achieve their professional dreams in high-demand fields like aviation, healthcare, information technology, and skilled trades. With experienced faculty providing personalized support, our graduates emerge as future leaders ready to make a significant impact in their communities. Join us in shaping the careers of those who will build and maintain our world and embark on a transformative journey towards a fulfilling career. The Director, Student Success Pathways is responsible for designing and executing scalable, high-impact national initiatives that accelerate graduate employment outcomes across all campuses. This role leads core strategic pillars, including but not limited to: National Relocation Strategy to expand access to out-of-market employment opportunities Alumni Engagement Strategy focused on driving placement outcomes through reactivation, referrals, and employer connections, including activating alumni in hiring or leadership roles to generate placement opportunities Apprenticeship & Structured Hiring Programs to create repeatable, employer-aligned hiring pipelines, including pathways for students not yet fully certified but ready for employment. This position serves as a force multiplier to campus Career Success teams by unlocking new employment pathways, increasing job access, and driving measurable improvements in placement rates across the organization.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
5+ years of experience in workforce development, talent placement, recruiting, or employer partnerships
Proven ability to design and scale programs that drive measurable outcomes
Strong business development mindset with experience building employer relationships
Analytical thinker with ability to translate data into action
Strong cross-functional leadership and stakeholder management skills
Ability to operate both strategically and tactically in a fast-paced environment

Nice To Haves

Master’s preferred
Experience working across multiple markets or regions preferred

Responsibilities

Design and implement a national relocation program that enables graduates to pursue employment opportunities across state lines
Identify high-demand labor markets and align graduate supply to employer needs in those regions
Establish relocation support models (stipends, housing support, employer-sponsored options, or donor-funded programs)
Partner with the Partnerships team to align employers with relocation-ready talent pipelines
Track relocation-driven placements and continuously optimize program effectiveness
Define eligibility criteria and readiness standards for students participating in relocation opportunities
Build and lead a national alumni engagement strategy focused on employment outcomes—not passive engagement
Develop systems to re-engage inactive graduates (MIA populations) and convert them into active job seekers
Create alumni-driven hiring channels, including referral pipelines and peer-to-peer placement support
Partner with campuses and central teams to integrate alumni into ongoing placement efforts
Measure and report on alumni-driven placement impact
Identify and engage alumni in hiring or leadership positions to create direct employer pipelines
Design and launch national apprenticeship or structured hiring programs aligned to employer needs
Partner with employers to create entry-level pipelines that mirror successful models (e.g., teaching assistant-style programs)
Define program structure, eligibility, and conversion expectations to full-time employment
Collaborate with Academics and Certification teams to align readiness with employer requirements
Scale successful programs across multiple markets
Develop alternative employment pathways for students who are not yet fully certified but are job-ready for entry-level roles
Partner closely with Career Success, Student Success, and Partnerships teams to align initiatives with placement goals
Integrate strategies into existing systems (Optimus, EDGE, reporting cadence) to ensure visibility and execution
Support campuses in activating national programs locally
Serve as a subject matter expert on placement acceleration strategies
Define success metrics for each strategic pillar (relocation placements, alumni conversions, apprenticeship hires)
Monitor performance and identify opportunities to increase conversion rates across the placement funnel
Provide regular updates to executive leadership on impact, risks, and scaling opportunities
Continuously refine strategies based on outcomes and market feedback
Track expansion of job pathways available to graduates across markets
Monitor reduction in time-to-placement for targeted student populations