Senior Director, SAT Suite Strategy & Innovation

College Board College Readiness Assessments (CRA)

The College Readiness Assessments (CRA) division is a mission-driven team that delivers the SAT Suite of Assessments (SAT, PSAT / NMSQT, PSAT10, and PSAT 8 / 9) to millions of students across the world each year to help open their paths to life after high school. The SAT Suite connects students to a wide range of post-high school opportunities, including scholarships, careers, colleges, and universities. In 2023, we retired the use of paper / pencil testing and are now a fully digital SAT Suite offering an assessment that is easier to give, easier to take, more secure, and more relevant.

The SAT Suite Innovation & Partnerships team turns bold ideas into real world impact. Operating at the intersection of strategy, product development, and partnerships, we explore and incubate initiatives that help students, educators, and districts build and measure the skills most critical for college and career success. We collaborate with product, research, and market-facing teams to address current needs while anticipating the future of digital assessment and learning.

Our team works in close partnership with the Senior Vice President and Vice President of CRA as well as College Board's Executive Leadership team to shape the SAT Suite's innovation strategy and ensure the division makes diligent, high-impact investments that drive its long-term vision. Advising on and architecting solutions for the most complex questions facing the SAT Suite, our mission-driven, future-focused team plays a pivotal role in reimagining assessments and developing smarter, more actionable tools that help millions of students unlock opportunity.

About the Opportunity

As the Senior Director, SAT Suite Strategy & Innovation, you are energized by the opportunity to enhance the value and relevance of the SAT Suite, expanding access to college and career pathways for all students. Reporting to the Executive Director of Innovation & Partnerships, you will drive high-impact initiatives that explore bold innovations, from reimagining product and go-to-market strategies to leveraging emerging technologies like AI to transform assessment. With deep curiosity, analytical rigor, and structured problem-solving, you'll serve as the day-to-day lead on strategic projects, translating ambiguous problems into strategic workplans and driving forward solutions. You'll execute and manage complex, cross-functional workstreams and distill diverse inputs into strategic, data-informed recommendations for senior leadership. This is a high-visibility, high-impact role for a mission-driven strategist ready to influence the direction of a nationally critical program serving students around the world.

Responsibilities

Strategic Project Leadership (30%)

Lead critical innovation projects that enhance the SAT Suite's value, relevance, and flexibility, serving as the day-to-day driver of strategic initiatives from concept to execution.

Leverage deep expertise in the ed-tech landscape, assessment policy, and market trends to evaluate and advance the most promising ideas.

Manage cross-functional workstreams to generate actionable insights and deliver high-quality analyses that inform strategic direction.

Manage multiple, concurrent strategy projects across varying maturity stages by developing structured prioritization frameworks, aligning cross-functional stakeholders, and ensuring timely execution.

Data-driven Decision-Making (30%)

Structure market research and data analysis, analyzing outputs to support investment decisions, growth strategies, and new product or partnership opportunities.

Integrate data analysis and partnership insights from across the Innovation & Partnerships team, ensuring coherence and alignment with College Board's broader strategic goals.

Incorporate insights on competitor activity, emerging technology, and evolving K12 and higher ed policy landscapes to inform strategy development and enterprise readiness.

Strategy Development and Influence (30%)

Translate complex innovation ideas into scalable strategies, balancing mission impact with financial sustainability and operational feasibility.

Develop compelling, data-informed business cases that integrate qualitative and quantitative insights to secure leadership support for new pilots, partnerships, and innovation investments.

Drive build / buy / partner recommendations by identifying and prioritizing transformative opportunities for the SAT Suite, collaborating with internal stakeholders and external partners.

Cross-Functional Leadership and Team Support (10%)

Represent the SAT Suite on high-priority, cross-divisional initiatives from driving access for underrepresented students to shaping the future of digital learning and assessment.

Support fellow colleagues through coaching and thought partnership, particularly in strategic problem-solving and structured analysis.

About You

To qualify for this role, you must have :

8+ years of experience in product strategy, innovation leadership, internal strategy, or management consulting.

Deep commitment to College Board's mission to clear a path for all students to own their future.

A successful track record of leading complex, ambiguous projects with significant organizational impact.

An entrepreneurial orientation, proactively surfacing bold ideas, spotting opportunities others miss, and shaping creative strategies in complex, evolving environments.

Strong ability to serve as an advisor, counselor, and coach to colleagues, including problem-solving with senior leaders and mentoring less experienced colleagues.

Strong strategic thinking paired with operational execution capabilities.

Demonstrated ability to turn data into meaningful insights to guide decisions.

Exceptional communication skills that allow for clarity, persuasion, and engagement across formats and audiences.

Comfort operating in fast-paced, high-stakes environments with evolving priorities.

A deep understanding of educational systems, assessment, or digital learning is a plus.

Bachelor's degree is required; MBA or other advanced degree is preferred.

The ability to travel 3-4 times a year to College Board offices or on behalf of College Board business.

All roles at College Board require :

A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work

Authorization to work in the United States for any employer

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.

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.

While the hiring process may vary, it generally includes : resume and application submission, recruiter phone / video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks.

What We Offer

At College Board, we offer more than just a paycheckwe 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 $108,000