Executive Director, East Asia & the Pacific

at The College Board | National Office (New York, NY) | View all jobs

The College Board, the national educational organization, is conducting a search for a Executive Director, South Asia for our International Operations department. This position is based in our New York office.

Named by Fast Company as one of the most innovative education companies, the College Board is a mission-focused organization. This job requires a strong focus on improving educational opportunities and outcomes, particularly for disadvantaged students, in the context of a competitive business environment.

The Executive Director, East Asia & the Pacific will be responsible for all outreach, business development and customer interaction activities in the region to maintain & expand usage of all College Board programs with particular focus on AP, pre-AP and the SAT suite of assessments. They will manage a team responsible for outreach to K-12 and Higher Education constituents.

Who you are:

• You possess deep knowledge of secondary and higher education in the region as well as the broader political/social environment impacting education.
• You have strong connections to schools, higher education institutions, government agencies, and other key influencers in the region.
• You have a strong understanding of admissions processes and policies across different countries in the region and countries that attract international students from the region (e.g., US, UK, etc).
• You are an enterprising, self-starter who thrives on new challenges and will find ways to get in the door of key influencers to earn their trust, respect, and business.

You are results-oriented and comfortable with setting and being accountable for sales goals. You have the creativity to envision how the College Board’s flagship programs (AP, pre-AP, SAT, PSAT) can serve students and educators within the educational context of the region both currently and in the future.

You are comfortable with both collaborating with a remote team or flying solo as the situation demands.
You understand the balance that the College Board needs to strike as a mission-focused organization operating within a competitive business environment to improve educational opportunities and outcomes for students.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
This critical leader will be charged with:
• Developing and executing on a strategic business plan to drive adoption of College Board programs (AP, pre-AP, PSAT, SAT) across the region to meet growth goals
• Managing staff to develop and execute on region-specific plans for developing new relationships and driving adoption of College Board programs to achieve volume and growth goals
• Leading special projects impacting the region (e.g., evaluating how to establish greater presence in the region, building educator communities in the region)
• Developing new relationships with higher education institutions, schools, educational agencies and institutions, vendors, and other key education influencers in the region with the express objective of growing usage of College Board programs (AP, pre-AP, PSAT, SAT) in a fiscally responsible manner in priority geographies.
• Oversee staff managing relationships with key partners & vendors in the region to deliver College Board programs. Lead or guide staff on negotiations with key partners & vendors in the region, where appropriate.
• Manage staff and lead efforts to expand recognition of College Board programs among higher education institutions both in the region and outside the region with strong interest in recruiting students in the region.
• Manage staff and lead efforts to expand MOE-level recognition and partnerships in the region.
• Collaborating with the Chinese Language and Culture Initiative team to support relationship with decision makers at the national and provincial level in China to influence policies related to College Board programs.
• Ensuring the effective communication of all market-based trends in education, political atmosphere, and competitive environment with International team members and broader College Board staff.
• Collaborating with relevant International team members to communicate critical constituent requirements and develop solutions to address those requirements in the context of College Board programs and infrastructure.
• Having a deep understanding of College Board programs to expertly articulate the value proposition of College Board programs in both public and private settings with government leaders, university leaders, school leaders, educators, students, parents, and other influencers in education in the region.
• Building College Board’s reputation and brand across the region, particularly in China, while balancing the sensitive nature of our programs in the political context.

PRINCIPAL RELATIONSHIPS
Internal Contacts:
Maintains regular contact and positive working relationships with staff across the College Board, including International Division, College Readiness Assessments Program, AP & Instruction Program, Global Higher Education & Membership, Government Relations, Communications, Operations, etc.

External Contacts:
Establishes and maintains deep relationships with leadership and key decision makers in assigned region: universities, schools, local/provincial/state education leaders, partners/vendors, teachers, counselors, and other influencers in education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS
Education/Experience:
A Bachelor’s degree is required, an advanced degree in education is preferred
A minimum of 10 years of sales and/or education experience in the region, especially China
Experience in higher education, specifically admissions, a plus

Related Skills & Other Requirements:
• Ability to think creatively about fresh approaches to challenges.
• Excellent analytic and quantitative skills, including ability to identify and obtain needed data to confirm/backup hypotheses
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills to present to internal executives and externally in public settings
• Problem solving and negotiation skills
• Strong interpersonal skills
• Computer literacy, including Microsoft Office applications
• Knowledge of customer relationship management (CRM) strategy
• Ability to effectively handle multiple situations simultaneously
• Willingness and ability to travel extensively (up to 50%)

Benefits
We offer our employees an outstanding benefits package, which includes 4 weeks of paid time off, a generous retirement savings plan, tuition reimbursement and ongoing professional development and training.

Mission
Our mission is to clear a path for all students to own their future.
 

The College Board is committed to diversity in the workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The College Board participates in E-Verify, a service of DHS and SSA, where required. Please understand that only qualified applicants will be contacted.