Vice President, College Partnerships

About The Position 
The Vice President of College Partnerships will lead KIPPs national strategy to build transformative relationships with colleges and universities that drive access affordability persistence and degree completion for KIPP students. This leader will design and execute the strategic vision for how KIPP engages colleges set measurable performance standards and leverages institutional commitments towards meaningful student outcomes. The VP will expand KIPPs national footprint by securing 50 new MOUs annually and advancing progress toward establishing partnerships with the nations top 250 colleges by 2030. Managing a national portfolio of partners this leader will steward relationships with senior higher education executives facilitate ongoing progress reviews and drive collaborative initiatives that strengthen the student experience from matriculation through graduation. Success in this role will be measured through student outcomes at partner institutions including 90% of KIPPsters persisting to Freshman Spring 85% persisting to Sophomore year 30% graduating in 4 years 45% graduating in 5 years and 60% graduating in 6 years. The ideal candidate is a strategic student-centered outcomes-driven leader who excels at relationship management negotiation influence and operational execution. This role leads a high-performing team of six and collaborates closely with regions advising teams scholarship programs and data leaders to ensure partnerships are effectively integrated into KIPPs college match and persistence strategies. 

The position reports to the Chief of College Advancement & Partnerships and is part of a team culture grounded in KIPPs core valuesExcellent Results for Students Collective Impact and Courageous Actionembracing collaboration psychological safety data-informed decision-making and continuous improvement in service of transformational outcomes for students. 

Responsibilities 

Strategy and Vision 

• Set the national vision for how KIPP leverages institutional partnerships to drive affordability persistence and degree completion at scale. 

• Design a long-term roadmap to secure partnerships with the nations top 250 colleges by 2030 prioritizing institutions committed to equity student success and measurable investment in KIPP students. 

• Consistently realize partnership excellence establishing clear performance standards accountability structures and required commitments across all partners. 

• Develop systems data insights and cross-functional processes that integrate college partnerships into national advising match financial aid and persistence strategies. 

• Lead and refine the ongoing strategy grounded in data institutional performance and student experience to ensure partners consistently achieve results. 

• Position KIPP as a national thought leader and trusted collaborator in improving postsecondary outcomes for first-generation and low-income students. 

Partnership Development and Expansion 

• Cultivate negotiate and formalize strategic partnerships with colleges and universities that advance access affordability persistence and completion for KIPP students. 

• Develop and negotiate Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) securing 50 new MOUs annually with clear commitments and measurable goals. 

• Identify vet and prioritize new partnership opportunities aligned with KIPPs goals including engaging with the nations top 250 colleges by 2030. 

Portfolio Management and Relationship Stewardship 

• Manage a national portfolio of college partners maintaining strong trust-based relationships with senior institutional leaders. 

• Conduct regular performance reviews and data-driven discussions to strengthen collaboration and outcomes. 

• Support partner institutions in implementing practices that improve student success and equity. 

Driving Student Outcomes Through Partnerships 

• Analyze persistence enrollment and graduation data to identify trends gaps and opportunities for improvement. 

• Collaborate with partner institutions to enhance advising structures financial pathways and campus-based supports. 

• Ensure partnership commitments contribute meaningfully to KIPPs long-term milestones including: 

  • 90% of KIPPsters persisting to Freshman Spring 

  • 85% persisting to Sophomore year

  • 30% graduating in 4 years 45% in 5 years and 60% in 6 years 

Cross-Team Collaboration and Regional Support 

      Work closely with high school teams and regional leaders to integrate partnerships into student advising and match strategies. 

      Provide actionable insights on partner institution strengths and opportunities to inform regional decision-making. 

      Align partnership commitments with scholarship pathways and persistence strategies to maximize impact. 

Strategic Initiatives and Knowledge Management 

      Build and refine systems tools and codified practices that strengthen partnership effectiveness and scalability. 

      Serve as a key thought partner in shaping KIPPs national college partnership strategy including goals and accountability structures. 

Document and share best practices to drive continuous improvement and strengthen execution across the network. 

Leadership and Team Management 

Lead and develop a high-performing equity-driven team of six fostering a culture aligned with KIPPs core values: Excellent Results for Students Collective Impact and Courageous Action. 

Coach and support team members to ensure effectiveness and alignment across regions goals and priorities. 

Manage team budget and resources to deliver results within allocation. 

Skills and Mindsets 

• Mission and Student Focus: Demonstrates passion and commitment to KIPPs mission and possesses the desire and ability to uphold KIPPs core values (Focus on Excellent Results Collective Impact and Courageous Action)  

• Achievement & Outcomes Orientation:  Demonstrated record of setting and achieving ambitious goals for their departments in complex or ambiguous environment; uses data research and analysis to set a high bar of excellence for goal setting; effectively distributes and redistributes work among direct reports teammates and teams to optimizes goal attainments; effectively sets and fosters a culture that enables and celebrates teammates achievements and goals attainment. 

• Strategic Decision Making and Problem Solving: Effectively uses data to shape teamwide decisions and the learning agenda or evaluation of a function or significant initiative.  Able to generate implement and evaluate solutions with a focus on scalability and sustainability.  

• People Management & Development: Effectively ensures strong professional development and coaching for teammates through layers; proficient in the mechanics of succession management and performance management for teammates; able to coach manager of managers; skilled at setting and fostering a positive team culture in which teammates feel ownership and accountability for their own and the broader teams work and results. 

• Process Management: Able to build and align goals and project plans with organization priorities; Develops and codifies processes that promote coordination efficiency and efficacy across KF and the Network; Prioritizes processes that ensure sustainability and scalability; ensures team is finding efficiencies through process implementation and improvement resource sharing or other methods. 

• Post Secondary Planning Expertise: Understand of the factors necessary for post-secondary success including ACT/SAT and GPA implications student aid/scholarships college admissions process and career planning. A proven track record of connecting students to post-secondary match and counseling.   

Qualifications :

Experience and Qualifications 

• Bachelors degree required; advanced degree preferred. 

• 10 years of progressive leadership experience managing teams and supporting stakeholders across multiple regions and programs. 

• 10 years of experience developing managing and implementing high-impact partnerships that deliver measurable improvements in student outcomes at a national scale. 

• Proven track record of influencing senior leaders and external partners to achieve ambitious goals. 

• Expertise in college counseling postsecondary advising career preparation or progressive pathways; experience as a high school principal strongly preferred. 

• Experience managing education technology products including collaborating with technical teams to select and customize platforms (e.g. Salesforce Tableau) to meet practitioner and student needs. 

• Demonstrated commitment to equity and inclusion with experience working alongside students and families from under-resourced communities many of whom may be first-generation college-goers. 

Additional Information :

Work Conditions 

• Travel requirements: 50% including KIPP school/region and college/university visits and network-wide trainings and convenings

• Job Type: Full time Exempt 

Location 

It is preferred but not mandatory for this role to be based out of a KIPP Foundation office. This role has the option of working from a remote office full-time. KIPP Foundation offices are in NYC and Chicago. 

Compensation and Benefits 

In compliance with local law we are disclosing the compensation or a range thereof for roles in locations where legally required. Actual salaries will vary based on several factors including but not limited to external market data internal equity and relevant experience. The salary range for this position is $190000 - $227000. In addition KIPP Foundation provides a variety of benefits to employees including: 

• 25 holidays for 18 days additional flexible PTO days (flexible PTO increases to 23 days for years 3 and 4 and to 28 days for years 5). 

• 100% paid parental leave 

• 100% coverage of the premium for employee and 75% for employee family medical/dental/vision plans. 

• Wellness benefits such as fitness reimbursements discounted tickets to theme parks/attractions backup care support for children and adults/elders and our employee assistance program 

• Finance Security benefits include such as a 401K retirement plan with 4% match employer-sponsored legal plans life/disability insurance and flexible spending accounts 

KIPP Foundation embraces the opportunity to build a workforce that reflects the diversity of the students and communities with whom we work and the world around them. Being an equal opportunity employer means that we take seriously our responsibility to consider qualified candidates on the basis of merit without regard to race color religion national origin gender sexual orientation gender identity or expression age mental or physical disability and genetic information marital status citizenship status military status protected veteran status or any other category protected by law. 

Remote Work :

Yes

Employment Type :

Full-time