Copy of Director, College Partnerships (Multiple Positions)

About The Position 

The Director of College Partnerships will play a pivotal role in strengthening expanding and maximizing KIPPs national network of college partnerships to dramatically improve persistence and completion outcomes for KIPP students. Reporting to the Vice President of College Partnerships the Director will serve as a regional expert who builds deep strategic relationships with colleges and universities and aligns institutional commitments with KIPPs bold 2030 goals. 

The Director will lead the work to secure and deepen MOUs with institutions committed to strong access affordability persistence and completion outcomes. This includes managing a portfolio of partner colleges cultivating new partnership opportunities with top institutions nationwide analyzing partner performance data and collaborating closely with regions high schools and the KIPP Forward Counseling and Match team to ensure that partnerships are effectively leveraged to support students. 

This is a highly external-facing role requiring exceptional relationship management negotiation ability data fluency and strategic execution. The Director will collaborate with KIPP Forward teams regional counseling leaders external partners and senior institutional leaders to ensure that partnerships strengthen student access success and completion. 

Responsibilities 

Your goal will be to drive YOY increases in signed partnership MOUs and to help build the systems relationships and accountability structures needed to establish partnerships with the nations top 250 colleges by 2030.  The Director will play a critical role in driving measurable improvements in the outcomes of KIPPsters at partner institutions including the following targets: 95 percent persistence to freshman spring 90 percent persistence to sophomore year 30 percent four-year graduation 45 percent five-year graduation and 60 percent six-year graduation. 

1. Partnership Development and Expansion 

• Cultivate negotiate and formalize college and university partnerships that increase access affordability persistence and completion for KIPP students. 

• Lead MOU development and negotiation processes ensuring clarity of commitments and measurable goals. 

• Identify vet and prioritize new partnership opportunities aligned with the goal of partnering with the nations top 250 colleges. 

1. Portfolio Management and Relationship Stewardship 

• Manage a regional portfolio of college partners and maintain strong relationships with senior leaders. 

• Conduct regular partnership performance reviews and data-informed discussions to strengthen collaboration. 

• Support partners in implementing practices that advance student success. 

1. Driving Student Outcomes Through Partnerships 

• Analyze persistence enrollment and completion data to identify trends and gaps. 

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

• Ensure that partnership commitments meaningfully contribute to FY27 and 2030 persistence and graduation milestones. 

1. Cross-Team Collaboration and Regional Support 

• Collaborate with Counseling and Match Directors high school teams and regional leaders to integrate partnerships into student advising and match strategies. 

• Provide guidance on partner institution strengths and opportunities. 

• Align partnership commitments with scholarship pathways and persistence strategies. 

1. Strategic Initiatives and Knowledge Management 

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

• Contribute to the development of the College Partnerships strategy including goals and accountability structures. 

• Document and share best practices to strengthen execution nationally.

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)  

• Self-Management: Demonstrated record of setting ambitious goals and achieving them with consistency. Invests in developing teammates skills and mindsets to address gaps in achieving team growth; determines what quantitative and qualitative data are most relevant to their goals and supports the team in creating and monitoring systems for collecting reviewing and acting upon data to drive outcomes; able to monitor progress communicating status to the right stakeholders and adjusting plans and use of time to ensure systems are yielding desired outcomes. 

• Effective Work Management: Sets a clear vision for new or complex bodies of work. Develops and implements agile project plans navigating difficult situations or conflicts while maintaining effective relationships with all stakeholders; creates and ensures systems are in place for knowledge management. 

• Strategic Decision Making & Problem Solving: Efficiently defines the right metrics to evaluate work and ensures critical team actions decisions and recommendations are driven by data; effectively works with team to resolve issues around data to ensure sound data-informed decisions. Effectively identifies and addresses root causes to the most important problem. 

• Collaboration: Has the interpersonal diplomatic relationship building and communications skills needed to develop successful working relationships with diverse constituents to deliver results. Evolves and adapts plans and approach with diverse stakeholders to drive results. Possesses excellent communication skills with aptitude for translating complex information into a clear and persuasive narratives that convince others by identifying benefits for all. 

Qualifications :

Experience and Qualifications 

Required:  

• 7 or more years of experience in college access college partnerships higher education nonprofit management or related fields. 

• Experience developing or managing strategic partnerships preferably with colleges or universities. 

• Demonstrated experience using data to identify trends inform decisions and drive outcomes. 

• Experience in K-12 education charter networks or similar environments. 

• Experience negotiating MOUs or institutional agreements. 

• Track record of managing complex multi-site programs or portfolios including data-informed decision making and resource allocation. 

• Experience collaborating with cross-functional teams and external partners to implement initiatives at scale. 

• Bachelors degree required; Masters degree in Education Counseling Higher Education or a related field preferred. 

Preferred: 

• Experience with networked or multi-school educational organizations ideally with experience in KIPP charter school networks or similar contexts. 

• Familiarity with tools and platforms supporting student data tracking college/career readiness programming and communication with families. 

Additional Information :

Work Conditions 

• Travel requirements: Up to 30% travel to partner institutions KIPP regions or staff 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 $124800 - $150000. 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 familys 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 thats 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