Director, Partnerships Strategy Thrive

Greater U.S. Regions (Denver Aurora New Orleans Baltimore Washington D.C.)

A scholars journey doesnt pause the day they graduate high school and neither does College Tracks promise. Getting a first-generation student to college is only half the story. Getting them through it with the right partnerships the right support and the right systems behind them is where real transformation happens.

Thats where you come in.

Were looking for a Director of Partnerships Strategy: Thrive to lead the operational engine behind College Tracks national network of college and university partnerships. Youll be the connective tissue between our high school programming and our College Thrive team making sure every scholars transition to campus is seamless every partnership delivers on its promise and every data point points toward one thing: persistence retention and on-time graduation.

If you love building systems stewarding relationships and translating strategy into results that change lives this role was built for you.

Since 1997 College Track has grown from 25 scholars in East Palo Alto into a national movement supporting more than 5000 scholars and alumni. Our 13 high school centers span underserved communities across California Colorado Louisiana Maryland and the D.C. Metro Area and our alumni community now 1350 strong and growing is proof of whats possible.

College Track scholars graduate from college at a rate more than double the national average for first-generation students from underserved communities. One year out of college 80% of College Track alumni are employed and alumni ages 30 earn an average of $89823 higher than the national median. Were not just opening doors were making sure scholars walk all the way through them.

Own the Partnership Portfolio

• Manage the full College Thrive lifecycle of College Tracks college and university partnerships ensuring every requirement benefit and deliverable is executed with fidelity
• Lead the planning and rollout of partnership benefits including pilots timelines and site-team coordination
• Build and continuously improve the guides tools and materials that keep internal teams aligned
• Spot new opportunities within existing partnerships and bring data-informed recommendations to the table

Steward Relationships That Matter

• Own the full partner engagement cadence kickoffs launches mid-year check-ins and debriefs
• Build trusted lasting relationships with college and university partners through proactive communication and sharp execution
• Represent College Track externally with clarity professionalism and vision

Connect the Dots Across Programs

• Partner closely with College Counseling and College Thrive teams to ensure every scholars handoff from high school to college is seamless
• Align high school partnership strategy with College Thrive implementation
• Solve for gaps in transition communication or scholar experience before they become problems

Keep the Work Honest With Data

• Track partnership-related outcomes: persistence retention on-track-to-6-year and actual graduation rates
• Turn data into insight identifying trends and opportunities to sharpen partnership effectiveness
• Train College Thrive teams on how to use partnership opportunities to strengthen advising and retention
• Report progress to senior leadership and keep refining the system as you go

• A fierce advocates mindset. First and foremost you believe in College Tracks mission to help scholars overcome systemic barriers on the path to a degree.
• Bachelors degree required; Masters degree preferred
• 5 years of experience in higher education higher ed partnerships or a related field
• A track record managing complex multi-stakeholder projects or portfolios
• Solid understanding of college persistence financial aid and advising processes
• Proven ability to work cross-functionally and drive alignment across teams
• Strong relationship-building instincts you know how to build trust and keep it
• Excellent project management organizational and communication skills
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and solving problems on the fly
• Experience letting data guide decisions
• Willingness to travel monthly across Greater U.S. regions including our California sites to connect with regional teams and partners
• Working knowledge of relevant software and tools

This is a full-time exempt hybrid role with regional compensation ranges:

Plus benefits built around real wellness:

• Up to 23 discretionary time off days (sick vacation) in year one
• 23 paid office closure and holiday days
• Comprehensive health care and financial security benefits
• Explore the full benefits package

We especially encourage first-generation college graduates to apply. College Track is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer committed to a diverse workforce and free from discrimination on the basis of race age color religion national origin sex gender disability veteran status genetic information sexual orientation or gender identity or expression.

Learn more about our mission at