Director of Partnerships Strategy: Thrive

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

The Bridge Between High School and a Bachelor's Degree

A scholar's journey doesn't pause the day they graduate high school — and neither does College Track's 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.

That's where you come in.

We're looking for a Director of Partnerships Strategy: Thrive to lead the operational engine behind College Track's national network of college and university partnerships. You'll be the connective tissue between our high school programming and our College Thrive team, making sure every scholar's 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.

Who We Are

Since 1997, College Track has grown from 25 scholars in East Palo Alto into a national movement supporting more than 5,000 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 1,350 strong and growing, is proof of what's 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 $89,823 — higher than the national median. We're not just opening doors — we're making sure scholars walk all the way through them.

What You'll Do

🤝 Own the Partnership Portfolio

• Manage the full College Thrive lifecycle of College Track's 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 scholar's 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

What You Bring

• A fierce advocate's mindset. First and foremost, you believe in College Track's mission to help scholars overcome systemic barriers on the path to a degree.

• Bachelor's degree required; Master's 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

Compensation & Benefits

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

Region Full Range Target Range Bay Area, Washington D.C., PGC $115,000 – $165,000 $127,500 – $139,999 Denver, Aurora, Los Angeles, Sacramento $99,000 – $142,000 $109,750 – $120,499 New Orleans, Baltimore $90,000 – $129,000 $99,750 – $109,499

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 →

Ready to Build the Bridge?

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 www.collegetrack.org