Senior Director, Government Relations- West

About the Team  

Global Policy and External Relations (GPER) is a close-knit team of 14 policy and government relations (GR) professionals who drive policy proposals and appropriation priorities from design to implementation. Our core capabilities are policy design and adoption to reach a broader group of students, and to help College Board programs innovate, adapt, and grow.  GR also focuses on advocacy and policy implementation to build and maintain a powerful network of external allies that will help us advance our organizational goals. This position will report to the Executive Director for State Government Relations.    

About the Opportunity   

As a Senior Director, State Government Relations, you are a strong leader who collaborates with colleagues to create strategies to increase awareness in support of College Board programs that help grow them. You are a relationship expert: you build and manage a network of governors, education policy advisors, legislators, AP (Advanced Placement) Advocates, and education associations and organizations. You can operate at the state and national levels, owning a national relationship or an external grouping of relationships important to the College Board and optimize our engagement and investment. You establish formal partnerships between the states and the College Board. You are a strong communicator with expertise in a specific policy area, which allows you to clearly communicate policy statements and proposals.     

In this role, you will:  

Lead State Government Relations (60%)    

• Build and manage relationships across multiple states California, Arizona, Nevada, and Montana

• Maintain a deep understanding of the key decision-makers that influence legislation in the state    

• Understand the legislative environment across multiple states and be able to distill key information and strategy recommendations to organization leadership    

• Able to take on new states and prioritize quickly to reach College Board goals    

• Set and achieve measurable maintenance, and growth, in volume and revenue for College Board products (including AP, Pre-AP, CLEP, PSAT, SAT and Search) in all states in their portfolio. Measurable metrics include state and federal appropriations, new AP courses in schools, and student participation  

Drive Policy & Partnership Development (20%)    

• Own a national relationship or group of relationships i.e., policy makers, contract lobbyists, Higher Education GR officials – ensuring maximum return on investment.    

• When possible, establish formal partnerships between your assigned states and College Board.    

• Develop understanding of AP credit policies and their applications in various states    

• Develop expertise in a specific policy area such as internal data used to support GR work and teacher certification/shortages, and work closely with the Policy Team and Comms to craft policy statements and proposals    

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Implement Cross-Divisional Strategy (20%)    

• Collaborate with colleagues on the Policy team and in the States and District Partnerships Division to develop long-term strategies for your states    

• Move agilely to develop and implement short-term strategies in additional states when needed    

About You  

You have: 

• A bachelor’s degree, preferably a master's degree, in public administration, government or education    

• Deep relationships and proven experience in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Montana

• The ability to travel 50% of the year to College Board offices or on behalf of College Board business  

• Authorization to work in the United States 

Location Note: Candidates living in California are strongly preferred. 

Exceptional candidates can effectively speak to:  

• Expertise in Government Relations and Affairs with 10+ years performing relevant work  

• Extensive experience in government relations and demonstrated work with state legislature, educational policy agencies, schools, districts, colleges, and universities in higher education systems in California, Arizona, Nevada, and Montana 

• Excellent storyteller, with strong verbal and written communication skills    

• Proactive, strategic and agile thinker, able to clearly discern and communicate priorities with organization leadership, colleagues, policymakers, and potential partners    

• Comfort working in a fast-paced environment    

All roles at College Board require: 

• A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work 

• Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and comfort with learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively.  

• Clear and concise communication skills, written and verbal 

• A learner's mindset and a commitment to growth: welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receiving timely, respectful feedback, and continuously improving through iterative learning and user input. 

• A drive for impact and excellence: solving complex problems, making data-informed decisions, prioritizing what matters most, and continuously improving through learning, user input, and external benchmarking. 

• A collaborative and empathetic approach: working across differences, fostering trust, and contributing to a culture of shared success 

About Our Process   

• Application review will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days. 

• While the hiring process may vary, it generally includes: resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise such as live coding, a panel interview, a conversation with leadership and reference checks.    

What We Offer 

At College Board, we offer more than a paycheck- we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive. We’re a self-sustaining nonprofit that believes in fair and competitive compensation grounded in your qualifications, experience, impact, and the market. 

A Thoughtful Approach to Compensation 

• The hiring range for this role is $112,000–$170,000. 

• Your exact salary will depend on your location, experience, and how your background compares to others in similar roles at the College Board. 

• We aim to make our best offer upfront, rooted in fairness, transparency, and market data. 

• We adjust salaries by location to ensure fairness, no matter where you live.