Director, BigFuture Communications

Director, Program Communications –BigFutureand Higher Education

College Board – Engagement and Reach (EaR)

Location: Thisis a fully remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have theoptionof being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office).All CB employeesare required tooccasionally travel to meet in person for business purposes.

Type:This is a full-time position

About the Team

The Communications department plays a critical role in advancingCollegeBoard’s mission and ensuring our work is understood with clarity, accuracy, and impact. We define and align core messaging across the organization and lead strategic engagement with key audiences, including students, families, educators, policymakers, and the media. As a creative, strategically disciplined team, we hold ourselves tohigh standardsand continuously innovate in how we tell our story—elevating thought leadership, strengthening executive visibility, and delivering clear, effective communications in moments that matter. We partner closely with leaders and teams across programs, research, policy, and operations to translate complex work into compelling narratives that expand understanding, strengthen trust, and drive meaningful impact.

About the Opportunity

As Director, Program Communications -BigFutureand Higher Education, you will shape howCollegeBoard communicates with students, families, and higher education partners. You will lead the development of clear, focused messaging and communications strategies that support both theBigFutureprogram and the Higher Education, Membership, and Access (HMA) division, helping students navigate the path to college and career while strengthening College Board’s relationships with higher education leaders.

In this role, you will translate complex ideas into clear, compelling, and useful narratives andleadthe development and execution of integrated communications strategies across key channels and moments. You will partner closely with colleagues across Engagement and Reach to bring those strategies tolife, andsupport executive communications and thought leadership in high-visibility engagements. This role requires exceptional writing, strong judgment, and the ability to bring clarity to complex, evolving issues. You will serve as a strategic partner to program and divisional leadership and report to the Executive Director, Program Communications.

In this role, you will:

• Lead and own messaging and communications strategy forBigFutureand HMA, defining clear, compelling narratives that translate complex products, services, and research into useful and accessible stories for students, families, and higher education partners

• Serve as an expert on key audiences—including students, families, and higher education partners—using insight to shape messaging, positioning, and communications strategy

• Drive integrated communications initiatives from strategy through execution, including goal setting, message development, sequencing, and measurement—partnering with Reach, Marketing, and other teams to activate across channels

• Develop and operationalize messaging frameworks, tools, and standards that ensure consistency, clarity, and adoption across external communications

• Lead cross-functional alignment across Engagement and Reach, Product, and Media Relations to ensure coordinated, effective communications

• Own and oversee the development of high-quality communications materials—including talking points, FAQs, presentations, and digital content—that support priority initiatives and high-visibility moments

• Lead executive communications strategy forBigFutureand higher education, shaping leader visibility and preparing for high-impact engagements in partnership with Executive Communications and Media Relations, with messaging that is clear, consistent, and aligned to strategic priorities

• Proactivelyidentifyand advance opportunities to elevate theBigFuturestory, including validating voices and real-world impact

• Serve as a strategic communications partner toBigFutureand HMA leadership, helping shape priorities, clarify messaging, and drive effective communications planning

About You

Exceptional candidates will bring:

• Demonstrated ability toown and lead communications strategyin complex, cross-functional environments, with strong judgment in prioritizing work and navigating ambiguity

• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to translate complex ideas into clear, compelling, and useful messaging for diverse audiences

• Experience developing and drivingintegrated communications strategies, with a focus on measurable outcomes such as engagement, adoption, or audience understanding

• Proven ability tolead through influence, partnering effectively across teams such as marketing, product, media relations, and executive communications

• Strong understanding ofaudience needs and behaviors, with the ability to apply insight to shape messaging, positioning, and communications strategy

• Experience supportingsenior leaders in high-visibility communications, including preparing materials for external engagements or moments of scrutiny

• Ability to manage multiple priorities whilemaintainingclarity, speed, and message discipline in a fast-paced environment

• Familiarity with the education landscape and issues affecting students, families, and higher education institutions

• Experience using data,feedbackand experimentation to drive communications effectiveness

Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in communications, journalism, English, or a related field

• 5+ years of professional experience in communications, content strategy, marketing, or a related field, witha track recordof increasing responsibility

• Experience in education, consumer-facing products, or mission-driven organizations preferred

Success in the First 12 Months

By the end of the first 12 months, a successful Director, Program Communications will:

• Establish themselves as the lead communications strategist and a trusted partner to theBigFutureand Higher Education, Membership, and Access (HMA) divisions

• Deliver integrated communications strategies that support bothBigFuture’sconsumer-facing products and higher education–focused initiatives

• Build and operationalize a forward-looking editorial and messaging roadmap thatidentifieskey inflection points, proactive storytelling opportunities, and strategic engagement moments

• Consistently deliver clear, compelling, and useful messaging and communications assets that translate complex products, services, and research into accessible narratives for key audiences

• Strengthen clarity, consistency, and effectiveness of direct-to-student and higher education communications across channels, in close partnership with marketing and product teams

• Elevate executive communications and thought leadership by preparing leaders for high-visibility engagements and helping positionBigFutureand higher education work in external conversations

• Contribute to College Board’s broader reputation by advancing clear, student-centered messaging and helping teams communicate with a unified, consistent voice

All roles at College Board require:

• A passion forexpandingeducationaland careeropportunitiesand mission-driven work

• Authorization to work in the United Statesfor any employer

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

• Clear and concise communication skills,written and verbal

• Alearner'smindset and a commitment to growth:welcoming diverse perspectives, giving and receivingtimely, 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 beginimmediatelyand will continue until the position is filled.This role is expected to accept applications for a minimum of 5 business days.

• Whilethehiring processmay vary, it generallyincludes: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

AtCollegeBoard, we offer more than just a paycheck—we provide a meaningful career, a supportive team, and a comprehensive package designed to help you thrive.We’rea 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 $80,000–$130,000.

• 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 offerupfront—rootedinfairness, transparency, and market data.

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

You’llhave open, transparent conversations about compensation, benefits, and whatit’slike to work atCollegeBoard throughout your hiring process. Check out our careerspagefor more.