Senior Director, College Success

Road to Hire is seeking exceptional mission-aligned talent to join its team, as it pivots to a new chapter to position itself for new heights of success and organizational excellence. 

The newly created Senior Director of College Success will lead the strategic direction, operational excellence, and team development of R2H’s postsecondary access and student success work. This individual will manage a multi-level, cross-functional team including Senior Program Managers, Student Success Coaches, Program Managers, and instructional staff, all focused on helping students access, persist, and graduate from 2- 4-year colleges.

As a key member of the student success leadership team, the Senior Director will drive organizational alignment to student success metrics, oversee complex workflows across multiple institutions and partners, and ensure programmatic consistency and quality at scale.

This role requires a leader with deep expertise in higher education or college access programming, a strong command of data-driven leadership, and a track record of managing large, distributed teams in fast-paced environments. We are seeking a seasoned student success and people leader. 

Priority consideration for interviews will be given to applicants who submit by Tuesday, October 21st.

Reports to: Chief Student Success Officer

Location Requirements: This is a hybrid position that requires residence in the Charlotte region with required in-office presence Tuesday through Thursday. Seasonal weekends and evenings may be required to support student success efforts and outreach.

Compensation: $130,000 annually

 
Key Responsibilities

Strategic Leadership & Program Oversight

• Set the vision and long-term strategy for R2H’s college access, enrollment, persistence, and graduation efforts.
• Lead development and continuous improvement of high-impact, equity-centered programming aligned with student success KPIs (see below).
• Translate strategic priorities into clear team objectives, work plans, and performance metrics.
  Serve as a senior thought partner to the CSSO and cross-functional peers, contributing to organizational planning, fundraising, and external relations.

Team Management & Talent Development

• Directly manage Senior Program Managers and mid-level leaders across the High School and College Success teams.
• Build team structures that promote clarity, accountability, and collaboration across roles and functions.
• Design and implement leadership development pipelines for program managers and coaches.
• Foster a culture of high expectations, inclusive leadership, continuous feedback, and growth.

Student Success Metrics & Impact Ownership

Own organizational performance across key college access and success indicators, including:

Systems-Building & Operational Excellence

• Lead development of tools, systems, and infrastructure that support data collection, program delivery, and reporting.
• Align program operations across multiple workstreams, cohorts, and sites.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Finance, Tech, Comms, and Legal to deliver programs efficiently and compliantly.
• Maintain rigorous internal documentation and dashboards to inform decisions and resource allocation.

External Partnerships & Ecosystem Collaboration

• In collaboration with the Chief Student Success Officer, manage strategic relationships with higher education institutions, community organizations, and funders.
  
  
• Represent R2H in external convenings, coalitions, and partnerships related to postsecondary success and educational equity.
  
  
• Build and sustain joint initiatives that expand opportunity and deepen impact.

Required Qualifications

• Minimum 10+ years of progressive experience in education, college access/success, or youth development.
  
  
• Minimum 8+ years of team leadership experience, including managing managers and large, matrixed teams.
  
  
• Proven track record of building and scaling college access or persistence programs with measurable student outcomes.
  
  
• Expertise in data systems, program operations, and outcome management (e.g., KPI dashboards, SIS/CRM platforms).
  
  
• Deep knowledge of higher education systems, including enrollment trends, persistence challenges, and institutional partnerships.
  
  
• Strong judgment, systems thinking, and ability to balance real-time responsiveness with long-term planning.
  
  
• Passion for educational equity and demonstrated commitment to serving first-generation and under-resourced students
  
  

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with strategic planning, organizational change, or scaling nonprofit programming.
  
  
• Familiarity with frameworks such as Intrusive Advising, Appreciative Advising, and Holistic Student Support.
  
  
• Background in managing cross-sector student success initiatives (e.g., FAFSA completion, summer melt, dual enrollment).
  
  
• Expertise in federal and state financial aid policy, college access pipelines, and institutional accountability.
  
  

About Road to Hire:

Road to Hire invests in the untapped potential of underrepresented young adults by breaking down barriers to career success. We provide continuous support from high school classrooms, through college into high-paying careers, and equip young professionals with the skills, confidence, and opportunities to unlock economic mobility and lasting career growth. Road to Hire is headquartered at the Red Ventures Corporation, its founding corporate partner. R2H is considered RV Corporate's social impact vertical while maintaining its status as a standalone 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.

The following benefits are provided by Red Ventures, subject to eligibility requirements.

• Health Insurance Coverage (medical, dental, and vision)
• Life Insurance
• Short and Long-Term Disability Insurance
• Flexible Spending Accounts
• Holiday Pay
• 401(k) with match
• Employee Assistance Program
• Paid Parental Bonding Benefit Program
• Flexible Paid Time Off (PTO): We believe time to rest and recharge is essential.  That’s why we offer a generous and flexible PTO policy.  Full-time employees accrue 20 days of PTO for a full calendar year annually, with an increase to 25 days after five years of service.

About Red Ventures:

Founded in 2000, Red Ventures (RV) is home to a diverse portfolio of industry-leading brands and businesses, strategic partnerships and proprietary technology, including Bankrate, Lonely Planet, The Points Guy, BestColleges and more. Together, RV helps millions of people worldwide make life’s most important decisions, accelerates digital adaptation, and innovates the online consumer experience by improving every step of the consumer journey from first discovery of information, throughout the decision-making process, to transactions. Headquartered south of Charlotte, NC, Red Ventures employs thousands of people across the US and Puerto Rico, with international offices in the UK and Brazil. For more information, visit https://redventures.com and follow @RedVentures on social platforms.

At Red Ventures, we believe diverse, inclusive teams are better. To help you better understand our core values and beliefs, we encourage you to watch this brief YouTube video: Our Belief Statements. This will give you insight into the principles that guide our work and our commitment to fostering an inclusive environment.

 We offer competitive salaries and a comprehensive benefits program for full-time employees, including medical, dental and vision coverage, paid time off, life insurance, disability coverage, employee assistance program, 401(k) plan and a paid parental leave program.

Red Ventures is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant because of race, creed, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, national origin, disability, age, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, pregnancy or any other basis protected by law. Employment at Red Ventures is based solely on a person's merit and qualifications. 

We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities. This includes providing reasonable accommodation where appropriate. Should you require a reasonable accommodation to apply or participate in the job application or interview process, please contact accommodation@redventures.com. 

If you are based in California, we encourage you to read this important information for California residents linked here.