Program Director - Higher Education

At ACT, Your Work Makes a Difference

Education has power - a power that changes lives forever. It creates opportunities that lift up individuals, their families, and sparks societal change that echoes through generations to come. From our grassroots we have fought the good fight for inclusivity in education, and we remain devoted to helping anyone who struggles to access that power. This is what matters to us and we must do better we've never been more sure of our purpose.

ACT team members are part of an organization dedicated to a mission that has never been more important : Helping people achieve education and workplace success. Advancing that mission within our organization, by helping our team members achieve education and workplace success of their own, is core to our values. ACT values a diverse workplace and is committed to fostering an inclusive environment in which every team member has an equal opportunity to grow.

We want our team members to have the well-being and confidence they need to do their best work, in an environment where both they and ACT thrive. To support this, our total rewards include company paid life insurance, medical, dental, vision, flexible health and dependent spending accounts, 401(k) retirement savings with company match, paid holidays, paid time off, and so much more. You can find a comprehensive list of our benefits here.

The Program Director, Higher Education , part of the Higher Education and K12 Partnership Engagement Team, will develop and execute outreach and engagement strategies for the postsecondary community. This role is central to building and maintaining trusted relationships with colleges and universities, while assisting with key support of high school counselors and ACT's regional councils. The Program Director ensures educators and enrollment leaders are supported, connected, and informed about ACT's mission, products, research and initiatives.

By cultivating networks across secondary and postsecondary education, the Program Director brings the voice of the customer into ACT, helping elevate partner insights and drive strategies that support growth, retention and long-term success.

The finalist will be hired at the salary and level commensurate with their qualifications. For this position, we anticipate offering an annual salary in the range of $75,000 to $82,000. ACT manages salaries within the range based on relevant factors including, skills, experience, and internal equity.

Location : This is a remote position, based in the United States.

Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for visa sponsorship.

What you will be working on :

Higher Education Engagement :

Support ACT's communication strategy and outreach with postsecondary partners, including institutional leaders and associations (e.g., NACAC, AACRAO, community colleges).

Contribute to planning and execution of ACT Summit and regional event programming for higher education.

Assist in the execution of various ACT councils, especially the Higher Education Senior Leadership Council, ensuring meaningful engagement, relevant agendas, and actionable feedback loops.

Develop, implement and distribute newsletters and / or other communications for higher education partners with various ACT partners.

Seek innovative ways to support colleges and universities by ensuring ACT's assessments are utilized to inform student success from admission to graduation.

Regional Councils & K12 Engagement :

Partner with ACT's regional councils to coordinate engagement strategies across K12 and higher education.

Collaborate with the Counselor Outreach Team to strengthen support for high school counselors, ensuring they have the information needed to serve counselors, educators and students.

Represent ACT at counselor convenings, regional meetings, and other professional gatherings, as appropriate.

Relationship Management & Communication :

Serve as a connector and resource between ACT and educational stakeholders, ensuring consistent communication of ACT updates, research and opportunities.

Develop and maintain a network of advocates from postsecondary education.

Maintain up-to-date knowledge of trends, technologies, and research in education, offering proactive insights.

Role Progression : First 30 Days :

Become familiar with ACT's Higher Education & K12 Partnership Engagement Team structure, priorities, and key initiatives.

Review current councils to understand membership, agendas and engagement practices.

Connect with the Counselor Outreach Team to understand current supports, tools, and outreach strategies used with high school counselors.

A listening tour with select higher education leaders to capture immediate feedback and priorities.

Within 60 days :

Partner with the Counselor Outreach Team to identify opportunities to collaborate and partner in opportunities for higher education communications, resources, etc.

Support planning and execution of regional and national ACT Summits.

Establish a draft process for collecting and sharing partner feedback across the Higher Education and K12 Partnership Engagement Team (internal feedback loop).

Begin developing a regular communication plan (e.g., newsletters, updates, listservs) for higher education.

Within 90 Days :

Roll out the first regular communication (e.g., monthly newsletter or bulletin) to higher education partners.

Present consolidated findings from the first round of listening sessions.

Demonstrate alignment between partner needs and ACT's product, research, and engagement roadmap for the Higher Education and K12 Partnership Engagement Team.

Begin serving as a visible ACT representative at external meetings, conferences, counselor convenings, etc.

This could be the job for you if you have (minimum requirements) :

7+ years of progressively responsible experience in higher education. Other educational experiences may be considered.

Demonstrated success in relationship management and partner engagement.

Familiarity with postsecondary education trends and challenges (enrollment management, placement, assessment, student success, etc.).

Strong written and verbal communication skills, including comfort with public speaking.

Ability to work collaboratively across teams and organizations.

Bachelor's degree in a related area of study, or an equivalent combination of education. and experience from which comparable knowledge and abilities can be acquired.

It's a plus if you have :

Experience working with K-12 stakeholders, including educators and school counselors.

Prior involvement with educator / counselor associations or regional / state / national education councils.

Established networks in higher education.

About ACT

When ACT was founded in 1959, it disrupted the assessment industry with a new approach to helping students better understand their readiness so they could take steps to improve it. By leveraging our expertise and authority in assessment and research, we will again disrupt the industry-helping more people learn, better measure their progress, and improve their navigation through life's transitions.

More than ever before, ACT is fulfilling its mission of helping people achieve education and workplace success. We're doing it by pushing the boundaries of learning innovation through the work of our people, who we call team members because we're all in this together.

We know transformation does not come without challenge. That's why ACT invests in a variety of experiences for team members to strengthen their connections, explore ideas, learn from customers, and celebrate success.

Learn more about working at ACT at act.org!

ACT is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. ACT participates in E-verify. ACT's online position announcements are intended only to provide general descriptions of employment opportunities; none of the information provided for any position should be interpreted as a commitment by ACT to specific terms and conditions for employment.

Completion of the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate is recommended. Find a testing site near you to register for the WorkKeys assessments. Finalists for this position will be subject to a criminal background check as a condition of employment.

• If you have received an ACT employment-related communication from an email address that is not affiliated with @act.org and / or that requests personal or financial information, please do not reply. Instead, reach out to us at careers@act.org with the details. ACT's recruitment team appreciates your interest in working with us to transform college and career readiness pathways for all learners and wishes you the best of luck in your career journey.