Edtech.com's Summary

College Board is hiring an Associate Director, Credential Application Manager. This role manages the full lifecycle of state Industry Recognized Credential (IRC) applications by developing, coordinating, and submitting complex proposals to ensure compliance with state requirements. The position also involves strategic communication and collaboration with internal and external stakeholders to support application adoption and process improvement.

Highlights

Manage planning, drafting, stakeholder coordination, and submission of IRC applications for approximately 30 states.
Review and improve IRC application processes and internal engagement strategies.
Develop tailored content using content management system (Loopio) and ensure application accuracy.
Lead strategic communications to align messaging with state goals and support adoption efforts.
Coordinate cross-functional teams and serve as primary point of contact for IRC application updates.
Required skills include project management, technical writing, content management, and facilitation.
Proficiency with PowerPoint, Word, Excel, MS Project, familiarity with Salesforce preferred.
Minimum 3-5 years' experience in K-12 education or related field with education policy background.
Bachelor's degree (B.A. or B.S.) required; ability to travel up to 10%.
Salary range $70,000 – $95,000 depending on location and experience.

Associate Director, Credential Application Manager Full Description

Associate Director, Credential Application Manager

Remote - USA

Full time

Associate Director, Credential Application Manager TERM

College Board – Strategic Reach and Workforce Partnerships, GPER
Location: This is a fully remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office).

Type: This is a full-time, term position that will last for 18 months from the start date.

About the Team 

The Strategic Reach and Workforce Partnership Team drives integrated career state plays; ensuring College Board is seen as a state’s talent development advisor via partnerships across government, education agencies, employers, and workforce development partners. We aim to enable all College Board products, and especially AP Career Kickstart courses, to thrive and both students and states see a broader set of future options for ALL students.

About the Opportunity

The Associate Director, Credential Application Manager is responsible for facilitating, developing, and submitting College Board’s application for a state’s Industry Recognized Credential (IRC). The ideal candidate is highly organized, with excellent project management skills, and possesses uncompromising attention to detail to meet the requirements of complex requests.

The Associate Director is accountable for managing project plans, cross-organization stakeholders, communications, and the on-time and accurate completion of applications that meet state Industry Recognized Credentials (IRC) application requirements and deadlines. This role is responsible for contributing to the continuous improvement of the organizational application development process, coordinating cross-functional working groups, and developing winning applications.

This role will primarily handle development and submission for all state IRC applications for approximately 30 states.

In this role, you will:

Design and Execute Applications (60%) 

Review current IRC application process with current program owner and adjust the process and internal engagement strategy as needed.
Lead the full lifecycle of College Board’s IRC applications, including planning, drafting, stakeholder coordination, and final submission—ensuring compliance with all state-specific requirements and deadlines.
Select, adapt, and curate high-quality content from the content management system (Loopio), identify gaps, and incorporate team feedback to develop accurate, compelling, and tailored applications for each state.
Develop and manage detailed project plans for each application, including workflows, milestone tracking, role clarity, and risk mitigation strategies to ensure timely and complete submissions.
Coordinate cross-functional input by engaging the appropriate internal experts at the right time in the application process, ensuring accuracy, relevance, and completeness of responses.
Continuously monitor application pipeline and prioritize submissions, based on deadlines, complexity, and strategic value—escalating risks or delays promptly to ensure resolution.

Perform Strategic Communications (40%) 

Identify external stakeholders (e.g. CTE Directors, Workforce, Employers) key to ensuring adoption and ensure the teams owning those relationships (e.g. GPER, AP Access, SDP) work with those stakeholders to smooth adoption.
Develop targeted messaging that aligns with state goals, initiatives, statutes, and regulations, guiding the creation and modification of approved materials to ensure compelling and effective application content.
Develop and implement a proactive internal communications strategy to ensure cross-functional stakeholders are informed, aligned, and engaged throughout the IRC application development and submission process.
Design and manage state-specific internal engagement plans, including tailored messaging, regular updates, and milestone communications that reflect each state’s unique IRC requirements.
Serve as the central point of communication for all IRC-related updates, timelines, and issues—ensuring transparency and facilitating collaboration across teams.
Continuously assess and improve communication tools and channels (e.g., Loopio content, project tracking dashboards, email templates) to support clarity, consistency, and timeliness of information.
Act as the primary point of contact for all IRC applications, coordinating outreach with state approving entities and external experts in collaboration with the IRC program manager to ensure the accuracy, completeness, and compliance of all submissions.

About You

You have:

Excellent project management skills and attention to detail.
Experience working with content libraries and using content management systems.
Proficient writer and editor of technical proposals, policy, or legislative content.
Education and/or education policy background. Minimum of 3-5 years of experience required in K-12 education or related field.
Ability to manage complex projects across diverse teams to meet immovable deadlines.
Outstanding organization and prioritization skills and the proven ability to move forward multiple projects in concert, both independently and as a member of the team. 
Ability to synthesize information across many content domains from multiple writers and transform it into one voice.
Familiarity or experience with the public-school procurement processes.
Effective collaborator with excellent facilitation skills.
Ability to work on several projects simultaneously with teams and work independently.
Proven ability to build relationships and influence others to action. 
Adept problem-solving skills, including using data to inform decisions and actions.
Excellent PowerPoint, Word, Excel, and MS Project skills. Familiarity with Salesforce.
B.A. or B.S. required.
A willingness and ability to travel up to 10%.
A commitment to College Board’s mission, values, and impact.
Authorized to work in the United States.

All roles at College Board require:

A passion for expanding educational and career opportunities and mission-driven work
Authorization to work in the United States for any employer
Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, with a willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and a comfort 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 just 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 $70,000 – 95,000.
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.

You’ll have open, transparent conversations about compensation, benefits, and what it’s like to work at College Board throughout your hiring process. Check out our careers page for more.

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Original Job Description