Senior Director, New Course Design & Development Operations

Senior Director, New Course Design & Development Operations 

College Board – AP&I 

Location:  This is a remote role. Candidates who live near CB offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office). All CB employees are required to occasionally travel to meet in person for business purposes. 

Role Type:  This is a full-time position 

About the Team  

The College Board’s Advanced Placement and Instruction division (300+ staff) develops and administers coursework taken by more than 3 million students worldwide each school year, and the related subject-matter exams utilized by more than 4,000 colleges and universities for course placement and awarding of college credit. These include credit and placement examination programs like CLEP and ACCUplacer; Advanced Placement (AP) and Pre-AP courses in 40+ disciplines; and associated teacher professional learning programs.     

The Advanced Placement Program is the largest offering in the division’s portfolio, and currently has five departments: Curriculum and Assessment, which manages the ongoing development and evolution of AP’s courses and exams within the Arts, English, History, Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and World Languages; Production and Delivery, which manages the annual cycle of transactions with schools – from student registration and exam production to exam administration, scoring, and score reporting; Access, which focuses on expanding availability of AP and Pre-AP courses, participation among traditionally underserved students, and supporting teachers; Strategy, which measures and evaluates the program’s components and leads the development and implementation of strategic initiatives, and New Course and Exam Development, which leads the development, launch, and refinement of new AP courses designed to reach students not currently engaged with AP. 

About the Opportunity   

The Senior Director of New Course Design & Development Operations leads the end-to-end operational management of new AP course and exam development, including project management, Development Committee oversight, and cross-functional coordination across a portfolio of 6-8 new courses in development. Through management of a team of Project Managers and an Associate Director, this role oversees the project management of a range of initiatives, including full course and exam development, scoping of course resources and supports, professional learning design and delivery, and the development of rubrics and scoring guidelines to support the annual AP Reading. Reporting to the Vice President, New Course Design & Development, the Senior Director provides strategic leadership and operational oversight throughout the multi-year development lifecycle—from defining scope and managing change through implementation, AP Exam administration, and establishment of valid and reliable AP Exam cut scores based on college performance data. 

In addition, the Senior Director supports and enables the work of a large cross-functional team of curricular analysts, instructional designers, and assessment specialists working across multiple content domains by establishing and maintaining the systems, processes, planning structures, and operational supports needed to prioritize and coordinate curriculum and assessment development work across the portfolio. This individual also manages the multi-million-dollar New Course Design & Development budget and serves as a key liaison serving on a cross-divisional project management governance group, ensuring clear communication, aligned project governance, and coordinated go-to-market support for each course launch. 

In this role, you will:  

New AP Course and Exam Change Project Management (60%)  

• Lead the end-to-end project management of new AP course and exam development initiatives across a portfolio of 6-8 courses, aligning development timelines, priorities, and deliverables with AP Program Enablement, Digital Delivery, and broader AP program roadmaps to ensure successful launch and operational readiness. 

• Direct cross-functional planning and execution across AP and College Board teams on behalf of the New Course Design and Development team to ensure coordinated implementation of all course and exam development activities, changes, and launch milestones. 

• Establish and oversee integrated department project management processes, governance structures, and communication plans to manage the full lifecycle of course and exam development, including scope definition, dependency management, risk mitigation, change management, and executive stakeholder reporting. 

• Manage the operational impact of new course and exam development on curriculum, instruction, assessment, professional learning, and AP Reading processes, including rubric development, scoring guidelines, and implementation supports required for successful administration and educator adoption. 

Department Operations and Budget (20 %)  

• Manage the multi-million-dollar New Course Design and Development budget, including financial planning, forecasting, resource allocation, and ongoing budget oversight across the portfolio.  

• Develop and maintain standardized operational processes, documentation, templates, and tools to support consistent execution of curriculum and assessment work across the department.  

• Oversee the organization and maintenance of scalable cloud-based file management systems and operational infrastructure to support efficient cross-functional collaboration and knowledge management.  

• Lead capacity planning and operational workload analyses to inform prioritization, staffing decisions, and resource management.  

• Provide operational leadership and cross-team coordination for recurring department-wide processes, timelines, and annual cyclical workstreams. 

Lead and Manage the New Course Operations Team (20%)  

• Lead and coach a team of four team members responsible for coordinating complex development initiatives across the new course portfolio and for individual courses, inclusive of overseeing the contracting and support of course development committees. 

• Set vision and priorities for the team, track and manage progress to goals, and provide coaching and support to ensure team members meet and exceed goals, remain engaged, and contribute meaningfully to our mission. 

• Cultivate an inclusive and high-achieving culture that enables all team members to live out College Board’s Operating Principles effectively.  

• Bring proven leadership experience and consistently embody College Board’s Manager Expectations in your work. 

About You  

• Demonstrated leadership and judgment managing complex, cross-functional initiatives with multiple stakeholders across all levels of an organization. 

• Strong strategic planning, program development, and change management capabilities. 

• Proven ability to manage multiple interdependent workstreams while managing timelines, budget, and operational alignment. 

• Skilled at identifying risk early and developing thoughtful, practical solutions to mitigate impact. 

• Strong facilitation, presentation, and written communication skills, including the ability to lead meetings with senior internal and external partners. 

• Willingness to travel domestically approximately 6-8 times annually, with additional travel as needed. 

• 8-10 years of leadership experience in program management, project management, or large-scale operational leadership, preferably within education or assessment environments 

• A strategic and inclusive leadership style: you set clear priorities, build effective team structures, plan for future needs, and foster a culture of belonging. 

• A proven ability to drive performance and growth: you set high expectations, deliver real-time, evidence-based feedback, and coach team members to take smart risks, stretch their skills, and achieve meaningful impact. 

• High level of proficiency with Smartsheet and Microsoft Office applications, particularly Excel and PowerPoint. 

• Proficiency in leveraging AI-enabled tools and technologies to improve operational efficiency, project management, analysis, and communication.  

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.

• Authorization to work in the United States.

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 $108,000-$165,000 

• 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.