Director, College Partnerships (Multiple Positions)

Company Description

About the Organization 

KIPP Public Schools is a national network of tuition-free public charter schools that prepares students with the skills and confidence to create the future they want for themselves, their communities, and us all. We are a network of 279 schools, nearly 16,500 educators, and nearly 210,000 students and alumni.

Our mission: Together with families and communities, we create joyful, academically excellent schools that prepare students with the skills and confidence to pursue the paths they choose—college, career, and beyond—so they can lead fulfilling lives and build a more just world. 

Our vision: Every child grows up free to create the future they want for themselves and their communities. 

The KIPP Foundation is a nonprofit organization that supports KIPP public charter schools across the country. The KIPP Foundation helps to develop outstanding educators to lead KIPP schools; provides tools and resources for excellent teaching and learning; promotes innovation; and facilitates the exchange of insights and ideas across KIPP and other public schools and organizations. 

About Our Values: 

Excellent Results for Students: We value results over effort and know that our work is not finished until all students thrive. We maintain high expectations for self, team, and students. We drive outcomes by operating with agility, removing barriers, differentiating support, and prioritizing student-centered solutions—especially for those at the margins. 

Collective Impact: We are one team. We win together. We embody a one-team mindset by working collaboratively across teams, aligning goals, and leveraging the strengths of all teammates. We build trust-based relationships and ensure inclusive decision-making by engaging those closest to the work. We provide clarity through simple, repeatable systems and goals that enable transformational outcomes. 

Courageous Action: Our belief in what we can achieve is unwavering, fueling our optimism and commitment to overcome any challenge. We demonstrate an unwavering belief in students' potential and a commitment to addressing systemic inequities. We approach challenges with resilience, a solutions-focused mindset, and adaptability. We foster a psychologically safe environment centered on trust and accountability where feedback is encouraged. We leverage data to reflect on progress, own setbacks, celebrate successes, and continuously improve to maximize impact. 

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Job Description

About The Position 

The Director of College Partnerships will play a pivotal role in strengthening, expanding, and maximizing KIPP's national network of college partnerships to dramatically improve persistence and completion outcomes for KIPP students. Reporting to the Vice President of College Partnerships, the Director will serve as a regional expert who builds deep, strategic relationships with colleges and universities and aligns institutional commitments with KIPP's bold 2030 goals. 

The Director will lead the work to secure and deepen MOUs with institutions committed to strong access, affordability, persistence, and completion outcomes. This includes managing a portfolio of partner colleges, cultivating new partnership opportunities with top institutions nationwide, analyzing partner performance data, and collaborating closely with regions, high schools, and the KIPP Forward Counseling and Match team to ensure that partnerships are effectively leveraged to support students. 

This is a highly external-facing role requiring exceptional relationship management, negotiation ability, data fluency, and strategic execution. The Director will collaborate with KIPP Forward teams, regional counseling leaders, external partners, and senior institutional leaders to ensure that partnerships strengthen student access, success, and completion. 

Responsibilities 

Your goal will be to drive YOY increases in signed partnership MOUs and to help build the systems, relationships, and accountability structures needed to establish partnerships with the nation’s top 250 colleges by 2030.  The Director will play a critical role in driving measurable improvements in the outcomes of KIPPsters at partner institutions, including the following targets: 95 percent persistence to freshman spring, 90 percent persistence to sophomore year, 30 percent four-year graduation, 45 percent five-year graduation, and 60 percent six-year graduation. 

1. Partnership Development and Expansion 

• Cultivate, negotiate, and formalize college and university partnerships that increase access, affordabi