Executive Director, Media Relations

Executive Director, Media Relations 

College Board – Engagement and Reach 

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 Communications department plays a critical role in advancing College Board’s mission and ensuring our work is understood with clarity, accuracy, and impact. We define and align core messaging across the organization and lead strategic engagement with key audiences, including students, families, educators, policymakers, and the media. As a creative, strategically disciplined team, we hold ourselves to high standards and continuously innovate in how we tell our story—elevating thought leadership, strengthening executive visibility, and delivering clear, effective communications in moments that matter. We partner closely with leaders and teams across programs, research, policy, and operations to translate complex work into compelling narratives that expand understanding, strengthen trust, and drive meaningful impact. 

About the Opportunity   

As Executive Director of Media Relations, you will lead a high-performing team responsible for shaping and safeguarding College Board’s national visibility and reputation. You will design and drive a disciplined, forward-looking media strategy across national, state, and local markets—strengthening trust and demand for our flagship programs, including the SAT Suite, Advanced Placement, and BigFuture, while elevating emerging priorities such as career readiness, AI-related initiatives, and program growth in rural areas. In a complex and highly scrutinized landscape, you will leverage media intelligence and strategic foresight to anticipate emerging issues, steward relationships with top-tier journalists, elevate executive visibility and thought leadership, and lead high-stakes media engagement in moments that shape public understanding. This is a consequential leadership role for a strategic, creative communicator who thrives under pressure and is motivated by the opportunity to shape national narratives and expand opportunity for all students. 

In this role, you will:  

Lead a high-performing media relations team and strengthen cross-divisional collaboration (15%) 

• Set vision and priorities for the team, track and mange 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. 

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

Develop and execute a comprehensive enterprise media strategy (25%)