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:  

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

• Translate organizational priorities and enterprise messaging into proactive and reactive media strategies that strengthen institutional credibility and public understanding 

• Identify and drive media opportunities aligned to College Board’s mission, strategic goals, and reputational priorities 

• Partner closely with teams across the organization to ensure message consistency, strategic alignment, and impact 

• Advise senior leaders on media engagement strategy, visibility, and reputational risk 

Oversee media intelligence and anticipate emerging issues (15%) 

• Lead comprehensive monitoring and analysis of media coverage, sentiment, and narrative trends  

• Translate insights into actionable executive guidance that informs communications and operational decision-making 

• Identify emerging issues, policy dynamics, and reputational vulnerabilities early 

• Recommend proactive engagement or mitigation strategies to shape narratives before they escalate 

Guide high-stakes media engagement and reputational response (20%) 

• Serve as the senior media lead during high-risk, high-visibility issues and sensitive inquiries 

• Assess complex or high-profile media requests and recommend engagement strategy, including whether and how to respond and who should serve as spokesperson 

• Develop clear, accurate, and strategically positioned statements, background materials, and Q&A documents 

• Coordinate executive interviews and media engagements when appropriate, ensuring preparation, message discipline, and follow-through 

• Partner closely with a range of College Board leaders and subject matter experts to deliver aligned, timely responses 

• Maintain and strengthen crisis protocols, escalation frameworks, and organizational readiness 

Cultivate trusted media relationships to strengthen credibility and coverage quality (15%) 

• Build and maintain long-term, trust-based relationships with national, regional, and trade journalists 

• Engage reporters proactively through background briefings, contextual education, and strategic outreach 

• Serve as a reliable, credible resource to enhance accuracy and depth of coverage 

• Act as senior escalation point for sensitive or complex inquiries to protect and reinforce institutional reputation 

Prepare and advise executive leaders for effective external engagement (10%) 

• Provide candid strategic counsel on engagement posture, tone, and risk in high-stakes media environments 

• Develop high-quality briefing materials, talking points, and Q&A that ensure message clarity and consistency 

• Deliver media training and rehearsal sessions that build confidence and discipline 

• Support high-profile interviews and public moments to maximize impact and minimize risk 

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About You  

To qualify for this role, you must have:  

• Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, public affairs, or related field required; advanced degree a plus 

• 15+ years of progressive experience in media relations, public relations or strategic communications 

• 5+ years leading and developing multi-person communications teams, including hiring, performance management, and coaching 

• Exceptional writing and editing skills, with the ability to translate complex information into clear, compelling narratives 

• Demonstrated success leading national media strategy for a high-profile, mission-driven organization or prominent principal 

• Deep experience engaging top-tier national media outlets and managing high-profile or sensitive issues 

• Proven track record developing and executing strategic communications plans across national, state, and local environments 

• Significant crisis communications and issues management experience in complex, fast-moving media landscapes 

• Experience directly advising and preparing senior executives or other high-visibility leaders for media engagement 

• Experience managing and optimizing external agency partnerships to ensure strategic alignment and measurable impact 

• Fluency in Spanish a plus   

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 $144,000-$210,000 

• 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.