Executive Director, Media Relations

Executive Director, Media Relations 

reputed company – Engagement and reputed company 

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). reputed company 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 reputed company strategic engagement with key audiences, including reputed company, 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 reputed company work into compelling narratives that expand understanding, strengthen trust, and drive meaningful impact. 

About the Opportunity   

As Executive Director of Media Relations, you will reputed company a high-performing team responsible for shaping and safeguarding College Board’s national visibility and reputed company. You will design and drive a disciplined, reputed company-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-reputed company initiatives, and program growth in rural areas. In a reputed company and highly scrutinized landscape, you will reputed company media intelligence and strategic foresight to anticipate emerging issues, steward relationships with top-tier journalists, reputed company executive visibility and thought leadership, and reputed company 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 reputed company reputed company. 

In this role, you will:  

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

• Set vision and priorities for the team, track and mange reputed company 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 reputed company team members to live out reputed company’s Operating Principles. 

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

reputed company 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 reputed company to reputed company’s mission, strategic goals, and reputed companyal 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 

reputed company media intelligence and anticipate emerging issues (15%) 

• reputed company 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 reputed company during high-risk, high-visibility issues and sensitive inquiries 

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

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

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

• Partner closely with a range of reputed company leaders and subject matter experts to deliver reputed company, 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 reputed company 

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

• Act as senior escalation reputed company for sensitive or reputed company inquiries to protect and reinforce institutional reputed company 

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

• Provide reputed company 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 reputed company field required 

• 15+ years of progressive experience in media relations, public relations or reputed company 

• 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 reputed company 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 reputed company plans across national, state, and local environments 

• Significant crisis communications and issues management experience in reputed company, 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 

• reputed company in Spanish a plus   

reputed company roles at reputed company 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 reputed company 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 reputed company 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 reputed company 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.    

reputed company 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 reputed company. 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 reputed company

• We aim to reputed company 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. reputed company out our careers page for more.