Director, Optimization Analyst

College Board - Operations

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 Opportunity

The Director, Data Analytics builds predictive and optimization models that improve how Assessment Delivery Operations delivers digital assessments. Reporting to the Senior Director, Data Analytics, you will turn the analytics strategy into working models and decision-support tools.  This role is critical to advancing digital transformation at College Board and in the Ops division, building predictive and decision-oriented analytics models. This includes forecasting, modeling, cost assessment, optimization, and decision support. You will own the hands-on development, validation, and deployment of these models, partnering with colleagues across Operations, Product, Program, and Technology to embed your analysis in day-to-day operational decisions and surface opportunities to reduce cost and friction while supporting our mission.  

In this role, you will:

Build and deliver analytics models and tools (40%)

• Own the Assessment Delivery Operation’s demand-forecasting and capacity-optimization models end to end, from methodology choices through deployment, serving as the team’s technical authority in these areas 

• Develop, validate, and deploy forecasting, optimization, and simulation models that reduce operational cost and friction 

• Build demand-forecasting pipelines for assessment, improving both accuracy and turnaround time 

• Develop real options and capacity optimization models that minimize committed costs while preserving the ability to scale to student demand 

• Build and validate models that estimate the operational and fiscal impact of potential policy changes across programs  

Drive continuous improvement and innovation (25%)

• Deliver analytics reporting and dashboards that give stakeholders continuous visibility into key operational metrics and support faster decisions 

• Research, evaluate, and adopt modern analytic tools and methods (e.g., AI-assisted coding, data synthesis) to increase the speed and scale of your work 

• Strengthen the reliability and reusability of models so analysis can be rerun and trusted as operational conditions change  

Partner across functions to embed analytics (25%)

• Partner with colleagues across Product, Program, Operations, and Technology to embed your analysis in operational decisions and surface opportunities to reduce cost and friction 

• Work with Program and customer-experience partners to model and reduce cross program pain points in the customer flow analysis 

• Coordinate with Finance and Program on budgetary assumptions, cost drivers, and variance tracking so models reflect real fiscal constraints 

• Translate analytic findings into clear recommendations that directly shape operational decisions in Product, Program, and Operations 

Contribute to analytics strategy and direction (10%)

• Shape the analytics roadmap by identifying high-value modeling opportunities and advising the Senior Director on technical feasibility, sequencing, and tradeoffs 

• Connect your analysis to Assessment Delivery Operation’s broader priorities and College Board’s operational data ecosystem 

• Translate ambiguous operational problems into structured analytic approaches where no established playbook exists 

• Identify emerging analytic needs and propose new models or approaches that could improve operational outcomes 

About You

You have: 

• A combination of education and experience equal to 5-7+ years of practical data analysis experience, including leading analytics work in a professional setting. 

• An undergraduate in business, engineering, economics, or another quantitative field (required).  master’s degree in a quantitative or equivalent field (preferred)

• Advanced data analytic skills in forecasting, statistical analysis, and cost assessment. 

• Experience with predictive modeling, statistical analysis, optimization, forecasting, cost assessment, or decision support is strongly preferred. 

• A proven track record of driving operational excellence and delivering measurable results. 

• Experience applying analytics to operational, customer experience, or process-improvement challenges in government, education, technology, or service-based industry. 

• The ability to travel 4-6 times a year to College Board offices or on behalf of College Board business. 

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 may vary, it generally includes: resume and application submission, recruiter phone/video screen, hiring manager interview, performance exercise, 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 $88,000–$140,000 

• 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. 

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