Associate Director, Investments

Overview

This is a full-time, fully remote role. Candidates who live near College Board offices have the option of being fully remote or hybrid (Tuesday and Wednesday in office). All employees are required to occasionally travel to meet in person for business purposes.

The Investments and Strategic Initiatives team shapes long-term strategy by identifying opportunities, guiding strategic growth, and driving impact through investments.

Responsibilities

M&A strategy and financial analysis (60%)

• Research education sectors, develop landscape assessments, and analyze trends to identify new areas of growth.
• Analyze potential acquisition targets and develop preliminary strategic rationale and risk assessments.
• Build analytical frameworks and complex financial models, including company projections, customer analysis, company valuation, and financial return analysis.
• Participate in financial due diligence of target companies.
• Collaborate with senior leaders from Finance, Strategy, Talent, Technology, and Legal to advance transactions through approval processes.
• Create presentation materials for senior management and Board members.
• Support end-to-end project management and execution of acquisitions.

Impact investment portfolio (40%)

• Source investment opportunities for the impact investment fund via industry research and meetings with Edtech investors and entrepreneurs.
• Participate in due diligence to evaluate mission impact potential, financial return, and strategic benefits for early-stage education technology companies.
• Lead the financial analysis for investment opportunities.
• Support portfolio management and reporting for the impact investment portfolio.
• Prepare investment memos and participate in Investment Committee approval meetings.
• Research education technology sectors and companies; prepare summaries of key insights and market intelligence for executive leadership.
• Collaborate with Strategy and Program leadership to drive partnership opportunities that advance mission and strategic goals.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Finance, Accounting, Economics or related technical field.
• Minimum of 2 years of experience in financial analysis in investment banking or a corporate development role.
• Extensive experience in financial modeling.
• Strong analytical and quantitative skills.
• Ability to clearly summarize complex financial analysis and present key findings to senior management.
• Strong understanding of corporate finance and investments.
• Exceptional attention to detail.
• Strong communication skills and ability to interact with all levels of management.
• Project management skills; ability to prioritize and independently manage multiple time-sensitive projects.
• Proficient research skills.
• Advanced MS Excel, PowerPoint, and Word skills.
• Prior M&A experience is a plus.
• Strong interest in expanding educational opportunity for all students.
• Ability to travel 3–5 times a year to College Board offices or on behalf of College Board business.

Preferred Qualifications

• Prior M&A experience.

Compensation & Benefits

• Hiring range: $85,000–$130,000/year (adjusted by location).
• Estimated ranges by metro area:
  • New York City, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC and Los Angeles: $100,000–$135,000
  • Austin, Boston, Chicago, Philadelphia and Denver: $89,000–$120,000
  • Atlanta, Miami, Iowa City and most other locations throughout the Southeast and Midwest: $85,000–$108,000

Additional offerings may include:

• Annual bonuses and opportunities for merit-based raises and promotions.
• A comprehensive benefits package.

Location

• Fully remote; hybrid option for candidates near College Board offices (Tuesday and Wednesday in office).
• Occasional in-person travel for business purposes is required.

Additional Requirements (All Roles)

• Authorization to work in the United States for any employer.
• Curiosity and enthusiasm for emerging technologies, including willingness to experiment with and adopt new AI-driven solutions and comfort learning and applying new digital tools independently and proactively.
• Clear and concise written and verbal communication skills.
• A learner’s mindset and commitment to growth through iterative learning and user input.
• A drive for impact and excellence using data-informed decisions, prioritization, and continuous improvement.
• A collaborative and empathetic approach, including trust-building and contributing to shared success.