Vice President, Institutional Affordability Initiatives
Job Description
Full job description
Strada Education Foundation is seeking an experienced and strategic leader to spearhead our efforts in making postsecondary education more affordable at the institutional level. As the Vice President of Institutional Affordability Initiatives (VP-IAI), you will be at the forefront of developing and executing strategies that ensure institutions are equipped to meet the financial needs of students from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds. Your expertise in institutional financial aid, enrollment management, and budgetary decision-making will be crucial in advancing initiatives that enhance affordability and support student success.
Reporting to the Senior Vice President of Affordability (SVP), you will play a key role on the Postsecondary Education (PSE) team, working collaboratively to bring Strada’s ambitious vision to life. Our new strategic plan, guided by a bold North Star, is dedicated to creating an education and training ecosystem that offers equitable pathways to opportunity for all learners. As VP-IAI, you will be instrumental in driving our Affordability strategic pillar, focused on ensuring that institutions can effectively support the financial needs of students, ultimately improving their pathways to prosperity, including employment, economic mobility, and fulfilling lives.
This position demands a leader with deep knowledge of the complexities of institutional operations, including how decisions are made at both the enrollment and presidential levels. Your work will help shape the future of postsecondary education affordability, making a tangible impact on students' lives and institutional practices across the nation.
Context
Strada Education Foundation supports programs, policies, and organizations that strengthen connections between education and employment in the U.S., with a special focus on helping those who have faced the greatest challenges securing economic opportunity through postsecondary education or training (PSET). Our strategic plan includes five pillars: clear outcomes, quality coaching, affordability, work-based learning, and employer alignment.
The VP-SAI will work within this context to advance state-level affordability initiatives, collaborating with state education agencies, policymakers, and other stakeholders to enhance educational access and affordability. Strada offers a dynamic, collaborative, and inspiring professional environment that provides learning and professional development opportunities, both within the organization and with external partners.
Key Responsibilities
1) Develop, Prioritize, and Execute Strategic Initiatives Designed to Bring to Life Strada’s Vision for Affordability at the Institutional Level in Postsecondary Education (20%)
- Develop, prioritize, and execute strategic initiatives aimed at enhancing institution-level affordability in postsecondary education.
- Maintain expertise in institutional policies, practices, and innovations related to affordability.
- Provide expertise and recommendations on institution affordability issues to Strada’s leadership.
- Represent Strada in institution-level discussions and forums focused on postsecondary affordability.
- Monitor and evaluate the impact of institution affordability initiatives and programs.
- Develop recommendations for new institution-based initiatives to begin and existing initiatives to sunset to foster an innovative approach to affordability, in collaboration with relevant colleagues across Strada.
- Ensure institution-based initiatives are built with the appropriate knowledge and skills from across the organization, working with other leaders as needed to allocate resources and provide expertise.
2) Build and Manage Partnerships with Core Affordability Stakeholders at the Institutional Level (30%)
- Collaborate with institutions of higher education, other education providers, and other stakeholders to drive affordability initiatives.
- Cultivate and manage partnerships with postsecondary institutions, policymakers, and other stakeholders.
- Represent Strada in relevant external contexts, with a focus on building support for Strada’s affordability vision. Lead and/or support specific initiatives and work-streams, as needed.
3) Work with Third-Party Consultants, Grantees, and Internal Stakeholders to Manage Projects and Reach Internal Objectives (30%)
- Coordinate with strategic leaders across the organization to understand PSE priorities and establish priorities and collaborative approaches whenever possible.
- Connect the affordability team to initiative working teams and leaders of various areas across Strada.
- Manage day-to-day activities of and provide primary evaluation input to leaders of lever resources (e.g., research team, public policy team) dedicated to institution-level affordability initiatives.
4) Support Team and Organizational Health and DEI (20%)
- Support an inclusive workplace culture through actively engaging in Strada’s diversity, equity, and inclusion activities. Incorporate tools and processes to deliver on Strada’s commitments to diversity, equity, and inclusion through research.
- Partner with Human Resources and the DEI leadership to support policies and programs that attract, promote, develop, and retain staff of diverse backgrounds.
Education and Experience
- Education: Advanced degree, with training in social science, education, public policy, or a related field preferred.
- At least 5-10 years of experience working within postsecondary institutions or related areas, working closely with experts at the national and state level (including strategic communications, policy, and other relevant stakeholders).
- Experience with federal, state, and institutional financial aid and enrollment management programs.
- Proven ability to design, develop, and execute institutional affordability strategies.
- Experience working with philanthropic organizations is a plus.
- Strong collaboration, communication, and leadership skills.
- Experience as a division/department manager, including responsibility for resource allocation and project delegation.
- Experience taking direction from, managing, collaborating with, and leading teams with diverse individual backgrounds, ideologies, and professional functions.
- Experience in or directly related to postsecondary education and or the workforce is highly valued. Additionally, experience working in the philanthropic sector and engaging with institutional, state, and federal advocates and policymakers is valued.
Plus annual bonus
The pay range listed is based on national compensation benchmark data and may vary depending on skills, experience, job-related knowledge, variations in cost of labor, and in some cases, geographic location. The exact job offer will be determined based on several factors such as the candidate’s individual skills, qualifications and experience relative to the requirements of the role. The range displayed with the job posting represents the minimum and maximum target for new hire salaries for the position across the U.S.
The organization also reviews and considers internal equity (current employee salary) when hiring new employees to the organization. The range is the expected starting base salary for someone hired into this position with room to grow professionally, including increased earning potential beyond the starting pay range. Beyond a new hire’s base salary, Strada also offers all full-time employees a comprehensive employee benefit package.
Travel Requirements
The VP for Institutional Affordability Initiatives should anticipate nationwide travel (10-15%) as they are active in presenting research insights, representing Strada at convenings, and as a partner in external and internal initiatives.
Mission and Values Alignment:
Committed to providing equitable pathways to opportunity through PSET, particularly for individuals who have faced significant barriers. Demonstrated alignment with Strada's guiding values, commitment to building a strong and healthy workplace culture, and working in a collaborative environment.
Strategy and Innovation Leadership:
Adept at operationalizing strategy and effectively communicating strategic endeavors within the organization and in external contexts, both verbally and in writing. Particular skill in designing annual plans, monitoring progress, and refining plans as needed. Adaptable with tolerance for ambiguity. Able to problem-solve and navigate varied viewpoints. Capacity to refine efforts based on evidence that change is needed. Ability to lead efforts to visualize and monitor change. Capability to see and support innovative ideas and opportunities across the organization, and to embed innovation within operational plans. Capabilities in taking the perspective of others and adapting an agenda and approach – toward a shared aim - accordingly.
Strategic Problem Solving:
Ability to effectively utilize a hypothesis-driven approach to problem solving, with effective quantitative and communication skills. Ability to take on broad-reaching and sometimes ambiguous questions while working collaboratively and cross-functionally with Strada team members across the organization.
Execution and Operations Leadership:
Ability to translate innovative, strategic ideas into tangible, actionable steps, as well as to effectively monitor progress and partner with others on identifying improvements during implementation to increase the likelihood of successful execution.
DEI Commitment:
Commitment and professional experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion within and organization, including incorporating stakeholder perspectives in the design, implementation, and evaluation of strategic efforts.
Relationship Building and Collaborative Capabilities:
Demonstrated ability to cultivate, grow, and manage positive, mutually beneficial relationships at all levels of an organization and with partners outside the organization. Strong communication, interpersonal and relationship management skills—including identifying and working through challenges—underscored by strong judgment and emotional intelligence. Proven collaborator, able to work with colleagues at all levels in the organization.
Diversity, equity, and inclusion are central to Strada’s organizational vibrancy, employee experience, and mission. Strada is Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workplace-certified by Diversity for Social Impact, a strategic professional and organization development company dedicated to promoting diversity and inclusion to drive social impact worldwide. We strongly encourage applicants from people of color/the global majority, immigrant, bilingual, and bicultural individuals; people with disabilities, members of the LGBTQIA2S+ and gender nonconforming communities; and people with other diverse backgrounds and lived experiences. We believe every member on the team enriches our workplace by exposing us to a broad range of ways to understand and engage with the world, identify challenges, and discover, design, and deliver critical insights and solutions
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