Policy Director

Organizational Overview

The barriers to college completion are complex and intertwined. No one educator, department, institution, or state can solve them. Without a simultaneous and intersectional approach, those barriers will continue to rob all of us-educators, advocates, and students alike-of the life-changing benefits of a complete college journey.

Complete College America (CCA) builds movements for scaled change and transforms institutions. Since its founding in 2009, CCA has paired bold, innovative thinking with practical actions that colleges and policymakers can implement across every level of higher education. CCA's work centers on researching and testing education reforms, providing coaching and support, and advocating for change. Across these areas, CCA uses data toidentifybarriers and design successful strategies; aligns policy, perspective, andpracticeso complexsystemsoperateeffectively; connects experts to amplify their insights; and builds shared accountability. The organization is at the center of the broad CCA Alliance, which is driving change that works for every leader, every campus, and every system.


Complete College America's headquarters is in Indianapolis, Indiana. The selected candidate's preferred remote work location is Washington, DC. Qualified candidates with other remote work locations will be considered; periodic travel is required for this role.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the Vice President for Development and External Affairs, the Policy Director will develop and promote state and federal public policy that assists students in graduating on time from two-year and four-year colleges, and that closes institutional performance gaps by race/ethnicity, generation status, gender, and household income background. The candidate will demonstrate expertise in policy levers at the institutional, state, and federal levels and will be responsible for the direction of public policy initiatives.

The selected Policy Director will lead the implementation of a newly developed state and federal public policy agenda and design and implement policy tracking processes to highlight the extent to which CCA student success reforms take hold per-college/-system/-state, as well as nationally. Excellent written and oral communication skills are paramount for this role, as the selected candidate must be able to translate best practices and quantitative evidence into compelling, effective public policy proposals that advance state and federal college attainment efforts. The Policy Director will also be responsible for leading and mentoring policy leaders across our Alliance, ensuring that our partners execute policy strategy effectively and collaboratively.

To succeed in this position, an individual must possess strong leadership and project management skills, be able to prioritize and balance tasks, and employ a team-based approach to executing strategy. The ideal candidate will have a proven record of driving public policy change and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation within their team.

Responsibilities

• Lead the successful implementation of advocacy strategies to advance CCA's public policy agenda and year-by-year priorities, including the acquisition of new revenue through contracts, grants, appropriations, revenue sharing agreements, or other means.
• Lead research, analysis, and evaluation of existing institutional, state, accreditor, and federal public policies applicable to CCA reform efforts, with a focus on improving student success and closing institutional performance gaps in postsecondary attainment.
• Oversee and manage processes for developing, implementing, and evaluating public policy initiatives, including coordinating the creation of reports, project management requirements, and contributing to seminal CCA publications.
• Collaborate with Complete College America Alliance Policy Leads to build buy-in and/or co-author public policy recommendations that align with state and/or national trends and address individual Alliance member's specific political contexts.
• Design and establish knowledge management processes for tracking and reporting on public policy developments across the country.
• Prepare and present public policy agenda documentation, ensuring alignment with CCA's strategic goals and objectives.
• Engage with the CCA Policy and Advocacy Committee of the CCA Board of Directors, CCA Policy Leads, CCA Fellows, and other affiliates - as well as with D.C.-based advocacy partners - to incorporate diverse perspectives and input into the successful execution of the CCA public policy agenda.
• Partner with Alliance leads and other CCA staff on reports and publications that highlight national trends shaping student success and college completion efforts.
• Articulate and communicate public policy recommendations effectively, in both presentation and documentation, for various audiences and stakeholders.
• Oversee the generation of project reports for funders, senior organizational leadership, and the CCA Board of Directors, ensuring accuracy and timeliness.
• Perform other duties as assigned, demonstrating adaptability and initiative in addressing the evolving needs of the organization.

Job Qualifications

• A minimum of three years of experience in policy construction, analysis, advocacy, and reporting
• A firm commitment to equity in the workplace and to the achievement of equitable outcomes in student success and college credential attainment.
• Ability to articulate complex higher education issues in a manner that can be understood by policy leaders, student success practitioners, and diverse stakeholders.
• Competency in collecting, merging, and analyzing data from disparate sources and systems.
• Strong leadership and interpersonal skills, with a demonstrated ability to build consensus and drive change.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, with experience presenting to various audiences.
• Prior professional experience in the higher education sector, with a focus on policy development and implementation, preferred.
• Master's degree is required, preferred degree in Public Policy or Education

Application Process

Priority Application Deadline is February 27, 2026. Interested candidates should apply via the following link: Applications reviewed as received, until the ideal candidate is identified.

Salary

The salary range is $90 - 110k and commensurate with relevant educational background and professional expertise. Complete College America also offers a competitive benefits compensation package.

Physical Demands

The position requires little physical effort. However, during an event, the employee may have to lift boxes with meeting supplies and documents for distribution.

Complete College America is committed to providing a safe and secure environment for employees, students, visitors, and stakeholders. As part of this effort, background clearance is a condition of employment at Complete College America.

Complete College America is an equal employment opportunity/affirmative action employer.