Director, Student Success

Location: Flexible within the US

Type: Full-time

Team: Student Affairs and Student Services

Start Date: 8/4/2025

Priority Application Review Deadline: June 13, 2025

Summary:

Relay Graduate School of Education (Relay) is an accredited not-for-profit institution of higher education serving thousands of educators from across the country, from pre-service teachers to system-level leaders. Our mission is to ensure that all students are taught by excellent educators, in order to build a more just world where every student has a clear path to a fulfilling life.

Directors of Student Success provide strategic leadership, operational oversight, and team development to ensure a consistent, equity-centered, and high-quality student experience across advising and certification functions. They lead and support Managers of Student Success (MoSS), ensuring systems, policies, and practices foster student persistence, program completion, and certification. Reporting to the Managing Director of Student Success, they oversee the daily operations, systems, and development of the Student Success team while collaborating across institutional departments and external partners to enhance student retention and licensure outcomes. This professional, non-instructional leadership role requires expertise in student support models, educator preparation regulations, and institutional operations. Ideal candidates are mission-driven leaders skilled in guiding high-impact teams, aligning cross-functional priorities, and building systems that ensure every student thrives.

Role’s Contributions (Duties and Responsibilities): 

The essential responsibilities of this position, while not limited to the following, will include: 

Leadership & Strategic Alignment (30%)

• Drive alignment and equitable implementation of student success strategies by leading the Student Success team in executing consistent, high-impact advising and certification practices.
• Align team workflows with institutional goals related to student retention, program completion, and licensure.
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams (i.e. Faculty, Academic Compliance, and Enrollment) to identify and remove structural barriers to student progress.
• Lead initiatives that enhance the student experience and address equity gaps.
• Analyze student success and certification data to assess team performance and drive continuous improvement.

Staff Supervision & Development (30%)

• Coach and develop a high-performing team of Student Success professionals through targeted support, regular 1:1s, team meetings, and ongoing feedback to strengthen proactive, equity-centered, and culturally responsive advising.
• Foster a collaborative and accountable team culture centered on student needs and shared outcomes.
• Identify professional development opportunities that strengthen skills in advising, regulatory compliance, and culturally responsive practice.
• Support MoSS in managing complex student cases and interpreting policy with consistency and care.

Systems Oversight & Compliance (25%)

• Ensure consistent execution of advising and certification systems that meet policy standards and regulatory requirements, acting as the primary point of contact for external partners such as EPPs, LEAs, and compliance agencies.
• Ensure consistent implementation of advising protocols, certification tracking, and documentation standards across the MoSS team.
• Collaborate with Academic Compliance and EPP partners to ensure adherence to licensure regulations and audit requirements.
• Oversee communication plans and student-facing resources to ensure clarity and consistency regarding policies, timelines, and requirements.
• Coordinate with institutional partners to address cross-functional process gaps and streamline student workflows.
• Maintain familiarity with certification policy changes and lead internal alignment and communication efforts.

Institutional Engagement & Representation (15%)

• Represent the Student Success function in cross-departmental strategy, regulatory discussions, and stakeholder partnerships to elevate student advising and certification needs.
• Serve as the primary voice for student advising and certification support in institutional initiatives and leadership meetings.
• Participate in cross-departmental working groups to strengthen systems that impact student outcomes and operational efficiency.
• Provide regular reporting and updates on student progress, risk indicators, and certification trends to senior leadership.
• Other (duties, projects, task) as assigned in support of the team’s goals

QUALIFICATIONS

First and foremost, the Director, Student Success must share the Relay community’s commitment to working together to improve student growth and achievement through phenomenal teacher preparation grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. This includes providing teacher preparation programs that set novice teachers up to succeed in the classroom from day one; leadership programs that train new and veteran school and district leaders to best serve their school communities; and teacher-facing professional education that provides ongoing learning to educators. Additionally, for this position we’re looking for candidates that possess a combination of the following skills:

• Master’s degree in Education, Counseling, Higher Education Administration, or a related field required.
• At least 5 years of experience in higher education with increasing responsibility in student success, academic advising, or educator preparation.
• Strong leadership and team management skills with the ability to foster high-trust, high-performance teams.
• Knowledge of advising systems, compliance processes, and licensure requirements within educator preparation programs.
• Ability to interpret and use data to assess student progress, inform team practices, and support continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to build partnerships across departments and represent student-centered perspectives in institutional planning.
• Commitment to culturally responsive practices, equity in education, and affirming student support structures.

Preferred Qualifications: 

• Master’s degree in Education, Counseling, Higher Education Administration, or a related field required.
• Minimum of 5 years of PK–12 teaching experience.
• Minimum 2 years of experience managing professional staff and coaching team performance.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing teams, including building trust, setting clear expectations, and supporting performance and growth.

Relay prepares teachers and school leaders to teach students of all identities and backgrounds in order to push toward a time when this country no longer faces stark educational inequities. We recruit, develop, support, and retain a diverse staff, faculty, and graduate student body because we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and actively anti-racist institution. We know, and the data supports, that diversity, equity, and inclusion cultivate an environment in which people of all backgrounds can thrive and this is critical to achieving our mission of educational excellence and equity.

To fulfill that commitment, Relay encourages applicants of all backgrounds and identities to apply for roles that align with their own interests and career trajectory. If you meet a majority of the qualifications and see yourself in this role, we would love to see your application!

COMPENSATION

Relay is committed to creating and maintaining a compensation and benefits system that supports our ability to recruit and retain a diverse and talented team. As we make decisions about compensation, we will be guided by the following values: clarity, consistency, and internal equity. The salary range for this role is $96,525-$135,135. New hires will be offered a salary at the starting point of the range, $96,525 to allow for an equitable starting salary process and continual salary growth during an employee’s time at Relay GSE.

To ensure internal pay equity:

• Relay does not currently differentiate starting salary offers based on years of experience,
• All staff salaries will be capped at the salary range maximum, and
• Relay does not negotiate salary offers.

Relay offers a comprehensive total rewards package. For full-time roles, this includes health insurance benefits, disability and life insurance, retirement plan, professional development, gym reimbursement, adoption assistance, paid time off (PTO), parental leave, etc. To learn more about Relay’s benefits, please visit here.   

WORK LOCATION POLICY

Employees must have a primary work location within the U.S., where they are legally authorized to work. Relay is a registered employer in the following states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington State and Washington DC. Please note that Relay Graduate School of Education's headquarters are in New York City. Employees who choose to perform work from states not listed here will be subject to NYC state withholdings.

Relay Graduate School of Education provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees.