Become Part of Our Team

Overview

Achieving the Dream (ATD) helps colleges ensure all students—especially the most underserved—realize substantial value from their postsecondary experience, thereby strengthening their communities. We engage our network in whole-college transformation using a coaching model grounded in research, practice, and partnership. We accelerate innovation to improve equitable outcomes through data analysis, student-centered technology, and disciplined execution, all rooted in capacity-building for sustained success.

The Digital Transformation Technical Contractor will play a critical role in this effort by supporting colleges to strengthen their data infrastructure, build capacity for digital transformation, and enable the use of integrated systems to drive student success.

The Digital Transformation Technical Subject Matter Expert will help colleges strengthen data infrastructure, build capacity for digital transformation, and integrate systems that advance student success. This contractor will serve as part of an ATD coaching team that includes a leadership coach and a data coach and will collaborate closely with DataKind, ATD’s technical implementation partner for this effort. Together, they will help colleges align digital transformation, data governance, and student success strategies to achieve institutional goals.

Scope of services:

Technical Services 

Cultivate trust and understanding by translating complex technical requirements, data concepts, and system capabilities into clear, actionable guidance for college leaders and staff.

• Provide technical expertise to evaluate, design, and strengthen institutional data infrastructure, including integration of Student Information Systems (SIS), Learning Management Systems (LMS), Customer Relationship Management (CRM)/early alert systems, and other student success technologies.
• Provide technical support in the creation, monitoring, and optimization of data pipelines, warehouses, and governance structures to ensure scalable, reliable, and secure access to data.
• Support data quality efforts through profiling, cleansing, deduplication, and validation of large datasets from multiple sources.
• Develop, or provide assistance in the development of, dashboards and reports that turn data into actionable insights, including descriptive, diagnostic, and predictive analytics.
• Advise on governance frameworks, ownership/stewardship roles, naming conventions, and access controls to ensure compliance with FERPA and other data privacy regulations.
• Troubleshoot technical and integration issues, working in collaboration with college IT teams and ATD partners to deliver timely, sustainable solutions.

Capacity Building and Coaching support 

Partner with colleges to build institutional capacity for digital transformation through inclusive coaching, professional learning, and leadership alignment.

• Guide digital transformation strategies aligned with institutional priorities and student success goals.
• Facilitate cross-functional collaboration to connect technology with equity-minded practices.
• Deliver training to strengthen data governance, literacy, and digital proficiency.
• Help colleges assess readiness, adoption capacity, and leadership commitment to transformation.
• Identify how data is collected, stored, and used to inform user-centered strategies.
• Align institutional efforts to advance outcomes in access, retention, progression, completion, and social mobility.
• Collaborate with ATD colleagues and partners to integrate systems and ensure long-term sustainability.
• Model active listening, collaborative problem-solving, and constructive feedback that moves leaders from dialogue to action..
• Stay current with emerging trends in educational technology, student-centered design, privacy, and accessibility standards; champion innovation and adaptability and respond proactively to evolving institutional needs.

Candidate Profile 

The ideal candidate combines deep technical expertise with strong communication and coaching skills, comfortable discussing databases with IT teams and translating insights into strategy for senior leaders.

Qualifications/Skills/ Experiences:

Core Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, data science, or related field.
• Experience with higher education systems (e.g., Banner, Peoplesoft, Jenzabar, Workday).
• Strong SQL skills and data quality improvement experience.
• Knowledge of FERPA, privacy regulations, and higher ed record structures.
• Experience with cloud-based solutions (e.g., AWS, Azure, Google Cloud) and data visualization tools (e.g., Tableau, Power BI).
• Understanding of governance frameworks, stewardship roles, and security controls.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Master’s degree in information systems, data science, or related field.
• Certifications in cloud services, SQL, or data governance.
• Familiarity with AI/ML applications for higher education analytics.
• Success leading digital transformation or capacity-building initiatives.

Professional Competencies:

Successful candidates will blend technical acumen with strong facilitation and communication skills, ensuring transformation strategies are both technically sound and actionable.

• Technical fluency: Diagnose infrastructure challenges and recommend secure, scalable, and interoperable solutions.
• Analytical mindset: Identify data or system performance issues and develop efficient, innovative solutions.
• Equity-minded coaching: Partner with institutional leaders to foster inclusive, data-informed decision-making.
• Communication and storytelling: Translate complex technical concepts into accessible, compelling narratives that inspire action.
• Change leadership: Guide institutions through transformation by aligning people, processes, and technologies.
• Collaboration: Work effectively across teams and with vendors to support cohesive, institution-wide change.
• Adaptability: Stay current with technologies, privacy standards, and equity-centered practices.

Job Overview:

This position encompasses comprehensive lead and relationship management for all new and former leads, ensuring they receive personalized guidance and support throughout the service fulfillment process. The Associate Director oversees the receipt and filtering of leads and supports the guidance and college matching with ATD services. The Associate Director nurtures relationships with community colleges across the country. Through effective college engagement and insightful analysis, the position supports the matching of services that drive both internal success and college satisfaction.

Duties and Responsibilities:

Lead Management (30%)  

• Receive and evaluate incoming sales leads to determine their potential and direct them appropriately. 
• Maintain and update customer relationship management (CRM) systems to ensure data accuracy and completeness as aligned with leads management role. 
• Develop and implement strategies to nurture leads through the sales funnel, increasing conversion rates.
• Monitor the progress of leads through the pipeline, providing regular updates and insights to the Services Management team and CSO. 
• In collaboration with program team members, guide leads to the appropriate ATD services based on their needs and student success goals in collaboration with ATD programs and coaching teams. 
• Work closely with the Marketing and Communications office to develop and refine strategies that effectively nurture existing leads and attract and bring new leads into the pipeline.  
• Lead efforts with college relationship coordinators across the organization to support colleges to and through fulfillment of desired services.  

Relationships Stewardship (30%)   

• Develop and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with key institutional stakeholders.  
• Maintain regular communication with institutions both as they enter the sales pipeline as new or returning leads, and when institutions convert to former institutions.  
• Acquire deep knowledge of institution decision-making processes. 
• Develop and implement strategies to keep colleges engaged even in the absence of service participation. 
• Stay with the college until they are ready to join or re-engage with the organization, ensuring a seamless transition. 
• Organize and/or attend events to maintain and enhance new and existing college relationships. 

College Engagement & Insight (20%)   

• Develop a comprehensive understanding of college organizational student success goals and strategic objectives. Develop reports demonstrating college needs and relevant background.  
• Regularly engage with college to gather insights, identify emerging needs, and anticipate future opportunities for collaboration. 
• Utilize data and feedback to assess college satisfaction and identify areas for improvement in service offerings and customer service efforts. 
• Leverage college insights to recommend and implement solutions that align with their specific goals and needs. 
• Develop a comprehensive understanding of ATD services and how they will meet college student success goals.
• Stay informed on trends, policies, and developments within higher education and the broader industry to ensure we are well-equipped to support and advise colleges effectively.
• Collaborate closely with the Marketing and Communications team to provide insights on higher education trends, college experiences, and industry-specific language that enhance targeted communications and outreach strategies.

General Operations (20%)   

• Manage role operations to ensure seamless workflow and productivity across teams impacting lead generation and college fulfillment including quote building, build and monitor Statements of Work and invoices when needed.  
• Support the development and execution of standard operating procedures aligned with Associate Director responsibilities.  
• Participate in staff meetings, attend events, and otherwise contribute to strengthening the impact of the team and organization.  
• Manage, train, and support College Relationship Coordinators. 
• Serve as the interface between College Relationship Managers and the Finance team to ensure the accuracy of college invoicing. 
• Engage in professional development opportunities to enhance knowledge of ATD program and services. 
• Collaborate with staff in supporting the execution of ATD’s strategic plan.  
• Manage the CRM system to maintain pipeline and reporting accuracy, including but not limited to updating unique records with relevant and timely information.
• Conduct thorough research and analysis to gather and report on key intelligence related to colleges, enabling data-driven recommendations on how best to meet their needs through our services. 

Skills/Qualifications/Experience:  

• Bachelor’s degree with a minimum of five years related experience, preferably in membership management in the nonprofit association field.  
• Experience within a community college setting required. 
• Prior relationship building and customer service experience. 
• Strong interpersonal skills and an ability to build rapport with higher education network participants and with coworkers. 
• Comfort with absorbing and interpreting large amounts of quantitative and qualitative data from different sources. 
• Ability to efficiently craft clear and concise actionable written summaries and supporting evidence for relationship managers. 
• Strong project management skills and experience managing multiple projects simultaneously. 
• Working knowledge of Salesforce, MS Office 365, MS Excel, and Tableau preferred.