Student Success Director

At 2U, we are all in on purpose. We are motivated by our mission – to make learning limitless– and connected by our shared passion to deliver world-class higher education at scale. As the parent company of edX, a leading online learning platform, 2U powers thousands of higher education offerings – from free courses to full degrees. Together with our college, university, and corporate partners, we are helping accelerate careers and transform lives. What We’re Looking For: The Student Success Director is a leadership role within 2U’s Operations organization. This position is responsible for driving student lifecycle outcomes across assigned university portfolios through strategic leadership, operational excellence, and deep institutional partnership. The Student Success Director provides tactical and operational leadership for smaller or moderately complex university portfolios within the University Operations organization. This position is responsible for managing day-to-day team performance, executing established retention strategies, and driving student lifecycle outcomes. The Student Success Director ensures high-quality student engagement while monitoring data to meet foundational retention, satisfaction, and graduation targets across assigned programs. Responsibilities Include, But Are Not Limited To: Portfolio Health Maintain direct accountability for portfolio performance, tracking key metrics including student retention, satisfaction scores, and credit generation across assigned partnerships. Execute established short- and long-term retention strategies to safeguard revenue and ensure baseline portfolio health. Serve as the senior escalation point for program-level performance, student risk, and institutional concerns. Oversee a portfolio size typically encompassing 5 to 6 Student Success Managers, representing approximately 5,000 to 9,000 active students. Serve as the primary point of escalation for program-level operational hurdles, student risk mitigation, and routine partner inquiries. Ensure team alignment with university policies and 2U's service level agreements to deliver consistent customer service. People Development & Retention Provide direct management, coaching, and daily support to a team of 3 to 5 direct reports, primarily consisting of frontline Student Success Managers and Individual Contributors. Conduct regular performance reviews, goal-setting sessions, and tactical skills training to support the professional growth of team members. Facilitate team onboarding and continuous operational training to ensure high standards of student support. Operational Excellence Monitor daily and weekly operational dashboards to track team productivity, outreach volume, and student engagement markers. Partner with Data Science and Operations teams to interpret standardized reports, converting data insights into immediate team action plans. Identify operational bottlenecks within the team workflows and implement standardized adjustments to improve efficiency. Innovation Translating student and partner feedback for other 2U stakeholders to drive and implement necessary changes and program improvements. This includes but is not limited to technology, Curriculum & Learning, Finance, Program Management and Faculty Success. Proactively identifying risks to program objectives, performance, and metrics, and subsequently driving mitigation plans to improve the student experience. Driving and developing forward looking initiatives, strategies, and processes that impact overall department goals, efficiencies, and effectiveness, while also rebuilding and restructuring those out of date. Things That Should Be In Your Background: 5+ years’ experience directly related to the duties and responsibilities specified 5+ years’ experience directly managing employees experience managing managers highly preferred Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree preferred Strong customer service background required Ability to work with a diverse team in a fast-paced environment Focused on achieving defined results, and exceeding goals and objectives Excellent relationship management skills Strong attention to detail, adherence to deadlines, and excellent follow through Ability to understand complex programs, processes, and organizational structures and function effectively within them Ability to think critically and identify potential issues before they arise Excellent interpersonal and oral and written communication skills required Excellent listener balanced with ability to challenge colleagues constructively and stimulate the thinking of others While this position is open to remote candidates across the U.S., we will prioritize those who live in the Washington-Baltimore metropolitan area and who are available to come into our Headquarters in Arlington, VA two days a week. Benefits & Culture Our global employee base is a diverse collection of innovators, dreamers, and doers working together to transform lives through higher education. We believe that every employee can advance our shared purpose, and that life at 2U should be fun and meaningful. If you’re excited by the opportunity to provide millions of learners and counting with access to world-class higher education, then join us – and do work that makes a difference. We offer comprehensive benefits (unique per country) and excellent work/life balance. Full-time, U.S.benefits include: Medical, dental, and vision coverage Life insurance, disability, and 401(k) employer match Free snacks and drinks in-office Generous paid holidays and leave policies, including unlimited PTO Additional time off benefits include: volunteer days, parental leave, and a company-wide winter break The anticipated base salary range for this role is ($130,000 - $154,000), with potential bonus eligibility. Salary offers are made based on the candidate’s qualifications, experience, skills, and education as they directly relate to the requirements of the position, budget for the position and cost of labor in the market in which the candidate will be hired. 2U Diversity and Inclusion Statement At 2U, we are committed to building and sustaining a culture of belonging, respect, and inclusion. We are proud of the steps we’ve taken to bring together an employee base that embodies diverse walks of life, ideas, genders, ages, races, cultures, sexual orientations, abilities and other unique qualities. We strive to offer a workplace where every employee feels empowered by what makes us different, as well as by how we are alike. 2U is committed to providing reasonable accommodations during our recruitment process. If you need assistance or accommodations, please reach out to us at: [email protected] . About 2U 2U partners with the world's top universities and companies to develop and deliver education programs that accelerate careers and transform lives. Through partnerships with the world’s leading colleges, universities, and companies, 2U delivers thousands of online programs to millions of learners worldwide on edX, its global learning platform. From executive education and professional credentialing to master’s degree programs and free, open courses, 2U transforms how top institutions deliver workforce-aligned online education, enabling professionals to advance without pausing their careers. Learn more at 2U.com. The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of work performed by individuals assigned to this position, and are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and skills required. All employees may be required to perform duties outside of their normal responsibilities from time to time, as needed. 2U is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against applicants or employees and ensures equal employment opportunity for all persons regardless of their race, creed, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, pregnancy, national origin, age, marital status, disability, citizenship, military or veterans’ status, or any other classifications protected by applicable federal, state or local laws. 2U’s equal opportunity policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including but not limited to recruiting, hiring, training, promotion, job benefits and pay.