Strategy Officer for Student Success

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The opportunity

The strategy officer for student success on the Bachelor’s attainment team works with the strategy director for student success to implement Lumina’s strategy, approach, and portfolio of grants designed to increase student success in attaining high-quality Bachelor’s degrees. The portfolio is centrally focused on meeting the needs of marginalized students by remedying structural disparities within postsecondary systems to foster more equitable outcomes. This portfolio is focused on scaling the adoption of evidence-based student success strategies that center the quality of student learning and equitable, valuable outcomes, particularly for students less well-served by higher education, including Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Indigenous students, working adults, and those from low-income backgrounds.

In 2025, Lumina will begin developing the portfolio’s next strategic phase. The strategy officer will support portfolio planning and design and, ultimately, implementation through grantmaking. The person in this role should have practical expertise in implementing effective student success approaches and leading institutional reform efforts with a strong emphasis on equity. In addition, the officer should be aware of the current array of strategies and reforms that focus on racial equity and educational quality and have the potential to scale. A general understanding of related policy and sociopolitical contexts for institutional reforms is also preferred.

At Lumina, how we approach work is as important as what we accomplish. Candor, collaboration, and connection are the organization’s core values, and everyone strives to live these values through their words and actions.

Areas of leadership and key qualifications

Mission and values alignment and commitment to educational equity

Advance Lumina’s commitment to improving post-high school educational outcomes and increasing the proportion of working-age adults in the United States with quality learning credentials, particularly Black, Hispanic, Latino, and Native American individuals and those from low-income backgrounds. Apply practices that strengthen and promote equitable approaches in hiring, contracting, grantmaking, and strategic decision making to achieve fair and just outcomes in our work. Effectively communicate Lumina’s commitment to equity to internal and external partners.

Key qualifications

• Demonstrated alignment with Lumina’s mission and values and proven track record of commitment to equity
• Strong, applied understanding of best practices for removing barriers to successful completion of bachelor’s degrees, particularly for working adults, and for those from Black, Hispanic Latino, and Native American communities

Portfolio design and management

Manage an assigned portfolio of grants and contracts through the lifecycle. Leverage relationships with trusted colleagues and cultivate new partnerships to develop a portfolio of grants and contracts related to student success in Bachelor’s degree-granting institutions. Ensure that the portfolio of grants and contracts leads to impactful investments, including the equitable completion of high-quality Bachelor’s degrees. Help lead efforts in developing technical assistance strategies that empower grantees to implement systemic changes. Review and revise incoming material and convey thoughts and Lumina’s key messages in a clear and compelling manner.

Key qualifications

• Ability to recommend how best to use the Foundation’s resources to ensure the policies and practices envisioned in the current Strategic Plan are aligned with Lumina’s principles of learning and credentialing
• Outstanding project management skills with demonstrated ability to execute and follow through to achieve intended results, by following through on commitments, prioritizing work, and managing time and resources well
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate accurately, effectively, and in ways appropriate to different audiences
• Strong ability to review, revise, and synthesize a variety of information sources and help connect the foundation’s work to broader discussions within the higher education landscape
• Analytical, problem-solving, and research skills and an ability to coordinate and collaborate with internal colleagues and external field practitioners, researchers, and program evaluators

Student success landscape analysis and strategy conceptualization

Assess current field dynamics in four-year institutions, focusing on what works, what doesn’t, and opportunities for systemic impact, translating findings into recommendations to the Strategy Director and executive team members about the design, development, and piloting of new initiatives to increase student success in 4-year institutions. Clearly articulate and champion the bachelor’s degree student success strategy to internal and external stakeholders, including leading thought leadership by writing blog posts, participating in conference panels, and leading internal learning sessions. Partner on integrated strategy approaches that aim to scale promising practices.

Key qualifications

• Direct experience, preferably in the higher education, nonprofit, public, and/or philanthropic sectors
• Demonstrated success in influencing, affecting, and implementing strategies for student success, including practical experience leading change initiatives at the department or institutional level highly preferred
• Experience building and managing diverse networks that support efforts to produce systemic change
• Demonstrated ability to extract key lessons from past or current work, including recognizing patterns in the field, and using those learnings to both shape and inform future work
• Ability to translate learnings and insights into thought leadership opportunities for the field through various channels for written and verbal communication and storytelling
• Comfort navigating ambiguous roles and evolving organizational strategies

Relationship building and collaboration

Work cross-functionally within the foundation in an intentional and forward-looking way, fostering coordination between operational and strategic teams to advance shared goals, priorities, and equity. Consistently engage with the strategy director for feedback, guidance, and alignment. Deliberately and strategically build external relationships with peers and experts in the student success and philanthropy communities.

Key qualifications

• Outstanding collaborator and relationship builder, with a track record of deliberately building authentic relationships both internally and externally to organizations, and across teams and levels within an organization
• Ability to learn quickly and connect learning to ongoing conversations related to the assigned body of work
• Ability to make decisions in concert with others without complete information and to thrive in an outcomes-oriented, continuously evolving work environment in which thinking beyond the curve is encouraged
• Ability to work collegially and diplomatically across the organization and audience groups, with a proven ability to resolve any conflicts

Work environment and physical demands

Work is performed in an office environment, mostly sedentary. There is extensive use of various forms of technology. Travel is about 15%, including overnight stays.

Compensation, benefits, and location

The salary range is $87,000-$110,000 (final pay commensurate with experience). Benefits include but are not limited to, health insurance (medical, dental, and vision), 401(k), pension, vacation and sick time, paid leave, 100% employer-paid group life insurance, and long-term disability.

This is a hybrid position, and Indianapolis, USA, is the preferred location. However, we welcome applications from qualified candidates in other locations and may consider flexible arrangements for the right fit.

Lumina is an equal opportunity employer.

How to apply

This search is being managed by Axis Talent Partners, a talent strategy and executive search firm that works with social impact organizations and centers equity and inclusivity in search. Interested candidates should apply, detailing their qualifications for the position and their interest in Lumina’s mission.