Executive Director, California College Guidance Initiative

Executive Director, California College Guidance Initiative

100% Remote within California; must reside in California

The Foundation for California Community Colleges (FoundationCCC) is the official nonprofit auxiliary to the California Community Colleges, the largest and most diverse system of higher education in the nation. Founded in 1998, FoundationCCC has served as a catalyst for student success, workforce development, and community impact across California. The organization manages over 70 programs and initiatives that expand opportunity and accelerate pathways to economic and social mobility for all Californians — piloting new approaches, replicating promising practices, and scaling sustainable methods to support all 116 California community colleges and 2.2 million students.

Since its founding, FoundationCCC has delivered hundreds of millions in grants, support, and cost savings to colleges, and 86% of every dollar that comes into FoundationCCC directly supports programs and services that benefit the colleges and their students. FoundationCCC plays a pivotal role in forging new partnerships and accelerating bold approaches to advance the California Community Colleges and the communities they serve.

About CCGI

The California College Guidance Initiative (CCGI) manages CaliforniaColleges.edu, the state's official college and career planning platform. CCGI is a legislatively authorized service provider to all California school districts as established in California Education Code Section 60900.5. CaliforniaColleges.edu helps students explore college and career options, launch their college and financial aid applications, and access financial aid lessons, all on one site. It helps educators utilize data-driven guidance and streamline student support, while allowing parents and guardians to view and monitor their student's progress. By connecting information, planning, and application processes, CCGI strengthens college and career readiness and expands access to postsecondary opportunities statewide.

CCGI partners with K-12 school districts across the state to give students, families, and counselors the tools they need to ensure that all California students, especially those who have been underrepresented in higher education, can move seamlessly from K-12 to college and career. The organization serves more than 650 local educational agencies, transmitting transcript data, powering transcript-informed tools, and streamlining applications for college admissions and financial aid.

CCGI operates as a structurally embedded project under the fiscal sponsorship of FoundationCCC and is a Collaborative Impact Partner of the organization. This partnership allows CCGI to focus entirely on its data-driven mission to support California students while leveraging the robust administrative infrastructure of the community college system's official nonprofit partner. The fiscal partnership model reflects how FoundationCCC works across California's education landscape: incubating and scaling high-impact initiatives that strengthen the pipeline from K-12 into the California community colleges and beyond.

The organization employs roughly 80 staff distributed across four divisions: Programs, CaliforniaColleges.edu, Data and Strategy, and Operations, with regional teams spanning the state.

The Role

CCGI's next Executive Director will guide the organization's strategic direction, strengthen its statewide relationships, and oversee a leadership team accountable for delivering its mission and statutory responsibilities. This leader will connect education policy, partnerships, organizational resources, and execution to reduce barriers and expand students' access to college and career pathways. The role reports to FoundationCCC as the most senior CCGI leader and serves as CCGI's most critical and influential advocate with leadership at the state's public educational institutions, the state legislature, the Governor's office, and the Department of Finance.

What We Are Seeking

Strategic Direction and Execution

Sets clear priorities, articulates a compelling future for CCGI — expanding into areas like deepening platform adoption and leveraging data more powerfully — while simultaneously managing the practical realities of funding constraints, statutory compliance, and intersegmental coordination. Translates strategy into measurable outcomes and resource decisions and adjusts direction as student needs and statewide conditions evolve.

Statewide Relationship-Based Leadership

Builds and deepens trust across education systems and government partners — including 650+ K-12 Local Education Agencies, the California Department of Education, the California Community Colleges, California State University, the University of California, the California Student Aid Commission and the Cradle-to-Career Data System. Navigates competing priorities with diplomacy and develops coalitions that advance shared outcomes through influence rather than positional authority.

Team-Centered Stewardship

Honors the deep expertise of the existing team, provides clarity and resources so divisions can execute, builds strong retention, and enters the organization with humility. Leads through senior leaders, clarifies decision-making authority, strengthens accountability, and develops leadership capacity across the organization.

Financial and Organizational Stewardship

Accountable for both long-term financial sustainability through continued state funding, philanthropy funding opportunities, and cybersecurity and risk management

Student-Centered, Equity-Informed Judgment

Uses evidence and stakeholder perspectives to identify barriers and make decisions that improve educational access and opportunity — especially for students most harmed by misalignment between education systems.

Communication and Culture

Communicates clearly across audiences, welcomes constructive disagreement, provides direct and respectful feedback, and models collaboration, learning, and accountability.

Essential Responsibilities

MISSION AND STRATEGIC ALIGNMENT

Provides executive leadership to position CCGI to effectively achieve its mission, statutory responsibilities, and long-term strategic objectives.

Establishes CCGI's medium- and long-term strategic direction in alignment with its mission, statutory responsibilities, FoundationCCC's mission, and evolving statewide education priorities.

Translates strategic direction into clear annual and multi-year priorities, outcomes, and resource commitments.

Holds executive leaders accountable for organizational performance and uses data, results, and changing conditions to assess progress and adjust strategy.

Anticipates changes in the external environment and positions CCGI to respond effectively to emerging policy, funding, technology, and educational priorities.

Champions innovative, scalable solutions that reduce systemic barriers, lessen administrative burden, and improve student access to college and career pathways.

ORGANIZATIONAL STEWARDSHIP

Pr ovides overall executive leadership, direction, and accountability for CCGI's strategy, operations, organizational performance, and impact.

Leads and supports CCGI's leadership team, providing direction and counsel to division leaders on strategic, financial, operational, and organizational decisions.

Establishes clear decision-making authority, accountability, and expectations across the executive team and organization.

Builds and develops a cohesive, high-performing leadership team capable of advancing shared priorities.

Ensures organizational structures, leadership capacity, systems, and resources support effective execution of CCGI's mission and strategy while maintaining alignment with FoundationCCC's mission.

Maintains an organizational culture grounded in CCGI's mission and values, reinforcing collaboration, accountability, innovation, inclusion, and continuous improvement.

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