Manager, Student Engagement

Under limited supervision the Manager of Student Engagement serves as the CFP Board champion to drive great outcomes for current and prospective college and university students pursuing financial planning careers.   This position will oversee activities and programming that supports and enhances student enrollment and experience in the financial planning and CFP® certification pathway.  They will be instrumental in ensuring student success in financial planning programs at partner colleges and universities.  In partnership with other CFP Board staff, propose, plan, and implement strategies to impact key metrics such as student enrollment, engagement, satisfaction, retention/graduation rates, and registration for the CFP® exam.

Essential Functions 

• Under the guidance of the Managing Director, Workforce, implement the Student Engagement and Acceleration program, which includes engaging registered program directors, faculty, and students to increase the capacity of financial planning graduates pursuing pathways to CFP® certification.
• With the Director, College and University Relations, engage with Universities and Higher education providers on programs that facilitate student pathway to CFP® certification.
• With the Director of Education and Director of Marketing, engage with student candidates in the certification journey, providing support and strategic guidance on certification requirements.
• Engage with colleges and universities to help enhance the financial planning student experience and interest in financial planning studies including recruitment, retention, and completion. 
• Lead the collection, organization and analysis of student data including courses taken, majors and minor areas of studies and related information.  
• In collaboration with IT, regularly monitor and report registered program student KPIs such as enrolment, graduates, exam takers, and pass rates by program.
• Liaise with certification staff in education, experience and exam in initiatives that help prepare and support students to pursue financial planning as a career and CFP® certification. 
• Liaise with the Financial Planning Association student chapters/members to facilitate CFP® certification.
• Actively partner with Marketing and Communication and other departments to communicate the value proposition of a financial planning career/profession to college bound high school students, university students, and other relevant career influencers.
• Monitor and report on trends affecting college enrollment and graduation rates, including data on gender, race and ethnicity.
• Identify, track and report on competitive conditions that impact student’s decision to pursue a financial planning career.
• Understand the prospective higher education institutions’ end customer and proactively identifies future growth opportunities for alignment with the CFP® certification. 
• Handle, resolve, and negotiate complex issues with college/university partners on student experience and liaise with executive leadership when needed. 
• Help enhance CFP Board’s reputation and image among college/university stakeholders.
• Performs other duties as assigned.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in education or liberal arts, master’s degree a plus.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience working in higher education. 
• Experience building relationships with university faculty, senior administrators, student groups and community partners.
• Deep understanding of current challenges facing higher education institutions and current trends in university student engagement.
• Experience working with or at a Not-for-Profit organization (preferred)
• Self-starter with excellent organizational and communication skills 
• Knowledge of financial planning is not required but a willingness to learn about the profession is essential.
• Ability to collaborate with other staff to deliver results as well as to work autonomously and as part of a team.
• Strong written and oral communication abilities with exceptional listening skills. 
• Demonstrated project management skills.
• Proven determination and the energy that drives work necessary to achieve goals with an optimistic and positive attitude.
• Strong organizational and time management capabilities but agile and flexible to adapt to changing priorities or expectations. 
• Ability to multi-task in high pressure environment.
• High level of confidentiality, professionalism, and diplomacy.
• Outstanding attention to detail.
• Good computer literacy with the ability to learn in-house systems including databases – advanced knowledge of Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and experience working with a Content Management System (CMS) (preferred).

About CFP Board 

CFP Board is the professional body for personal financial planners in the U.S. CFP Board consists of two affiliated organizations focused on advancing the financial planning profession for the public’s benefit. CFP Board of Standards (501(c)(6)) sets and upholds standards for financial planning and administers the prestigious CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER^TM certification — widely recognized by the public, advisors and firms as the standard for financial planners — so that the public has access to the benefits of competent and ethical financial planning.  

CFP^® certification is held by nearly 100,000 people in the U.S. CFP Board Center for Financial Planning (501(c)(3)) addresses diversity and workforce development challenges and conducts and publishes research that adds to the financial planning profession’s body of knowledge. 

This position works on programs which are part of the 501 (c)(6). 

This position is based in the Washington D.C. office and works a hybrid schedule which could be changed at any time. 

CFP Board believes that diversity of experience and perspective are strengths and seeks to continue to grow a highly committed, skilled, and collaborative staff.