Program Director, State Partnerships

ACT, Inc.
life insurance, paid time off, paid holidays, 401(k)
United States, Iowa, Iowa City
500 Act Drive (Show on map)
Jan 14, 2026
At ACT, Your Work Makes a Difference Education has power - a power that changes lives forever. It creates opportunities that lift up individuals, their families, and sparks societal change that echoes through generations to come. From our grassroots we have fought the good fight for equity in education, and we remain devoted to helping anyone who struggles to access that power. This is what matters to us and we must do better -- we've never been more sure of our purpose. ACT team members are part of an organization dedicated to a mission that has never been more important: Helping people achieve education and workplace success. Advancing that mission within our organization, by helping our team members achieve education and workplace success of their own, is core to our values. ACT values a diverse workplace and is committed to fostering an inclusive, equitable environment in which every team member has an opportunity to grow. We want our team members to have the well-being and confidence they need to do their best work, in an environment where both they and ACT thrive. To support this, our total rewards include company paid life insurance, medical, dental, vision, flexible health and dependent spending accounts, 401(k) retirement savings with company match, paid holidays, paid time off, and so much more. You can find a comprehensive list of our benefits here. We are seeking a Program Director, State Partnerships to help us fulfill that mission. The Program Director, State Partnerships position identifies strategic growth opportunities with state partners to further ACT's mission and better state/student outcomes. State director is responsible for contract renewals, extensions, additional solutions, leading RFP responses, and the pursuit of new business / clients. This position works to establish key relationships with existing and potential state partners to ensure continued program growth and success. A strategic and key individual contributor, the State Director works collaboratively across a multitude of ACT departments to solution and position ACT products. You will be joining an experienced, knowledgeable and well-established team made up of dynamic leaders who have engaging relationships with state leadership. The finalist will be hired at the salary and level commensurate with their qualifications. For this position, we anticipate offering an annual salary in the range of $100,000 to $130,000. ACT manages salaries within the range based on relevant factors including, skills, experience, and internal equity. This position is incentive eligible. Location: This is a remote position, based in the United States. Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for visa sponsorship What you will be working on: Build strategic partnerships with State Education Agencies to align ACT solutions with statewide K-12 priorities and advance key goals and initiatives. Drive growth and protect existing contracts by identifying and pursuing state business opportunities, aligning ACT solutions to deliver client success and exceed revenue targets. Analyze state assessment landscapes and gather competitive intelligence to identify opportunities and challenges, providing actionable insights and strategic guidance to leadership. Develop and execute comprehensive sales plans for assigned states, collaborating across ACT units to maintain current contracts and secure new business. Lead state procurement processes as the business sponsor, partnering with the RFP team to develop and submit proposals that successfully secure ACT state business. Provide visibility into sales efforts and key client activities by effectively sharing information through the company CRM as well as other reporting avenues Lead strategic negotiations and decision-making to achieve mutually beneficial outcomes for ACT and state partners. Support existing state partnerships to ensure successful implementation and outcomes for state testing programs. Role Progression: 3-Month Mark Successfully complete onboarding and demonstrate a solid understanding of all ACT products and services relevant to the state market. Fully integrate into the State Partnerships team and establish all necessary cross-functional relationships for the role. Build initial connections and meet with all key current clients in the assigned territory. Research key clients and target prospects, analyze the assessment landscape in the territory, and update the territory plan accordingly. 6-Month Mark Strengthen relationships with current clients and maintain a regular cadence of meaningful communication. Begin expanding connections to other key staff within these organizations. Develop a clear understanding of desired outcomes for current clients and secure their commitment to collaborate toward achieving those goals. Establish connections with all target clients in the territory and identify clear paths for growth with each. Design and begin implementing new strategies to drive growth across the territory. 12-Month Mark Operate independently in managing the territory while actively contributing to team initiatives, sharing best practices, and introducing new ideas for growth. Demonstrate measurable progress toward business objectives that support ACT's growth in the state market. Build and maintain strong, productive relationships with state clients that deliver positive outcomes for both the clients and ACT. This could be the job for you if you have (minimum requirements): Requires at least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in education and/or workforce industry, preferably with account management or sales experience Ability to gain and apply working knowledge of ACT's products and services, including how those products and services are collectively used to provide solutions to state clients Demonstrated ability to influence and engage key state executives Ability to gather and use competitive intelligence to create strategies that advance and/or protect ACT's interests Ability to work effectively with individuals inside and outside the organization Actively seeks, engages with and promotes diverse perspectives and invites a sense of belonging Strong communication skills including ability to communicate effectively across all levels in the organization, as well as outstanding presentation skills Must be able to act decisively with sound judgement; uses data to analyze options and form opinions Is able to apply continuous improvement to existing processes and programs and develop ideas that are new, better, or unique Ability to manage change and navigate positively in an environment experiencing change at a fast pace Takes initiative using self-starter approach, ability to multi-task, proactively anticipates and acts on information and details needed, willingness and ability to learn Takes responsibility and follows through on commitments Ability to travel up to 40% Skills and knowledge required for success in this position attained through experience and education (Bachelor's degree in Education, Business, or related area of study), or a combination of both. It's a plus if you have: Assessment industry experience, a plus if at a state education agency K-12 experience that includes deep knowledge of the state and district landscape Experience working with individuals at the state executive level Experience developing educational programming or support/training of college and career planning/readiness initiatives Sales experience, preferably in the assessment/education space About ACT When ACT was founded in 1959, it disrupted the assessment industry with a new approach to helping students better understand their readiness so they could take steps to improve it. By leveraging our expertise and authority in assessment and research, we will again disrupt the industry-helping more people learn, better measure their progress, and improve their navigation through life's transitions. More than ever before, ACT is fulfilling its mission of helping people achieve education and workplace success. We're doing it by pushing the boundaries of learning innovation through the work of our people, who we call team members because we're all in this together. We know transformation does not come without challenge. That's why ACT invests in a variety of experiences for team members to strengthen their connections, explore ideas, learn from customers, and celebrate success. Learn more about working at ACT at act.org! ACT is an equal opportunity employer, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability status, protected veteran status, or any other characteristic protected by law. ACT participates in E-verify. ACT's online position announcements are intended only to provide general descriptions of employment opportunities; none of the information provided for any position should be interpreted as a commitment by ACT to specific terms and conditions for employment. Completion of the ACT National Career Readiness Certificate is recommended. Find a testing site near you to register for the WorkKeys assessments. Finalists for this position will be subject to a criminal background check as a condition of employment. If you have received an ACT employment-related communication from an email address that is not affiliated with @act.org and/or that requests personal or financial information, please do not reply. Instead, reach out to us at careers@act.org with the details. ACT's recruitment team appreciates your interest in working with us to transform college and career readiness pathways for all learners and wishes you the best of luck in your career journey.