Head of Credit Mobility & Competency Solutions

Trellis · Round Rock, TX · Yesterday

FinanceFull-time

About Trellis Strategies

Trellis Strategies is a mission-driven research and consulting firm dedicated to advancing post-secondary education and strengthening the workforce through data-informed insights and strategic solutions. With more than 40 years of experience supporting higher education institutions, Trellis Strategies helps organizations better understand and improve the student journey—from application through graduation. Working in partnership with colleges, nonprofits, and government agencies, Trellis Strategies delivers tailored, scalable solutions grounded in rigorous research and real-world experience. The organization specializes in gathering and analyzing both local and national data to uncover opportunities that enhance recruitment, enrollment, student retention, and completion outcomes. At the core of Trellis Strategies' work is a commitment to expanding economic mobility and fostering community prosperity through education. The organization recognizes that today's learners navigate increasingly complex and non-traditional pathways, and it partners with institutions to design flexible, learner-centered approaches that meet students where they are. Trellis Strategies emphasizes a holistic understanding of the student experience, acknowledging that success is influenced by factors both inside and outside the classroom. Its solutions are designed to support the whole learner, promote equitable access to education, and help institutions adapt to evolving workforce needs. As part of the broader Trellis organization—an established nonprofit focused on education-to-employment pathways—Trellis Strategies builds on decades of expertise in higher education, financial wellness, and student success. The organization's collaborative, data-driven approach empowers partners to transform systems, remove barriers, and create meaningful, lasting impact for learners and communities alike.

Location

This position is fully Remote.

Job Summary

The Head of Credit Mobility & Competency Solutions will lead the design, development, and scaling of a product suite that enables learners to earn academic credit for prior competencies. This includes work experience, military training, industry certifications, employer training, and other learning vehicles to transfer that credit seamlessly across institutions. This is a builder role: the individual will stand up this work as a distinct product line, moving it from concept to a market-ready, self-sustaining entity, while simultaneously cultivating the institutional partnerships needed to grow it. The Head of Credit Mobility & Competency Solutions sits at the intersection of product strategy, higher education policy, business building, and partner management. It requires someone equally comfortable in a whiteboard session mapping a credit-transfer workflow, in a conference room negotiating an articulation agreement with a provost, and in a board or investor meeting making the case for continued investment.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

The position incumbent is expected to perform the following essential duties and responsibilities of the position with reasonable accommodation.

Operating Company & Business Development

Lead the formation and build-out of the credit mobility and credit-for-competency initiative as a standalone operating company, including business model, governance structure, and operational infrastructure.
Define and own the company's strategic plan, including go-to-market strategy, competitive positioning, and growth milestones.
Build and manage the operating budget and P&L for the company, with accountability for financial sustainability.
Establish the internal systems (legal, financial, HR/operational) needed to run an independent entity, in coordination with the parent organization's back-office functions as appropriate.
Evaluate and pursue strategic growth opportunities, including new markets, product adjacencies, strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and venture opportunities that advance the Company's mission, impact, and long-term sustainability.
Identify emerging trends, market opportunities, and competitive threats, recommending investments and strategic actions that strengthen organizational growth and market position.

Product Suite Development

Define and execute the product roadmap for a suite of credit-for-competency offerings — e.g., prior learning assessment tools, competency-mapping frameworks, portfolio review systems, and credit-transfer/articulation platforms.
Establish performance measures and continuous improvement processes to ensure products deliver measurable value to learners, partners, and institutions while supporting long-term organizational objectives.
Translate policy and academic requirements (accreditation standards, institutional credit policies, transfer frameworks) into usable, scalable product features.
Partner with technical and design teams to build tools that are intuitive for learners, advisors, and institutional registrars alike.
Establish quality and validity standards for competency assessment, ensuring products meet the rigor expected by accrediting bodies and receiving institutions.
Use learner and institutional feedback to iterate on the product suite post-launch.

Institutional Relationship Management

Serve as a recognized thought leader in credit mobility, competency-based education, and workforce-connected learning, influencing state and national conversations through speaking engagements, publications, advisory boards, and strategic partnerships.
Cultivate and manage relationships with colleges, universities, and system offices to secure adoption of credit-mobility tools and articulation agreements.
Serve as a trusted liaison between the company and academic leaders (registrars, provosts, transfer credit offices) to align product design with institutional policy realities.
Negotiate and steward formal partnership and credit-transfer agreements, including commercial terms.
Represent the company at sector convenings, associations, and institutional forums to build visibility and credibility.
Represent the company with policy makers, higher education systems, workforce agencies, accrediting bodies, and industry associations to advance adoption of innovative credit mobility solutions.

Revenue & Funding Strategy

Develop and execute an earned revenue strategy for the product suite (e.g., licensing fees, institutional subscriptions, per-learner pricing), positioning the company toward long-term financial self-sufficiency.
Partner with development/fundraising leadership on philanthropic and government funding to supplement earned revenue where appropriate, particularly in early stages.
Author business plans, funder/investor materials, and pitch decks that articulate the company's vision, model, and impact.
Track and report on financial and impact metrics to internal leadership, funders, and/or a governing board.
Establish, monitor, and report on key performance indicators related to revenue growth, institutional adoption, learner outcomes, market penetration, and organizational impact.
Accountable for achieving growth, revenue, sustainability, and impact objectives associated with the Credit Mobility & Competency Solutions portfolio.

Team & Organizational Leadership

Build, manage, and mentor a growing team across product, partnerships, and program functions.
Serve as a strategic advisor to executive leadership on emerging trends in higher education, workforce development, credential transparency, and learning mobility, helping shape long-term organizational growth strategies and investment priorities.
Model a collaborative, learner-centered approach to decision-making.

Strategic Leadership & Industry Influence

Serve as the executive sponsor and visionary leader for Trellis' credit mobility and competency recognition strategy.
Shape state and national conversations regarding credit transfer, prior learning assessment, workforce credentials, and postsecondary innovation.
Advise executive leadership and the Board on emerging market opportunities, risks, and strategic investments.
Identify and pursue transformational partnerships, ventures, and growth opportunities that expand organizational impact and sustainability.
Build coalitions among higher education institutions, employers, workforce agencies, policy leaders, and philanthropic partners to accelerate adoption of learning mobility solutions.
Represent the organization as a thought leader through public speaking, publications, advisory committees, and industry forums.

Non-Essential Duties and Responsibilities

Foster a corporate culture that promotes ethical practices, customer centric focus, and encourages individual integrity.
Exercise appropriate oversight and management of personnel in accordance with Company's expectations.
Performs other duties as assigned.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities

General Experience/Abilities

Significant ability and strong leadership experience with the ability to motivate employees toward end results and to successfully advocate the mission and key results both internally and externally.
Risk management, oversight of controls development, mitigation development, policy development, and implementation of new strategies and procedures to assure the integrity and longevity of the Company.
Ability to work effectively as an open and collaborative team member to achieve shared Company goals and objectives.
Demonstrated experience growing revenue-generating products, services, or business units.

Ability to

Attract, develop, and maintain a high-performance team, through regular communication of expectations, policies, and objectives.
Promote a culture of high performance and continuous improvement, valuing learning and commitment to quality and mission.
Operate as an effective tactical and strategic thinker.
Leverage technology, automation, and artificial intelligence to improve scalability, operational efficiency, learner outcomes, and institutional adoption.

Skills

Excellent relationship-building, negotiation, and communication skills across academic, philanthropic, and technical audiences.
Strong understanding of academic credit policy, accreditation, and/or transfer articulation frameworks.
Strong understanding of how learning mobility functions at the campus level, including registrar workflows, articulation and transfer-credit evaluation processes, academic advising touchpoints, and the practical friction points students encounter when moving credit between institutions.
Analytical and critical thinker with strong planning and financial management skills to analyze complex business issues and develop a comprehensive plan to address them.
Active listener who can give full attention to others, ask questions, and understand, and where appropriate adapt content.
Adroit decision-maker with honed business judgment. Able to reach decisions, including those involving complex problem-solving and identifying challenges and opportunities, in a timely manner.
Comprehensive skills to both seek and champion needed organizational changes and enlist key internal and external stakeholders in the process.
Skill and experience in analysis and interpretation of financial and economic data, budgeting, information technology and systems, and staff development.
Excellent interpersonal skills, diplomatic, charismatic, persuasive, and credible to a wide variety of audiences.
Able to delegate important work of the Company, trust-verify, and intervene at appropriate intervals to understand progress and initiate adjustment, as required.
Able to multi-task around varied corporate matters and assess priorities for efforts.
Excellent judgement and creative problem-solving skills including negotiation and conflict resolution.
Willingness and ability to maintain a flexible schedule. The position requires travel and work hours as needed to address the demands of the position.

Qualifications

Education Required

Bachelor's degree in business administration, higher education, public policy, or a related field.