Test Center Growth Manager at ACT in Iowa City, IA

Job description

• We are seeking a Test Center Growth Manager to help us fulfill that mission.
• The Test Center Growth Manager is a hybrid business development and relationship management role responsible for both growing and sustaining the ACT test center network within assigned markets. This individual identifies and closes new test center partnerships in areas lacking adequate testing capacity, then stays engaged as the ongoing relationship owner for those sites – monitoring performance, addressing needs, and using data to inform where future capacity investment should go. Success in this role requires business development skill, comfort operating in education and institutional environments, and the analytical discipline to turn market and site data into a clear capacity plan.
• 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 $90,000 to $107,000. ACT manages salaries within the range based on relevant factors including, skills, experience, and internal equity. This position is not incentive eligible.
• Location: This is a remote position, based in the United States.
• Visa: Applicants must be authorized to work in the U.S. without the need for visa sponsorship.

Responsibilities

• Source and build a market-level prospect list of schools (public, charter, private), community centers, adult education facilities, and other viable host sites
• Execute outbound outreach campaigns using Salesforce – sequences, tasks, and follow-up cadences – targeting principals, testing coordinators, and district administrators
• Conduct discovery conversations to understand school-level concerns (compensation expectations, staff capacity, testing sentiment) and tailor the value proposition accordingly
• Negotiate site agreements and coordinate with ACT operations for a smooth onboarding handoff
• Attend regional education conferences, district events, and community meetings to generate warm leads
• Monitor, analyze and use changing capacity and utilization trends to identify where new test center capacity is needed
• Use data and market insights to proactively identify capacity gaps, prioritize outreach and prospect accordingly
• Maintain accurate market maps showing capacity coverage, gaps, utilization rates, and site performance trends
• Participate in or lead capacity planning for assigned markets, aligning new site development with broader network expansion goals and timelines
• Recommend best practices in test center capacity management to improve operational efficiency
• Own the relationship– from initial lead follow-up through onboarding – until the site is fully established as an active, functioning test center, then transition it to the Global Channel Engagement team
• Partner with the onboarding staff to guide newly signed sites through scheduling, training, and compliance requirements, staying engaged as the site's primary point of contact through that process
• Serve as the site's primary point of contact through onboarding and establishment, then hand off the relationship to the Global Channel Engagement team for ongoing, long-term support once the site is fully established
• Monitor site performance metrics (e.g., fill rates, cancellations, compliance) during the onboarding and establishment period, and intervene proactively when issues arise
• Manage objections, coordinate resolutions, and maintain accurate, current site information in the CRM through onboarding and handoff
• Report regularly on pipeline status, conversion rates, market barriers, site health, and utilization trends
• Surface competitive, sentiment-based, or operational intelligence that can inform ACT's broader test center strategy
• Provide progress reports and recommendations for continuous improvement as scheduled by supervisor

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Business, Education, Education Administration, Analytics, or a related field, or an equivalent combination of education and experience
• At least 3 years of experience in the education industry (e.g. K-12, higher education, adult education, or education administration)
• Strong data analysis skills, with demonstrated ability to monitor, interpret, and act on capacity and utilization data to inform territory and market decisions
• Demonstrated ability to build and manage relationships and networks within institutional environments (schools, districts, government, or nonprofit)
• Strong written; verbal and presentation skills communication skills; comfortable presenting to senior administrators
• Competence with CRM and standard office software (Salesforce preferred)
• Self-directed; able to manage domestic territories and multiple concurrent relationships
• Willingness and ability to travel up to 50%
• Business development, sales, or account management experience – candidates from non-traditional sales backgrounds (former teachers, counselors, principals, or district administrators) who have since moved into business development or partnership roles are a strong fit
• Familiarity with the standardized testing landscape (ACT, SAT, AP, etc.)
• Experience with data analysis, AI and reporting tools (e.g. Excel, Salesforce reporting/dashboards, Tableau, Claude)
• Experience navigating institutional or community resistance in a business development or advocacy context

Skills

Required

• Strong data analysis skills
• Self-directed