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SalaryABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY
EdTrust-West seeks a Director of Educator Engagement to join a staff committed to fulfilling our mission of closing opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color, multilingual learners, and those from low-income backgrounds.
The Director, Educator Engagement leads EdTrust-West's direct engagements with practitioners through fee-for-service contracts, coalitions, and events to better understand the challenges and opportunities related to educational equity in the field and to support the implementation of local policies and practices to advance educational equity. The Director leverages these engagements to ensure the perspectives of Educators (and especially educators of color) are informing EdTrust-West's research agendas and policy positions. The Director also serves as a content expert in one (or more) key policy areas and leads in the development of collateral, key partnerships, and policy advocacy in this area(s).
EdTrust-West is the California-based office of EdTrust, headquartered in Washington D.C. EdTrust-West is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the U.S. education system. Through our research and advocacy, EdTrust-West improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where all students will thrive.
This role, available immediately, is based in our Oakland office and is eligible for telework for up to 3 days per week. The Director, Educator Engagement reports to the Senior Director of Strategic Advocacy and supervises a small team.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The responsibilities and objectives for the role include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Collaborate to set the long-term vision and direction for the Educator Engagement team and translate that vision into short and long-term goals with relevant work plans to ensure that EdTrust-West’s research agenda and policy positions are informed by educators’ perspectives.
- Lead a dynamic team by identifying and retaining diverse talent, coaching and developing direct reports, and managing and assessing performance.
- Supervise the day-to-day work of the team, allocating resources, and supporting prioritization.
- Secure, plan, lead, and supervise fee-for-service engagements for school districts, county offices of education, colleges, and other entities, including leading research and facilitation of Educator teams.
- Build and maintain new and existing philanthropic and funder relationships and contribute to grant proposals and reports as needed.
- Engage with educators to ensure that their perspectives (especially the perspectives of Educators of color) are informing our policy positions and research agenda.
- Manage the strategic growth and execution of the Educator Advisory Council to help cultivate council members’ advocacy skills and agency, while leveraging the council’s expertise to inform ETW’s policy and research agendas.
- Serve as a content expert in at least one of our priority policy areas identified in our annual policy agenda and design and execute strategies and tactics to influence policy in that area.
- Serve as a member of the EdTrust-West Management Group, which collaborates to co-create the annual work plan and budget in consultation with our broader staff; monitors progress towards team and team members’ goals; coordinates team professional development; and serves as strategic leaders of the organization.
- Draft or assist in drafting one-pagers, policy briefs, blogs, regulatory comments, talking points, outreach emails, external presentations, and other useful collateral to further EdTrust-West’s mission and strategic priorities.
- Collaborate across functional teams to support organizational priorities such as organization-wide event planning and execution.
- Represent the organization at external events, meetings, and convenings, through presentations and engagement with decision-makers, educators, and other partners.
IDEAL SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS
- Shared belief in EdTrust-West’s mission and a commitment to improving TK-16 educational equity, with a focus on racial equity.
- Commitment to “Walking the Talk,” which means operating with – and being willing to continuously develop – the cultural competence and humility necessary to make sure the values in our external-facing work are also present in our internal systems and processes.
- Dedication in contributing to and maintaining an equitable working environment.
- Excellent project management and budget management skills.
- Strong team and people management skills, with a focus on equitable management across intersectional identities and deep understanding of how to wield positional power responsibly.
- Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written.
- Strong skills in meeting facilitation, particularly of internal and external adult learning sessions.
- Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills.
- Creative problem solving and analytical skills.
- Ability to adapt and exercise sound judgment.
- Intellectual curiosity.
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and experience:
- At least a bachelor’s degree in education, public policy/administration, or a related field OR equivalent experience.
- Significant (e.g., at least 10 years) related work experience, preferably experience as a teacher, school/campus leader, or instructional coach.
- Deep knowledge of education policy and/or advocacy landscape, especially education equity.
- Experience successfully leading and managing a team.
- Success managing complex, cross-team projects collaboratively from start to finish.
COMPENSATION
This position falls in Level F of our salary structure for our California office. New hire offers typically fall between $117,820 to $147,280, commensurate with skills, experience, and internal equity.
EdTrust prioritizes the health and well-being of its employees and, to that end, offers a highly competitive benefits package. Medical, dental and vision insurance are covered at 100% for the employee, with significant coverage also offered for spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. We provide sick leave, vacation leave, and personal leave, and we follow the federal government for most holiday closures. To ensure staff have synchronous opportunities for rest and renewal, the office is closed for a week-long summer break and a week-long winter break. Among other offerings, we provide an Employee Assistance Program at no cost to the employee, and a generous 7% contribution opportunity on a 403(b)-retirement plan.
VACCINATION FOR COVID-19
At EdTrust, the health and safety of our employees is of the utmost importance. As such, all Education Trust employees are required to be fully vaccinated and remain up to date on their vaccinations for COVID-19. New hires should be fully vaccinated and up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations prior to their first day of work. Requests for accommodations due to medical or religious reasons will be reviewed by Human Resources.
QUALIFIED CANDIDATES, PLEASE APPLY
EdTrust is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes candidates from diverse backgrounds.
Please provide a cover letter and resume, combined into one document. In the file name, please write the name of the position you are applying for and your last name: e.g., “Director, Educator Engagement _Robinson.”
We invite you to consider your cover letter as an opportunity to:
- Tell a story that illuminates your interest in education equity and EdTrust-West’s mission
- Share how your background and experience make you the right fit for this position
Please submit your application materials at Recruitment (adp.com) by the priority deadline of April 2, 2024. Applications will be accepted/reviewed until the position is filled. Incomplete applications will not be accepted.
