Executive Director, Partnerships

This is a full-time, remote position anywhere in the contiguous United States, with national travel expected up to 60%. 

What You’ll Do

We are seeking an Executive Director, Partnership to lead a team of ~40 experienced educators driving instructional improvement for school systems across the country. Our Partnership teams build the capacity of instructional leaders at the school and system level, strengthening their support for teachers in ways that lead to better teaching and learning outcomes with a focus on students of color, students experiencing poverty, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities. The Executive Director will serve as a model of capacity building for instructional leaders. leveraging their instructional leadership experience to set a clear vision for service delivery, target improvements in our partner services, and develop team members toward that vision.   They will be a “manager of managers”, building effective teams and creating an inclusive and positive team experience through multiple layers. And they will build trusting relationships with school system leaders and coach our teams to support partner renewal.

The Executive Director, Partnerships will manage multiple Managing Directors of Support and their associated teams and will report to the Chief Partnerships Officer. The Executive Director will also be a member of the Instruction Partners Leadership Team.
 

Responsibilities:

Partnership Delivery and Impact

• Establish goals for partner impact and strategies for data gathering and monitoring the quality and impact of service delivery.  Set clear expectations for all Partnership team members on instructional leader capacity building and the quality of partner delivery, resulting in improved instruction and student outcomes
• Manage multiple Managing Directors of Instructional Support who are responsible for the quality of partner delivery.  Build the capacity of Managing Directors to develop their team members around all aspects of service delivery
• Observe partner delivery and review partner-specific goals and action plans, providing feedback and coaching to team members
• Provide input and recommendations around topics for internal team professional learning and support your teams in regular practice and feedback ahead of partner delivery

Partner Engagement and Relationship Management

• Develop trusting relationships with superintendents and senior leaders in our largest school system partners, serving as a thought partner to senior leaders and supporting renewal efforts with large partners
• Coach Managing Directors and their teams around partner renewals, monitoring partner progress and satisfaction and advising teams on partnership strategy and relationship management
• Support our Engagement team with the development of new partnerships -  meeting with senior school system leaders, sharing examples of our work and impact, and meeting with local funders or state leaders as relevant

Team Leadership

• Build and sustain a team of 40+ educators through effective hiring, development, and retention of team members.  
• Support Managing Directors in creating joyful and inclusive team experiences for team members, aligned to the Instruction Partners core values.
• Manage team member capacity and allocation through equitable distribution of partner and deliverable assignments
• Provide ongoing learning and development experiences for team members, building their skills in facilitating and supporting school and system leaders, all in service of our partnership impact goals.

Organization Leadership

• With your peer Executive Directors on the Partnership team, develop agendas and facilitation approach for meetings of all Managing Directors of Instructional Support and leaders from our Partnership Design and Support Team.  As a team, create plans for team development and monitor the quality of partnership delivery
• As a member of Partnership Leadership Group, set goals and policies for Partnership delivery and team experience and identify improvements in service design and delivery to increase impact for partner schools and students
• Serve as a member of Instruction Partners’ Leadership Team and inform and guide decisions and strategies that drive our collective work and impact

Required Candidate Qualifications:

• 12+ years of educational experience; 5+ years of system-level instructional leadership and/ or multiple years of non-profit experience consulting directly with school and system-level instructional leaders
• Experience leading improvements in student learning at the school level and across multiple schools

Candidate Qualifications and Traits:

• Excellence in building the capacity of instructional leaders through vision/expectations setting, coaching, and professional learning - centering the needs of students in our priority groups
• Experience working in and managing multi-layered teams of managers while building the capacity, empowering culture, and independent leadership and decision-making of team members. 
  • Ability to nimbly strategize with and coach leaders “at the balcony level” and drive practical, timely execution of service delivery “on the dance floor.”
  • Experience navigating the power structures within and across teams and organizations with an equity lens and knack for direct conflict resolution.
• Deep knowledge of instructional excellence and instructional leadership practices at the school and system level.  Able to understand the assets, needs, and personalities of a school system in order to develop plans that will work for their context
• Convincing public speaking and facilitation that engages and inspires; ability to articulate a compelling educational vision that leads others to follow
• Able to develop empathetic and trusting relationships with school and system-level leaders across a wide range of communities and contexts
• Excellent project management and operational leadership skills and experience with large-scale program delivery projects
• Data-driven orientation and a commitment to whatever works best rather than attachment to particular theories or ideologies
• Versatility and a total learner mentality; comfort learning about new content areas and approaches to work
• Willingness and ability to travel 60% of time each month for management and business development, with preference for individuals living in the Western United States.

Timeline:
This is an immediate opening.

Our Commitment to Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Hiring

At Instruction Partners, we know that difference enhances, transforms and strengthens our ability to serve students and schools. We invite and celebrate diversity of all perspectives, and we are deeply committed to ensuring equitable access and voice throughout our organization. Instruction Partners is proudly an equal opportunity workplace, and we value the inclusion of persons who have experienced poverty and/or for whom English is not their first language, and every race, gender identity, sexual orientation, disability, culture, ancestry, religion, national orientation, age, marital status or Veteran status. Join us, and let's work together to support great teaching and accelerate learning for every student.

Compensation:

The salary for this role is $192,000.00. Detailed information about the organizational compensation philosophy can be found here. Competitive benefits and private retirement investment options are available, as well as a generous vacation policy. See our detailed benefits package here: 2023-2024 Benefits in Brief Overview.

Our Vision

All students experience an excellent education that prepares them to contribute to their community, achieve economic security, and pursue their dreams.

Our Mission

We strengthen instructional leadership in schools, school systems, and states to ensure teachers have the support they need to improve learning experiences and learning outcomes for students - with attention to students of color, students experiencing poverty, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities.

Our Core Values

Live Big-Hearted

We care deeply about ourselves, each other, our work, our partners, and the students we serve. We value the differences each other brings to the table because we know diversity of voice, thought, and experience makes us better. We operate joyfully and without ego, collectively focused on the broader good.

Choose Optimism

We believe that, with the right support, every student can succeed. We have the courage to lean into challenges and believe in the possibility of overcoming obstacles while holding a high bar for ourselves, partners, educators, and students. As we advance antiracist actions, our path may not be smooth, but we will walk it anyway because we have faith that the journey will make our team and our education system better.

Advance Antiracism

We create and uphold space for all team members, partners, and students so they are seen, valued, and heard. We lift the voices and experiences of Black, Latinx, Native, and Asian American and Pacific Islander people. We actively look for and confront patterns and systems that cause inequitable harm in order to create more equitable outcomes within our organization and with partners. We embrace diverse expressions of excellence that make our team more inclusive and effective.

Be Honest

We are open, authentic, and truthful with ourselves, teammates, and partners. Our trust in each other and our work gives us the courage to lean into difficult conversations, put forth new ideas, and give and receive feedback through the lens of equity of voice and experience. We understand the intense and gripping nature of our work, so we name our needs to ensure we are practicing self-care and love within our beloved community.

Get Practical

We believe support should be thoughtful by meeting people, schools, and systems where they are. We leverage the voices, strengths and stories of families, educators, partners and teammates to find answers, because we know there isn’t a “one size fits all” solution to the challenges of our education system. We always look for ways to work smart, focus on the most relevant impact, and reduce friction to make it easier to take action while grounding our progress in equity.

Keep Learning

We know and love that we don’t yet have all the answers because we are nerds for learning, even when it’s hard or ambiguous. We actively pursue new knowledge, research, and evidence so that we can leverage the latest insights and best practices in our work, then we put that knowledge to work in partnership with our team, our partners, and the students and communities we serve. We respect the learning that springs from our own anti racist journeys, and vow to activate our knowledge in pursuit of equity and excellence.

How We Work

Instruction Partners is a nonprofit organization dedicated to excellent instruction for all students, with a focus on students in poverty, students with disabilities, students learning English, and students of color. We keep one foot in practicality and the other in evidence-based best practices, because we believe that leveraging high-quality, grade-level content and providing just-in-time supports will accelerate learning for all students.

Instruction Partners spends time getting to know the needs of the educators, leaders, and systems it serves, allowing the team to custom-build service plans to support partner goals. Partnerships include on-the-ground support, and partnership team members serve as thought partners to the school systems they serve, a team educators can reach out to and feel supported by.

Instruction Partners provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Instruction Partners complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

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