Managing Director, Projects & Placement

Title: Managing Director, Projects and Placements

Team: Projects & Placement

Location: Flexible - Fully remote position

Application Deadline - Monday, October 14th

ORGANIZATIONAL AND POSITION OVERVIEW

Education Pioneers’ mission is to attract, develop, and mobilize a diverse network of high potential leaders who bring the capacity to address an evolving set of challenges to make education a lever for equity and excellence. As an organization, we’ve grown and learned through a series of challenges and changes, both internal and external, and are excited to be pivoting toward our pre-pandemic aspirations for scale and long-term transformation.

Over the next three years Education Pioneers is poised to rescale our Fellowship programs from our current size of 50 Fellows to more than 300 Fellows. The Managing Director of Projects and Placements (MDPP) will lead our Placement Partnerships function and will be responsible for creating the conditions for the right local partners across our established and expansion sites to host EP Fellows year-after-year, understand and value the long-term role EP plays in the local ecosystem, champion our work, joyfully participate in our community, and invest in our Fellows’ growth and development.

This position will report to the Chief Program Officer.

INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE GOALS

The MD, Projects and Placement will be charged with achieving the following outcomes:

• Partner & Project CultivationConfirmed Placement Results [per identified Targets, Outcomes + Indicators of Success] to support our scale goals
• Volume + Quality of partnerships and projects
• # of “Interview Ready” projects to ensure we reach our placement targets (based on project pipeline projections)
• Partner ExperienceStrength of the Partner Experience
• Strength of relationship with external Partners and influencers
• Quality & Efficacy of Onboarding Experience for Partners
• Ensuring the right Partners renew with us year-to-year
• Process & Systems ImprovementDesign and implementation of scalable systems and progress monitoring infrastructure for partnerships
• Create the conditions, capacity, and systems necessary to enable authentic, long-term, and institutional relationships with our partners.

ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The following roles and responsibilities represent broadly what the MD, Projects and Placements is responsible for and specific responsibilities that are aligned with our organizational objectives over the next 2-3 years. As our organization evolves, these roles and responsibilities could change or expand.

• Advance the Strategy + Direction of our Enterprise Vision for Projects and Placement (35%)Develop vision, strategy and indicators of success for a strong Partner experience aligned to Program Continuum expectations, our operating model, and our enterprise vision
• Set strategy for Partnership processes, structures and content delivery in alignment with our enterprise vision and strategy, roadmaps, as well as Program Continuum direction
  • Further strategy for securing national, multi-year partnerships to bring stability to long term scale goals
• Establish the conditions that will enable our team to consistently source a reliable and renewable base of projects generated from a stable set of partners
• ​Support the development of an approach for securing multi-year partnerships across regions to bring stability to long term scale goals
• Explore, design, test, and implement a set of metrics that help drive decision making on Partnerships (ex: Partner Quality; Strength of Partner Experience)
• Oversee and manage functional Partnerships team talent planning, annual planning and performance management
• Leverage principles of effective sales management to build, improve on, and maintain Partnership engagement systems that allow for successful partnerships campaigns, including:
  • Scalable outreach systems
  • Engagement monitoring
  • A partner portal for submitting and managing project submissions
• Achieving Functional Goals Through Individually Contributing to Results and Managing Team Execution (40%)Collaborate with team members advising on local strategy to identify the right partners in each market to meet our ultimate Fellow placement targets as we scale up our programs (short term placement needs as well as long term pipeline of opportunities)
• Create local partner portfolios that are relevant, broadly diverse, and representative of local and regional ecosystems,
• Collaborate with Local Impact Team to cultivate Partners using a set of high leverage engagement strategies inclusive of our enterprise-level commitment to stewardship, segmentation, prioritization, and pipeline management.
• Develop and streamline internal Partnerships guidelines, policies, and processes in collaboration with Functional Team members and the Local Impact Team.
• Manage, coach and develop direct reports towards achieving their personal and professional goals
• Hire and onboard future team members (FT + PT) to ensure Partnerships activities and outcomes align with program offerings and team goals
• Set Partnership pipeline metrics and benchmarks and regularly monitor, evaluate and report on progress to goals
• Oversee the effective implementation of strategy and tactics through functional team execution (i.e. structuring and delegating tasks, monitor progress, change course as needed) and cross-functional collaboration (i.e. strong operations, communications and systems)
• Closely collaborate with Talent + Partnerships team members during Onboarding to ensure strong conversion of talent into the Fellowship
• Engage with Fellowship stakeholders throughout the course of Fellowships to strengthen relationships and solicit feedback
• Support Functional + Cross-Functional Coherence & Create the Conditions for a Thriving Partnerships Team (25%):Collaborate with the team members that lead Talent Partnerships, Local Impact Partnerships, External Affairs, and Strategic Partnerships to ensure alignment of strategy, common practices, and outcomes
• Support, manage, and execute cross team collaboration towards achieving goals and managing towards a coherent vision, with an emphasis on coherence with the Director of Recruitment & Admissions, the Director of Onboarding, and the larger Program Continuum team
• Serve as a a leader on the Program Management Team to contribute to management of program outcomes
• Serve as a leader on the Program Continuum Team to ensure alignment on the Theory of Leadership Development and EP’s impact measures
• Build and model a strong culture on the Partnerships team in support of broader functional, departmental, and organizational culture of learning

CORE COMPETENCIES TO BE SUCCESSFUL IN THIS ROLE

• What is outlined below is an articulation of the most important competencies you’d need to excel in to be successful in your role. It’s not necessarily an articulation of all the skills you’ll lean into or even a reflection of your “superpowers,” but we want to transparently communicate the areas we feel are most important.Setting Direction + Strategy - You establish a clear vision and develop relevant strategies and team activities, aligned to EP goals and your vision
• Managing Team Execution - You know how to assign, track, and prioritize work appropriately to ensure high quality results from your team
• Organizing, Planning and Executing
• You are able to organize, prioritize, track, and manage workflow and resources
• Building Relationships + Networks - You are able to cultivate meaningful relationships and leverage networks to expand relationship possibilities.
• Influencing Others to Achieve Outcomes - You draw on understanding of others to achieve desired outcomes via shaping beliefs + behaviors
• Understanding the Perspectives of Others - You are able to listen, learn, and stay curious about others’ motivations, challenges, perspectives, etc.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• Education & ExperienceBachelor’s degree in education, public administration, business, or a related field. A Master’s degree is preferred but not required.
• At least 7-10 years of experience in leadership roles, ideally in nonprofit management, education, or partnership development. Experience in managing talent pipelines or fellowship programs is a strong plus.
• Proven Experience in Strategic Relationship ManagementDemonstrated success in building, managing, and nurturing long-term partnerships with diverse stakeholders, such as community organizations, education systems, or funders.
• Experience leading cross-functional teams to deliver partnership goals and meet organizational objectives
• Leadership and Team ManagementStrong experience in leading and managing teams, including setting vision and direction, assigning tasks, prioritizing work, and tracking progress to ensure high-quality results
• Demonstrated success in managing complex projects or initiatives that involve multiple stakeholders and deadlines.
• Operational and Organizational SkillsStrong organizational and planning abilities, including experience with managing workflows, resources, and timelines to ensure seamless execution of partnership and talent pipeline initiatives
• Experience with data-driven decision-making and using metrics to monitor progress, evaluate success, and make strategic adjustments.
• Communication and InfluenceExceptional communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to influence and inspire internal teams, partners, and external stakeholders to achieve organizational goals
• Proven ability to effectively communicate the organization's vision and value proposition to diverse audiences.
• Understanding of Education and Social ImpactDeep understanding of the education sector, particularly as it relates to using education as a lever for equity, mobility, and systemic change
• Experience working in, or with, organizations focused on social impact, equity, and collective community efforts is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion in beliefs and actions
• Adaptability and Problem SolvingDemonstrated ability to adapt to changing environments and pivot when necessary to align with evolving partnership or organizational needs.
• Problem-solving skills and a proactive approach to identifying and addressing challenges in partnership engagement and talent placement.

Note: Education Pioneers reserves the right to add additional duties, as needed. All Education Pioneers employees are encouraged to be flexible and responsive to changes in scope of duties.

COMPENSATION & BENEFITS

Education Pioneers believes in compensating staff members fairly and equitably in relation to their relevant experience, competencies, and geographic location. The applicable salary range for EP’s roles is based on where the employee lives / works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers according to a cost of labor index in that geographic area. Given our commitment to equity, EP does not negotiate salary offers. You will have an opportunity to discuss salary in more detail if you progress in the hiring process.

• The expected salary range for this role are set forth below. For details on which cities fall into each tier, see this list:Geo Tier 1: $118,136.88 -$145,848.00
• Geo Tier 2: $106,322.78- $131,263.20
• Geo Tier 3: $94,508.68 -$116,678.40

Education Pioneers offers competitive compensation based on the market for nonprofits our size. Our benefits include a flexible PTO policy that is not limited in days; paid medical or parental leaves should you need them; medical, dental, vision, short-term and long-term disability, and life insurance; a flexible spending account (FSA), as well as a 403b.

APPLICATION INSTRUCTIONS

• To apply for this position, please complete the following by Monday, October 14th 2024:Submit your application using the application link below, which will include submitting a resume / CV that articulates your professional experience to date
• In lieu of a cover letter submit your written responses to the following questions 150 words or less per question:

1. What motivates you to work in a mission-driven, education-focused organization? How do your values align with our goal of transforming education into a lever for equity?
2. Can you describe a time when you developed and executed a long-term Partnership strategy? What was your approach, and how did you ensure alignment with broader organizational goals?
3. Tell us about a time you managed a cross-functional team to achieve a complex goal. How did you prioritize tasks and ensure high-quality results?
4. Describe a successful partnership you’ve built that required significant relationship management. How did you create value for both parties?
5. When faced with unexpected changes in a Partnership or project, how have you adapted your approach to ensure continued progress?

Equal Opportunity Employer Statement: Education Pioneers believes it is critical for leaders in urban education to reflect the urban communities they serve. We actively recruit people of color to join our team. We support equal opportunity for all people and we strongly encourage diverse candidates to apply for open positions.