Senior Director of Partnerships, Professional Education

Position:  Senior Director of Partnerships,  Professional Education

Location: Flexible/remote

Type: Full-Time

Start Date: Spring/Summer 2022

SUMMARY

Reporting to the National Executive Director of Partnerships, the Senior Director of Partnerships is a critical member of the partnerships team. This individual will facilitate cross-team communication, support with setting strategy for new partner recruitments, and support efforts to build operational systems for internal and external stakeholders to engage in our Leadership Programs and Teacher Professional Education partnership processes. This person will play an integral role in ensuring that our various programs across Leadership Programs and Teacher Professional Education remain financially sustainable by meeting enrollment targets, thereby allowing Relay to continue its mission to serve high-needs schools across the country. This is an excellent opportunity for someone looking to leverage their project planning, team management, strategic thinking, relationship-building, marketing, and operational skills in order to support an institution that is transforming the way instructional leaders are developed and supported. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Senior Director of Partnerships will manage the Professional Education partnerships team (1-2 Directors of Partnerships and a Senior Coordinator) and collaborate with the National Deans, the Managing Director of Strategy & Operations, the instructional leads of each of our Professional Education programs, as well as the Executive Directors focused on teacher preparation programs to ensure the execution of the responsibilities outlined below:

• Build and execute a strategy to engage over 140 external partners in the partnership process for our National Leadership Programs with the intention of investing and leveraging partners to ultimately meet enrollment and/or revenue targets for each program.
• Liaise with the marketing team to create and execute a comprehensive marketing and branding strategy with the goal of building awareness of each of our programs throughout the year to expand the reach and forge new partnerships.
• Lead the development and stewardship of any new partners, including creating webinar decks, conducting market analysis/research in collaboration with other teams at Relay, completing requests for proposals, etc.
• Build and maintain relationships with a diverse set of stakeholders including funders, districts, charter management organizations, other nonprofit organizations, and alumni of Leadership Programs.
• Develop and implement a strategy to actively engage and support over 4,000 program alumni.
• Work closely with other members of the partnerships team (such as Admissions & Enrollment), Finance, and Technology to create responsive and integrated program support for program participants and partners during enrollment season and beyond.
• Support the Professional Education Events and Operations team with on-the-ground operations and logistics for select intersessions, conferences, and trainings when necessary.
• Leading revenue collection strategy to ensure partners pay their bills in a timely manner.
• Collaborate with the Director of Events and Operations, Leadership Programs to plan and execute partner communications with districts, charter management organizations, and funding partners throughout the year.
• Manage the Senior Coordinator of Operations to ensure all internal databases are kept up-to-date and accurate throughout the course of the school year.
• Help to create and maintain a positive organizational environment by following through on promises and directives, including meeting deadlines and communicating progress to others.
• Support the Managing Director of National Operations with special projects as necessary.
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

First and foremost, the Senior Director must share the Relay community’s commitment to working together to improve student growth and achievement through phenomenal teacher preparation grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. This includes providing teacher preparation programs that set novice teachers up to succeed in the classroom from day one; leadership programs that train new and veteran school and district leaders to best serve their school communities; and teacher-facing professional education that provides ongoing learning to educators. Additionally, for this position we’re looking for candidates that possess a combination of the following skills:

• At least eight years of work experience, preferably in urban education and/or operations
• At least three years experience in managing direct reports and/or multiple high-stakes projects
• Experience with or knowledge of professional learning for educators and instructional leaders highly preferred
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with an eye to equitable policy creation
• Acute attention to detail with a focus on efficiency and systems building
• Strong project management skills paired with the ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work efficiently, intensely, and within an entrepreneurial environment
• Entrepreneurial outlook and commitment to Relay’s mission to improve student outcomes, close opportunity gaps, and rethink how we prepare our leaders
• A willingness to do all tasks, big or small, in service of excellent programs for our graduate students
• Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree

Relay prepares teachers and school leaders to teach students of all identities and backgrounds in order to push toward a time when this country no longer faces stark educational inequities. We recruit, develop, support, and retain a diverse staff, faculty, and graduate student body because we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and actively anti-racist institution. We know, and the data supports, that diversity, equity, and inclusion cultivate an environment in which people of all backgrounds can thrive and this is critical to achieving our mission of educational excellence and equity.

To fulfill that commitment, Relay encourages applicants of all backgrounds and identities to apply for roles that align with their own interests and career trajectory. If you meet a majority of the qualifications and see yourself in this role, we would love to see your application!

COMPENSATION

Relay’s compensation philosophy is to pay competitively for the education nonprofit market and ensure equity across the institution. Starting compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors including the new hire’s qualifications and their region’s cost of labor. 

The starting salary range for this role is $100,000 to $130,000. The hired candidate can expect to be placed within this range based on their prior experience, as well as the cost of labor for the region they live in. New hires typically are not eligible for a salary at the high end of this range if they live in a region with a low or medium cost of labor. Lastly, Relay is striving towards internal pay equity throughout our organization. Because of this, we do not negotiate salary offers. 

Relay offers a comprehensive total rewards package. For full-time roles, this includes health insurance benefits, disability and life insurance, retirement plan, professional development, gym reimbursement, adoption assistance, paid time off (PTO), parental leave, etc. To learn more about Relay’s benefits, please visit here. 

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY

Relay requires that all staff be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine (or approved for an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief). Relay abides by each state’s requirements, and acknowledges those may change over time. If moved forward to the phone screen stage, you will have the chance to ask your recruiter more about this requirement

Relay Graduate School of Education provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees.