Senior Director of Partnerships & Advocacy

Accountabilities:

• Design and lead national and state-level strategies to build stakeholder and political support for Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC) adoption across priority states.

• Develop and manage state-specific advocacy plans in close collaboration with policymakers, coalition partners, and local stakeholders.

• Monitor gubernatorial, legislative, and political developments in priority states and adapt strategies quickly as circumstances change.

• Translate policy research, polling, and data into compelling state-specific messaging, factsheets, presentations, toolkits, and other advocacy materials.

• Oversee targeted multi-channel digital communications campaigns designed to demonstrate the benefits of FSTC initiatives for families.

• Present and communicate polling and public opinion research, including national and state-level findings, to relevant stakeholders.

• Build and maintain senior-level relationships with center-left governors, gubernatorial candidates, senior staff, campaign teams, and executive-branch decision-makers.

• Develop and sustain multi-stakeholder coalitions involving education advocates, charter and school-choice organizations, youth-serving groups, community organizations, and other aligned partners.

• Coordinate coalition strategy and ensure partners remain aligned around shared policy and advocacy objectives.

• Manage budgets across multiple organizational entities, ensuring resources are effectively allocated across lobbying, communications, polling, research, and coalition-building activities.

• Direct external consultants and vendors while maintaining accountability for deliverables, timelines, and outcomes.

• Report campaign progress and impact to senior leadership and contribute to fundraising efforts by demonstrating the effectiveness and reach of major initiatives.

• As priorities expand, support engagement around the 2028 presidential cycle and identify and launch new mission-aligned state and federal initiatives.

• Help build the systems, processes, partnerships, and organizational infrastructure needed to support a growing portfolio of initiatives.

Requirements:

• Significant knowledge of K–12 education policy, with experience or familiarity in areas such as school choice, charter schools, and education reform strongly preferred.

• Demonstrated commitment to educational equity and expanding opportunities for underserved students and families.

• Proven experience in political campaigns, government affairs, public policy, or advocacy, with a track record of successfully advancing complex legislative or executive-branch initiatives at the state or federal level.

• Strong relationships with center-left governors, gubernatorial staff, presidential campaign alumni, executive-branch officials, or other influential political decision-makers are highly preferred.

• Demonstrated ability to build, manage, and align complex coalitions involving diverse political, policy, nonprofit, and community stakeholders.

• Strong strategic communication skills, including the ability to turn complex policy issues into compelling narratives for policymakers, partners, media, and the public.

• Experience overseeing digital advocacy campaigns, earned media, public engagement, polling, or related communications efforts.

• Strong project and budget management capabilities, with experience managing multiple workstreams, contractors, consultants, and budgets simultaneously.

• Ability to operate effectively in a fast-moving environment where priorities can shift quickly and execution timelines are demanding.

• Entrepreneurial mindset with the ability to build systems and structures while simultaneously delivering against immediate strategic objectives.

• Strong judgment, relationship-building skills, political awareness, and ability to influence senior stakeholders.

• Long-term strategic perspective and the ability to connect immediate campaign objectives with broader organizational capacity and future priorities.

• Strong commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and expanding educational opportunity for low-income families and families of color.

• Must be legally authorized to work for any employer in the United States; employment visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

• Ability and willingness to travel approximately 20% as required.

Benefits:

• Competitive annual compensation of $160,000–$180,000, commensurate with experience.

• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance.

• Flexible Spending Account (FSA).

• Cell phone and internet reimbursement.

• Life insurance.

• Short-term and long-term disability insurance.

• 401(k) retirement plan with employer matching.

• Paid family leave.

• Paid vacation and sick time.

• Floating holidays and paid national holidays.

• Fully remote work, with a hybrid option for candidates located within 30 miles of Providence, Rhode Island.

• Opportunity to work on high-impact national and state education policy initiatives.

• Approximately 20% travel to support partnerships, advocacy efforts, and organizational priorities.

• Opportunity to help shape future initiatives and build organizational infrastructure with significant strategic ownership.