Assistant Director

Who We AreEducation Commission of the States partners with education policy leaders nationwide to address issues by sharing resources and expertise. We are proud to serve both the people who develop and implement education policy and the students who directly benefit from effective policy change. Every day, we provide education leaders with unbiased information and opportunities for collaboration because informed policymakers create better education policy. We are an equal opportunity employer offering competitive salaries and an outstanding benefits package. Education Commission of the States provides an exciting intellectual environment, a collegial workplace, flexible hours and an organizational structure that encourages teamwork. Who You AreThe Assistant Director will facilitate an effective learning network that helps state and local education leaders move from priorities and learning frameworks to evidence-based plans, implementation and continuous improvement. The Assistant Director facilitates learning and collaboration among state leaders and external partners, aligning expertise and resources with state-defined priorities to strengthen coordination and reduce duplication of efforts. ReportingMay supervise other team members. Receives direct supervision from an Executive Director of the Education Commission of the States (ECS). Essential Duties and ResponsibilitiesNational coordination: Build and facilitate collaboration among state leaders and other partners around state-defined needs. Establish routines for joint planning, shared learning and clear handoffs that reduce duplication and strengthen coordinated support. State and local planning: Facilitate state-team planning sessions that connect state priorities with local implementation realities, clear learning questions, measurable milestones and appropriate technical assistance. Support states’ ownership of their learning frameworks and plans. Continuous improvement: Design and facilitate practical improvement cycles for network and state/local teams, including needs assessment, root-cause inquiry, measurable aims, implementation testing, feedback and adjustment. Translate learnings into improved support plans and shared practice. Peer learning and convening: Design and facilitate communities of practice, cross-state exchanges and network workshops that advance state-team planning, cross-sector learning and the sharing of promising practices. State Advisory Fellows: Coordinate with contracted personnel, the Executive Director and State Relations to match former state-leader experience with state planning and implementation needs and ensure actionable follow-through Knowledge and performance: Capture practical lessons, promising practices, common barriers and implementation milestones; collaborate with Policy, Communications and designated partner performance teams to turn learning into useful resources and assess the use of network support. Project and relationship management: Manage assigned workplans, partner relations, deliverables and budgets; represent ECS in national and state venues; and support the Executive Director’s strategic and governance work. Other Duties: Perform other duties as required to support the mission and priorities of ECS. Required Skills and Qualifications• NETWORK LEADERSHIP & COLLABORATIONDemonstrated ability to build partnerships, align organizations around shared priorities, and facilitate coordinated action.• TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE & CAPACITY BUILDINGAbility to translate state and local education priorities into practical plans, implementation support, and measurable progress.• EVIDENCE USE & CONTINUOUS IMPROVEMENTAbility to apply research, data, and improvement processes to strengthen decisions, implementation, and results.• FACILITATION & COMMUNICATIONStrong skills in leading collaborative planning, peer learning, and discussions with diverse education leaders and partners.• PROJECT & RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENTAbility to manage complex workstreams, budgets, deliverables, and partner relationships with accountability and follow-through. Background ExperienceEDUCATIONWe do not require candidates to demonstrate a specific degree or level of academic certification. We encourage candidates with the professional experiences and skills outlined in this position specification to apply.EXPERIENCE • Demonstrated success leading statewide, multi-state or national education initiatives involving public agencies, education leaders and cross-sector partners.• Experience designing and implementing technical assistance, capacity-building or improvement initiatives across multiple organizations or sites, with evidence of strengthened practices, systems or outcomes.• Demonstrated accomplishments translating education priorities, research and evidence into actionable plans, implementation strategies and measurable results.• Experience coordinating collaborative initiatives involving multiple partners, shared responsibilities and collective decision-making.• Demonstrated experience managing complex, publicly funded initiatives, including budgets, deliverables, performance measures and reporting.PREFFERED EXPERIENCE• Supporting state learning frameworks, strategic planning or comparable evidence-to-action processes.• Working with state education agencies, statewide or cross-state education networks, or national technical-assistance partnerships.• Managing federally funded education initiatives, including grant compliance, reporting and performance accountability.• Applying Results-Based Accountability, Lean Six Sigma or comparable continuous improvement methodologies; certification is valued but not required.OTHER PROFICIENCIES• Proficiency with Microsoft Office, virtual collaboration platforms, databases and project management tools, with the ability to learn and apply emerging technologies that support distributed teams and national networks. Compensation and BenefitsThe salary range for this position is $100,000-$110,000 annually. Compensation is determined in accordance with ECS’s established salary structure, benchmarked to the Denver, Colorado, labor market, with consideration for internal pay consistency across comparable roles. ECS offers competitive benefits, as detailed in our organizational policies including health, dental, life, long term disability, vision insurance, a flexible spending account, a health reimbursement account and a yearly contribution to your 403b retirement plan. Location and Working ConditionsThis position is remote, with a physical residence in the United States. Education Commission of the States is a remote workplace that requires employees to have a physical residence with address within the U.S. This position operates in a remote, collaborative work environment and requires regular virtual engagement, meeting facilitation, and the co-design and delivery of in-person convenings. This role may require up to 30% travel monthly, the ability to work effectively in varied meeting environments, and proficiency with standard business and virtual collaboration technologies. Applying for the PositionPlease send a resume and cover letter e-mail to Amelia Catania at acatania@ecs.org. Please include “Assistant Director” in the subject line. All applications must be received by close of business Monday, October 19th. DisclaimerThis is not necessarily an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, skills, efforts, requirements or working conditions associated with the job. While this is intended to be an accurate reflection of the current job, management reserves the right to revise the job or to require that other or different tasks be performed as assigned. Education Commission of the States is an equal opportunity employer.