Managing Director, Certification & Licensure

About the role

The Managing Director of Certification & Licensure is responsible for ensuring Teach For America Texas corps members are prepared to provide an excellent education for every student. This includes supporting corps members to meet the requirements for an educator certificate in Texas.

Responsibilities

• C Corps Member Certification Onboarding, Support, and Coaching (70%)
  • Design and implement a statewide onboarding plan to ensure all incoming Texas corps members enroll in a certification program, begin required testing, and are connected to tutoring resources prior to the first day of school.
  • Develop an individualized learning plan for each corps member who has not passed required exams by the end of preservice, outlining specific tests needed, a realistic timeline for passage, and the support structures required to achieve full certification by the end of year one.
  • Partner with educator preparation program staff, MDMGs, 240 Tutoring, and partnerships leads to ensure certification milestones are integrated into the broader arc of corps member learning and development from matriculation forward.
  • Hold a direct portfolio of 250–350 incoming corps members, serving as their primary certification point of contact and coach for each incoming cohort's certification journey from confirmation through the end of their first year, maintaining continuity of relationship, tracking, and support throughout.
  • Coach corps members individually and in groups toward certification completion, helping them understand their certification requirements, navigate program enrollment, interpret test results, and stay on track with their individualized certification plans.
  • Directly provide tutoring and facilitate targeted learning sessions for incoming corps members preparing for certification tests.
  • Collaborate with educator preparation program partners, MDLDs, and partnerships leads on an ongoing basis throughout the school year to support first-year corps members who are struggling to pass certification tests or fulfill coursework requirements.
• P Portfolio Management, Systems Tracking, Partnerships, and Communication (20%)
  • Build and maintain a comprehensive tracking system that monitors every incoming corps member from confirmation through full certification, capturing testing status, certification pathway, preparation program enrollment, and key milestones.
  • Generate regular reports for MDMGs, partnership staff, and MDLDs that surface corps members at risk of not completing certification within their first year, and monitor individual progress across the portfolio, adjusting plans and escalating concerns as needed.
  • Draft, manage, and send all certification-related communications to incoming and current corps members, including guidance on required tests, registration deadlines, preparation resources, updated individual plans, and next steps following each admissions deadline.
  • Lead certification learning calls following each admissions deadline, ensuring corps members understand their certification pathway and immediate action items.
  • Build and maintain strong relationships and data-sharing systems with educator preparation program partners, MDMGs, MDLDs, heads of program, and VP of Public Affairs to monitor and develop insights on anticipated changes to Texas educator certification policy that affect corps member experience and retention.
• O Ongoing Responsibilities (10%)
  • Participate in corps members and alumni activities across the continuum including but not limited to corps member selection or matriculation, pre-service, alumni campaigns, ongoing AmeriCorps data collection and tracking, etc.
  • Leverage regional and national resources (e.g. weekly newsletters, daily gift reports, etc.) and participate in statewide, regional and national committees/working groups/project teams.
  • Prepare for and engage in ongoing check-ins, team meetings, and professional development structures.
  • Serve as an “all hands on deck” team member willing to support regions in various ways as needs and opportunities arise, which embodies the spirit of the TFA Texas team.
  • Occasional weekend or evening work hours required.

Qualifications

• You know the students and community we serve and are passionate about realizing educational excellence in Texas.
• You have expertise managing multiple projects at once and working collaboratively across multiple internal and external teams to achieve your vision and impact.
• You have knowledge & experience of the educator licensure or certification processes in Texas.
• You are comfortable with ambiguity and a self-starter who operates with minimal oversight.
• You are detail-oriented and excel at translating your passion for our mission into tracking systems and communications strategies that compel diverse stakeholders.
• You have Teach For America experience (staff or corps) and/or public education experience.
• You have 7+ years of aligned work experience.
• You have a Bachelor’s degree.
• You have a Certification in project management, or equivalent work experience preferred.

Bonus (Preferred Qualifications)

• You have Prior certification knowledge/experience.
• You have Prior teaching experience.
• You have Prior relationship with SMU Certification or other Texas Certification program.
• You have a Growth Mindset that enables them to understand the nuance of certification and hold space for individual and unique situations.

Your Future Team

Teach For America’s superpower is finding, developing, and supporting exceptional and diverse leaders, individually and in teams, so they can transform education and expand opportunities for children, starting in the classroom. In 1991, we began our work in Texas with 200 first-year teachers; today, our network has grown to nearly 4,750 leaders, with over 2,600 leading in the K-12 system. As part of Team Texas, you will be alongside 50+ other colleagues who are working to expand opportunities for children in Texas, especially in Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, the Rio Grande Valley, and San Antonio.

Compensation

The applicable salary range for each U.S.-based role is based on where the employee works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers according to a cost of labor index in that geographic area. Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, location, business needs, or market demands. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. The expected salary ranges for this role are set forth below. These ranges may be modified in the future. Salary Tier A : $81,700 - 107,300 Tier B : $89,100 - 116,900 Tier C : $96,400 - 126,600 You can view which tier applies to where you plan to work here. If your location is not listed, please click here for additional total rewards information.