POSITION DESCRIPTION

JOB TITLE:                  Director, State Policy and Implementation Support

DEPARTMENT:             State Policy and Implementation Support

STATUS:                      Exempt

REPORTS TO:             Vice President, State Policy and Implementation Support

EFFECTIVE DATE:       March 2013

POSITION SUMMARY

The Director is responsible for overseeing Achieve’s strategy for working with states to implement college-and career-ready standards in English Language Arts/Literacy and Mathematics. Major responsibilities include leading EQuIP, including development of specific vehicles/services for supporting states within EQuIP.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Provide Content Support to the ADP Network

• Assist the Vice President of State Policy and Implementation Support in designing and executing a strategy to leverage state participation in multi-state efforts to determine the quality and alignment of curricular and instructional materials to the CCSS.
• Participate in strategic planning related to building and maintaining multi-state efforts to support states with the quality and alignment of instructional materials.
• Design, refine, and oversee tools and support for working with states to implement college- and career-ready standards to ensure they provide a foundation that prepares students for college and careers, including specific attention to the alignment of graduation course requirements and the implementation of new college and career ready standards.
• Recommend new research, tools, and/or convenings based on needs in states and build upon these recommendations to broaden and deepen the scope of services provided to states.
• Provide guidance to states on the intersection of CCSS implementation and college-and career-ready graduation requirements.
• Build upon Achieve’s expertise in college and career ready standards and international benchmarking of education by staying current about relevant research from national and international sources, knowing and regularly interacting with experts in the field, developing short white papers/briefs on various topics, and attending appropriate meetings/conferences and disseminating information back to Achieve staff.

Lead EQuIP

• Lead planning and management of EQuIP convenings, trainings and webinars including oversight for meeting planning and execution, development of timelines, budgets, agendas, and materials.
• Produce training materials and other materials necessary to support EQuIP teams in reaching the objectives of EQuIP.
• Serve as Achieve’s central point of contact with EQuIP teams, keeping them informed of opportunities and directing requests for assistance to appropriate staff and/or consultants.
• Launch the EQuIP jury and any related training and/or certification processes. Lead the development of these processes and ensure high quality implementation.
• Assist in strengthening relationships with EQuIP teams and state leaders, keeping them informed about Achieve’s work and promoting cross-state collaboration and collective problem solving.
• Collaborate with Achieve colleagues to develop and produce tools and online resources to support the work of EQuIP states, including producing current content for Achieve’s website.

Budget and Grant Support

• Directly manage grants and budgets associated with supporting EQuIP and other relevant content streams of work designed to support CCSS implementation.
• Provide interim and final grant reports for grants associated with supporting EQuIP .
• Lead the development and implementation of activities to meet requirements/ deliverables of all grants that support EQuIP.
• Write proposals for new sources of funding to support EQuIP and other relevant content streams of work designed to support CCSS implementation.

Communications and Collaboration

• Collaborate across units to ensure key Achieve staff are informed about and appropriately engaged in EQuIP.
• Serve as a spokesperson for Achieve on content-related work.
• Build and maintain appropriate partnerships with national organizations, including content organizations and EQuIP partners, as well as research and development efforts.
• Collaborate with State Policy and Implementation Support Team and Strategic Initiatives team to produce new content for Achieve websites and publications related to CCSS standards implementation efforts.
• Lead the development of public reports on state progress and/or lessons learned as necessary from CCSS implementation and content work to support the ADP Network.

REQUIREMENTS

• Minimum of 10 years of nonprofit management, classroom experience, or curricular and instructional materials development experience, or a combination of these, with a history of progressively more responsible positions.
• Deep knowledge of the CCSS.
• Comprehensive knowledge of state education policy and reform processes.
• Extensive experience with state education policy development and enactment, including working with governors, state education executives, state legislatures, and boards of education.
• Knowledge of what it takes to sustain reforms over the long term, through successive political administrations.
• Must be a strategic thinker, accomplished planner, and outstanding writer, able to understand and help shape Achieve’s strategy for advancing its policy agenda.
• Ability to represent the organization in public forums at the national and state levels.
• Experience managing budgets, people and consultants, including those working remotely.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment, under considerable pressure and tight deadlines.

To apply, please send your resume and cover letter to jobs@achieve.org with the position title in the subject line.