Job Details
About ESG
Education Strategy Group (ESG) is a mission-driven consulting firm that works with America's education, business, and civic leaders to expand economic opportunity and mobility by increasing educational attainment. Founded in 2012, ESG supports the preparation, entry, and success of individuals from K-12 through postsecondary education to build a more equitable system, open economic doors for all, and strengthen our democracy. ESG specializes in strengthening the transition points that have the highest stakes for youth and adults and the highest benefit for states, communities, and economies. We are driven by the conviction that a robust education system aligned with workforce demand leads to a stronger, more equitable society.
ESG recently adopted a five-year Greater Impact Plan, which establishes an ambitious vision and clear expectations for the work the organization will undertake and the impact it will seek to have on the nation's education and workforce systems. Within this plan, ESG has made increasing postsecondary attainment its north star, with a specific emphasis on increasing attainment rates among students of color and those from low-income backgrounds. Building demand-driven, high-quality career pathways is essential to helping these young learners - irrespective of their race, ethnicity, gender, or socioeconomic background - successfully transition from high school to postsecondary education to earn a credential that opens doors to economic and career success.
As a firm, we bring deep experience leading policy development, advocacy, and implementation work in the K-12, postsecondary, and workforce sectors. We are a virtual firm that enables our staff to work where they have built their lives.
Position
Associate Directors play an integral role in leading the design and execution of multiple projects across ESG's four portfolios: Career Readiness, Postsecondary Transitions, Postsecondary Attainment, and Workforce. This involves - with the support of small project-based teams - developing project plans, timelines, and budgets; undertaking policy analysis and research; designing and deploying technical assistance across a variety of education-to-workforce policy and practice issues; building and maintaining strong relationships with clients; preparing and ensuring the quality and accuracy of project deliverables; and supporting the firm's impact and business growth. The ideal candidate will have relevant education-to-workforce content knowledge in areas such as demand-driven pathways, industry-aligned work-based learning, college and career advising and navigation, early postsecondary opportunities, and credentials of value as well as significant experience in multiple K-12 and/or higher education settings-or in organizations that serve individuals in those settings-including bringing multi-sector actors together around a common vision, shaping policies and practices to enable student success, and leading continuous improvement routines for impact.
Duties and Responsibilities
The Associate Director's primary duties and responsibilities will include:
- Leading multiple, high-profile projects within a portfolio area simultaneously with guidance and support from ESG's Directors.
- Overseeing and managing the development and execution of project plans, timelines, and budgets to ensure the timely delivery of high-quality products to clients.
- Building and shepherding strong relationships with main points of contacts and associated leaders within projects to ensure that ESG strategies and work products are aligned with their needs and expectations
- Designing and deploying high-quality, technical assistance to a range of clients based on intended project outcomes, including policy research and analysis, analysis of labor market data as well as related indicators of student achievement, assessment of policy and programmatic strengths and gaps against best practices, development of strategic recommendations for improvement, and customized supports to enable quality implementation of those recommendations.
- Managing staff assigned to projects to ensure timelines and deliverables are met with quality.
- Organizing and supporting facilitation of national, state, district, and community-level convenings of partners to advance their efforts to strengthen the education-to-workforce pipeline.
- Collaborating with ESG's leadership team to support business development and meet firm-wide impact goals.
- Expanding the firm's visibility through presentations, written products, and partnerships.
- Serving as a thought partner to ESG's other portfolios of work and engaging in team problem solving across the firm to help design and execute projects that help more learners earn a high-value credential and find a job with a family-sustaining wage.
- Building and maintaining strong relationships with practitioners, policymakers, advocates, and philanthropy to expand ESG's opportunities and strengthen our reputation in the field.
- Performing other duties as assigned.
Qualifications
The ideal candidate will have:
Content Expertise
- Minimum of 7 years' professional experience in a national organization, state education agency, intermediary organization, postsecondary institution, and/or school district developing and leading work to improve students' postsecondary preparation, enrollment, completion, and transition into career.
- Knowledge of efforts to increase students' postsecondary readiness and transitions, scale high-quality career pathways, improve postsecondary attainment among youth and adults, and/or efforts to increase the economic mobility of individuals and catalyze economic success within and across communities.
- Understanding of the policy and programmatic processes that lead to strong local implementation.
- Experience designing and leading/facilitating strategy sessions and general technical assistance for policymakers and/or practitioners in K-12, higher education, and/or workforce.
- Experience designing and executing equity-driven solutions to ensure students of color, low-income students, and first-generation college students are successful in their paths to and through postsecondary education and training and into the workforce.
- A master's degree in public policy, education policy, or related fields, or an equivalent level of knowledge and experience.
Business & Strategy Development
- Experience developing and growing relationships with funders, partners, clients, and experts.
- Experience supporting strategic planning and/or business development processes.
- Strong peer networks and familiarity with state and national organizations that support and/or serve K-12, higher education, and/or workforce systems.
Project Management
- Excellent organizational skills and keen attention to detail, with demonstrated experience and ability to prioritize work and manage time on multiple projects and tasks to meet deadlines.
- Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively-candidates should be self-motivated and comfortable within a largely virtual working environment, and also enthusiastic team players open to feedback and collaboration.
- Well-rounded interpersonal skill set, with the presence and capacity to build relationships, work effectively in teams, and facilitate joint problem-solving with clients and within ESG.
- Curiosity, eagerness, and ability to develop new knowledge and skills.
- Ability to travel to support projects as needed and estimated to be up to 25% of time.
Talent Management
- Experience managing a small team and effectively delegating project responsibilities to them to maximize efficiency and enable staff growth.
Compensation and Benefits
- Competitive compensation commensurate with experience
- Comprehensive health insurance, flex spending, short/long-term disability, parental leave, and retirement plan
- Generous vacation and holidays
Location
ESG is a virtual organization with staff located in cities across the country and a home base in Washington, DC. Our flexible work environment enables our professionals to live and work in locations where they can be most productive-both professionally and personally.
How to Apply
Please submit your current resume and a cover letter discussing your experience pertinent to the position to edstrategy.bamboohr.com/jobs. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, with priority consideration to applications submitted byFebruary 29th. For more information about Education Strategy Group, visit www.edstrategy.org.
ESG is committed to creating a diverse environment and is proud to be an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, disability, age, or veteran status.