Principal and Senior Director of Growth and Strategic Engagement

ORGANIZATION:

Education First is a mission-driven education policy consultancy dedicated to ensuring that all students - and particularly students in poverty and students of color - are prepared for success in college, careers and life. We work with organizations that are shaping the future of education across the nation, including school networks and districts, state departments of education, policy and advocacy organizations, youth empowerment organizations, talent organizations and foundations.

We help these system leaders catalyze change through our services:

• Conduct research and analysis on policies and provide contextual recommendations and strategic support to translate findings into concrete, sustainable action

• Develop and implement visionary, coherent strategies and strategic plans by prioritizing inclusive voices, focusing on the right problems, and providing space to explore

• Plan and facilitate meaningful convenings for organizations and individuals to learn, problem solve, collaborate, and advance their work

• Design actionable and equitable solutions that meet client needs, achieve program goals, and implement initiatives with clarity and quality

• Support grant makers, funders, and foundations to develop thoughtful, high-impact investment strategies that align with their goals, interests, and resources

We are a team of more than 60 former teachers, district and state education leaders, policy advisors, and grant makers who live and work virtually in more than 20 states and DC. Because of our experience, we approach the challenges our clients face with humility, realistic solutions, and a commitment to follow-through. Our culture is built on genuine care for our clients and for each other. We celebrate original thinking, collaboration, entrepreneurialism, authenticity and fun.

To learn more, please visit: https://education-first.com/.

Education First's Equity Commitment

We recognize that in order to pursue our organizational mission at Education First, we must approach our work by studying gaps and inequities, asking tough questions about structural racism and more deliberately engaging diverse voices in problem-solving. We've been building our own skills to deliver solutions that center racial equity, with particular attention to equitable ways of thinking and working, and we are committed to helping our clients do the same in projects that have a goal of increasing equity at their core.

We believe:

• Black lives matter. We are collectively responsible to amplify and support Black students, families and leaders.

• People are experts in their own experience. We cannot effectively support our clients to problem solve and innovate without centering the people they aim to serve.

• Racism and inequity were designed, and can be redesigned. People make up the systems, policies and processes that govern our experience, and we must support our clients to explore their role in reimagining what could be possible.

Within Education First, we have committed to building a Race Equity Culture-creating the conditions to adopt antiracist mindsets and actions. To live into this commitment:

• As individuals, Ed Firsters are engaged in Race, Equity, Inclusion and Diversity (RIDE)-centered professional learning that supports team member learning, unlearning, reflection and action.

• As leaders of the organization, all Education First Partners and Chiefs have identified areas of growth and are engaged in active development of their personal RIDE beliefs and behaviors.

• As an organization, we continue to examine and refine the design of our initiatives, policies and practices that translate to our workplace experiences so that we can continuously improve the lived experiences of all Ed First team members.

• As an organization, we are partnering with clients to center the communities they seek to serve throughout our engagements.

Additional opportunities for Ed First team members to learn, problem-solve and support one another include:

• Black Staff Advisory Council: The Council serves as the regular point of contact for Black team members and Partners and Chiefs to discuss updates and progress on key initiatives aimed at addressing Black team member interests.

• Affinity groups: Team members have the option to engage in affinity-based spaces based on their identities, needs and interests.

• Community Advisory Group: This work group is designed to elevate the voices, perspectives and lived experiences of BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ staff to inform Ed First practices, policies and processes.

We will continue to revisit our goal and prioritized actions, as the work of combatting and dismantling systemic racism in education is a journey, not a destination.

ABOUT THE POSITION:

A newly created role, the Senior Director, Business Development and Analytics will play a critical role in driving and supporting Education First's business strategy and growth, overseeing market analysis, communications, system design and implementation, and business development. The Senior Director will also play a key role bridging the finance, communications, consulting, and analytics teams. Equally as important, the Senior Director will ensure that Education First's racial inclusion, diversity, and equity (RIDE) goals, strategies, and practices are fully embedded in all analysis and external communications.

Managing a direct team of three and overall team of five, the Senior Director, Business Development and Analytics will report to the Chief Finance and Revenue Officer and collaborate with members of the People and Equity, and Operations teams, as well as organization leadership.

Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Strategic Team Leadership

• Collaborate across teams to inform strategy and vision at the highest level of Education First, designing and implementing innovative systems to drive impact and grow sales

• Serve as a model and culture carrier, designing and operationalizing inclusive ways of leading and achieving goals

• Lead and manage the revenue and analytics team, providing ongoing feedback and supporting staff and peers to change behaviors

• Work closely with the Chief Finance and Revenue Officer to manage a team that supports strategic planning across a diverse set of business objectives, establishing timelines and working to execute projects across multiple teams

• Proactively build an inclusive and equitable culture, continuing to hire and retain a diverse team at all levels

• Manage key organizational functions, including communications/marketing, pricing, staffing and sales, and supporting collaboration across a matrixed organization

• Manage the Director of Communications, with an eye toward ensuring branding and communications support business development goals and opportunities

• In partnership with the Director, Staffing and People Analytics, ensure staffing strategy and staffing decisions support business objectives, achievement of utilization targets and key utilization KPIs, and ongoing professional development

Integrated Business Model and System Development

• Lead the development of sophisticated business models across functions, ensuring sustainability and cohesion

• Co-lead the conceptualization, design, and implementation of a sales system infrastructure, including a suite of revenue reports, dashboards, and tools that meet the data needs of the Education First team

• Generate actionable insights for organization leadership and communicate those insights on an ongoing basis to support organizational leaders in developing business strategy and sales leaders in progress toward annual goals

• Define and implement key business metrics for sales and profitability and create ongoing reporting to track progress toward customer success and impact

• In partnership with the Senior Manager, Pricing Strategy, assess the national market for consultative support in the education sector to set and direct pricing strategy, considering potential demand, competitors, market segmentation and business models

• Serve as a thought partner and key advisor to sales leaders in developing and executing successful client cultivation and profitable proposals

• Develop and refine models that can be used for forecasting and decision making; support staff to develop an understanding of these tools and ability to use them

• Determine opportunities for efficiency and process improvement, and lead the change management associated with implementing these improvements

CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum of seven years working in strategic analysis, with experience managing teams in the development and execution of relevant projects

• Demonstrated commitment to racial equity and inclusion, with the ability to serve as an exemplar for Education First's RIDE objectives

• Track record of setting and implementing strategy to move a business line to greater results

• Proven success coaching and mentoring others, effectively working with teams in a geographically dispersed context so that they meet goals and grow professionally, serving as a coach and mentor to staff in a range of functional areas

• Track record of successfully conducting quantitative and qualitative analysis that leads to improvement in business performance and strategic decision-making

• Experience developing complex financial models, with a solid understanding of sales and revenue strategies and drivers

• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to effectively communicate research and analysis findings to a range of non-research audiences

• Exceptional project management skills, with the ability to manage across multiple, complex projects with a variety of senior stakeholders

• Experience managing a team and an assets-based approach to management

• Exceptional interpersonal skills, with the ability to develop and manage strong relationships across a diverse spectrum of senior stakeholders

• Customer-service orientation, with a commitment to meeting the needs of a diverse range of stakeholders and end-users

• Commitment to Education First's mission, vision, and core values: Achieve Excellence, Advance Racial Equity, Center People, Embrace Growth, Follow Through Together

LOCATION:

All positions are 100% remote and employees can live anywhere in the United States. You should be able to travel for in-person client meetings as needed (roughly 30-40% of the time) once it is safe to do so from a public health perspective.

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS:

Education First offers a market-based competitive salary, comprehensive benefits package (including PPO medical/dental/vision/life insurance), four weeks of paid time off, 11 paid national holidays, paid leave (disability/parental), teleworking subsidy, matching 401(k) plan, work-life flexibility and professional development opportunities.

The salary range for this position is $140,000 - $200,000 (with 20% of the offer supplemented by local market trends if that market is higher than the national market). We typically set initial starting salaries between the minimum and the 25th percentile of the pay range ($140,000 - $154,000) to ensure there is room for growth over time. Exceptions can be made for significantly more-experienced hires (e.g., if the position requires a minimum of 10 years of relevant experience, and the selected finalist has more than 18 years of relevant experience, or if the specialized skills demanded for the role and the market analysis recommend a higher starting salary).