Manager, Strategic Initiatives

Closed for Review

Deadline: Nov 9th

Overview

Catalyst:Ed is looking for an exceptional leader to join our team as Manager, Strategic Initiatives. In this role, you will assist with the day-to-day execution of projects related to connecting and supporting organizations who leverage support through Catalyst:Ed, as well as analyzing and synthesizing lessons from those interactions into interesting and digestible artifacts for the field. You will also assist in the delivery of other strategic initiatives and work with leaders across the Catalyst:Ed team to build a strong foundation for us to sustain and grow our impact.

The Strategic Initiatives team leads several content-focused efforts, such as:

    • We manage an Exchange for grantees in the Gates Foundation’s Networks for School Improvement portfolio. Through this work, we support districts and organizations who are leading networked improvement communities with capacity assessments, project matching services, and thought leadership from our unique viewpoint of working across all of the grantees.
    • We support the Gates Foundation’s Postsecondary Intermediaries for Scale grantees with both an Exchange and backbone support for their community of practice. This means we regularly convene an advisory group, several working groups, periodic topic-focused conversations for all community members, and more. Additionally we help the IFS develop action plans for their own capability-building efforts and provide project matching services. We also coordinate and convene a network of support partners.

Additionally, our work grows in new ways every year and these content areas of focus are likely to expand significantly in the coming years.

This position reports to Catalyst:Ed’s Partner for Strategic Initiatives.

Who We Are

Catalyst:Ed is an innovative and rapidly growing national nonprofit that is unlocking the collective expertise in the sector to help education leaders innovate, excel, and scale.

    • Activate: We identify and activate expert technical assistance providers, building and nurturing diverse networks of expert talent that education leaders can tap into.
    • Connect: We leverage networks, know-how and technology to connect education leaders with the right expert support.
    • Catalyze: We design, develop, and manage Expert Hubs in high-need, high-impact areas (see our DEI Expert Hub)
    • Inform: We capture, synthesize, and disseminate critical information to deepen sector knowledge, while fostering greater accountability and a focus on results.

Our team is purpose-driven, innovative and inclusive, with a non-hierarchical and supportive culture where all team members have the opportunity to grow and contribute. Founded and led by a woman of color, Catalyst:Ed is committed to being a space where diversity is valued and all team members are able to bring their full, authentic selves to work.

What You’ll Accomplish in This Role:

In this role, you will:

    • Project-manage working groups, convening session development teams, webinar series, or other content-related learning activities that we provide to organizations working with one of our Exchanges. This includes executing on the vision for the working group by collaborating with group leaders to set agendas and provide high-quality follow-up after meetings, developing draft facilitation guides for group leaders, sourcing helpful resources, asking questions to push group leaders’ thinking toward impact, and collaborating with SI team members to ensure the work is meeting the vision and goals for the working group.
    • Project-manage the Strategic Initiatives team’s research and knowledge codification efforts in partnership with Catalyst:Ed’s Organizational Learning team. This includes:
        • Developing memos, blog posts, or other papers that synthesize lessons and insights gained through our work supporting organizations capacity-building efforts;
        • Conducting small research and analytics projects that help to streamline and bring efficiencies to our core activities of advising organizations on their capacity-building journeys and developing project scopes;
        • Analyzing data from surveys, quarterly check-ins, and/or interviews with organizations and experts to provide guidance and insight into our work internally and externally;
        • Providing research and program development support for new partnerships and initiatives.
    • Be a strong and collaborative team member to help us continue to innovate and grow our organization
        • Identify and take action to create synergies across the K12 and Postsecondary arms of the Strategic Initiatives team, as well as with the broader Catalyst:Ed organization.
        • Work with the team to solve day-to-day concerns, innovate solutions and design improvements.
        • Support the leadership team in creating a vibrant and inclusive team culture, and developing the systems and processes needed to support the work.

Who We’re Looking For:

We urge you to apply if this mostly describes you:

    • Strong communication skills: You communicate effectively and write with clarity.
    • Operational excellence: You’re able to strategize, plan, and get things done. You have experience leading complex projects with multiple work-streams and tight deadlines. You demonstrate attention to detail and consistent follow-through.
    • Analytic capacity: You value data and information and are able to interrogate that information based on sector knowledge, hypotheses about our work, and field-facing impact to drive insights and clear, useful lessons.
    • Equity lens: You bring in diverse viewpoints and constantly question how tools, methods, and conclusions may look different based on lived experiences. You highlight diverse voices and knowledge at all turns.
    • Service orientation: You seek ways to be helpful and add value to others and know how to build strong relationships. You have experience working with external partners or clients and can quickly establish trust.
    • Self-confident integrity: You are grounded in your values and are able to influence others without relying on hierarchy or positional authority.
    • Ownership: You’re a highly motivated self-starter and have proven experience bringing projects from concept to completion, persevering in the face of challenges and doing everything possible to ensure project success.
    • Education and experience: 5-9 years of relevant experience including a mix of program coordination, research/writing/program evaluation, and/or client-facing experience in a consulting role, ideally within the education, philanthropy, or nonprofit sector.

Good to Know

    • Location: Catalyst:Ed works nationally, with an office in New Orleans. The Manager can work from a location of their choosing. Occasional travel will be required when/if travel becomes a “thing” again in the post-Covid world.
    • Compensation: This is a full time, salaried position with benefits. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Salary range: $71,000-$83,000.
    • Start date: Ideally November/December 2020 (some flexibility for the right candidates)

How to apply
Please complete the form below. We will review applications on a rolling basis shortly after they are received.

Catalyst:Ed has a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply, particularly folks who identify as people of color, first generation, low income or LGBTQ.