Research and Policy Director of Public Policy and Partnerships (Bard Early Colleges, DC or NY)
Job Description
Full Job Title: Director of Public Policy and Partnerships (Bard Early Colleges, DC or NY)
Position Overview:
The Director of Public Policy and Partnerships is a full-time, exempt position of the Bard Early Colleges (BEC). The successful candidate will excel at working in a community that is broadly diverse with regard to race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, gender, nationality, sexual orientation and religion.
The Director of Public Policy and Partnerships is charged with leading BEC’s policy and advocacy work at the state and federal levels, including direct support for Bard Early College campuses and work to help establish, support, sustain, and scale early college high schools and other dual enrollment programs with a focus on quality and equity. Bard views early college as a secondary and postsecondary system reform to smooth the transition between high school and college. The Senior Director of Public Policy and Partnerships will advocate for policies to ensure that more high school students, especially students from low-income and historically underrepresented backgrounds, graduate prepared to complete postsecondary education.
In addition, the position will be involved with managing and expanding partnerships with government agencies at the state and local levels. This opportunity comes at a critical and exciting time for Bard Early College: the organization is entering its 20th year, celebrating the successful launch of new schools and initiatives, and helping to lead a national conversation on rethinking college access in the public sphere. The Director of Public Policy and Partnerships will report to the Executive Director of Bard Early College and will manage a team of one full-time and one part-time staff member as well as consultants.
About the Bard Early Colleges:
The Bard Early Colleges (BEC) are founded on the belief that, for many young people, college can and should start at an earlier age. Bard Early College’s simple idea – to begin serious college study in place of the traditional 11th and 12th grades, at no cost to students or families – has had an extraordinary impact on young people and on education innovation and equity in America.
The Bard Early Colleges offer a truly unique home for young people’s intellectual ambition: as both tuition-free, branch campuses of Bard College and public high schools, they award a high school diploma and a Bard College Associate in Arts degree (and 60 transferable credits) by the end of the 12th grade. Students are taught by college faculty in undergraduate, seminar classes, all deeply rooted in the liberal arts and sciences, in Bard College’s commitment to excellence in teaching, and in Bard’s mission as a private college in the public interest.
Now entering its third decade, the Bard Early College network enrolls over 3,000 young people in campuses in NYC; Newark, New Jersey; New Orleans, Louisiana; Cleveland, Ohio; Baltimore, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; and Hudson, New York. Those eight campuses are supported by a central leadership team, which is a division of Bard College.
Bard invites applications for a creative, proactive, and mission-driven individual who will join that team as Director of Public Policy and Partnerships.
Position Roles & Responsibilities:
- Lead annual policy and advocacy efforts at the state level in each state with a BEC campus (NY, NJ, MD, DC, OH, LA) to secure funding (at or above current levels) and supportive policies for those campuses, and strengthen relationships with state agencies and representatives in those locations.
- Develop and shepherd policy ideas to strengthen the field of early college education at the state and local levels, in coalition with partner organizations
- Oversee BEC’s federal policy work, including developing BEC’s legislative and policy agenda and serving as Bard College’s liaison to the College in High School Alliance
- Strengthen Bard College’s position as a leading voice in early college policy, build relationships with national education policy leaders, and provide thought leadership to the field
- Maintain and deepen partnerships with state agencies and school systems to expand access to high-quality early college programming.
Qualifications:
The Director of Public Policy and Partnerships should be, above all, passionate about improving public education for young people and committed to educational opportunity, equity, and excellence. Successful candidates will have a background in public policy analysis and development, with experience at the state and/or federal level, and strong relationship building and communication skills that will allow them to effectively advocate and build support for BEC and early college education.
The successful candidate for the position will possess the following qualifications:
- Master’s degree and 5+ years of professional experience in a policy role preferred
- Strong interpersonal skills, including relationship building and meeting facilitation
- Strong communication and writing skills
- Responsive and reliable, with strong project management and time management skills
- Demonstrated ability to work successfully in multi-faceted, team-oriented environment, as well as the ability to work proactively and independently
- Proven ability to advance an initiative or cause
- Close attention to detail and accuracy
Compensation:
While salary will be commensurate with experience, the expected range is between $90,000 and $110,000.
Location:
Flexible, with a preference for Washington, D.C. or NYC
Expected start Date: November / December / January 2021-2022
Travel:
We anticipate that travel will constitute around 30-40% of time, health conditions permitting
Questions
For questions about the position, please send your inquiries to earlycollege@bard.edu
Equal Employment Opportunity Statement
Bard College is an equal opportunity employer and we welcome applications from those who contribute to our diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, mental, or physical disability, age, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, familial status, veteran status, or genetic information.
Bard is committed to providing access, equal opportunity, and reasonable accommodation for all individuals in employment practices, services, programs, and activities. (AA/EOE)
