Job Description

Executive Director Position
The Executive Director has the responsibility for the organization’s consistent achievement of its mission. In order to fulfill that responsibility, it is expected that the successful candidate for this position will have the competencies to be successful in four areas of concentration.

• Effectively advocating to assure that legislation and administrative policies provide accountability, transparency, and equitable treatment and funding for all forms of K-12 public education
• Driving to establish high standards of performance and consistently strong and fair authorizers for all charter schools
• Providing support to help member schools improve, with the goal of having every charter school in Pennsylvania become a high-performing public school relative to the mission for which the charter school was created
• Creating a strong and sustained financial base for the organization.

Desired Competencies, Experience, and Education

• The maturity, confidence, composure, and presence to effectively build relationships and promote policies and standards with legislators, legislative staffs, members of the Governor’s office, the Department of Education, peers in other states, and the print and electronic media
• Knowledge of the issues and challenges facing education reform and school choice, the national charter landscape, and K-12 education
• A high level of integrity and the ability and tact to work effectively with persons across the entire political spectrum, and the entire public charter sector
• Superb listening and oral and written communication skills, including the ability to tailor and convey ideas and positions as a spokesperson for charter schools to a wide range of constituent groups through position papers, press releases, print and electronic media interviews, testimonies, and social media
• The ability and integrity to promote an equity strategy to ensure racial and gender equity in education, often afforded through charter school enrollment, as well as working with experts and other relevant organizations to help execute this goal and ensure stakeholders view PCPCS as an effective and inclusive advocacy organization
• The skills to develop, maintain, and support a strong Board of Trustees and facilitate Board and Leaders Council involvement in PCPCS actions
• The ability to work with the Board to obtain a strong and continuing financial base for the organization. This includes demonstrated skills in working with individuals and foundations to raise funds, including writing and organizing grant proposals, and business development skills in working with charter schools to ensure relevance, growth, and sustainability of the organization
• Demonstrated skill to develop and implement sound financial practices and ensure good fiscal and fiduciary responsibility, stewardship, and accountability
• An entrepreneurial spirit, including the abilities to initiate actions, seek appropriate and timely guidance, and achieve amazing results with limited resources; this includes being proactive relative to the aspirations of the organization as well as reactive to its immediate needs
• The ability to work with charter school leaders to provide the type of experiences and training needed to improve the operation and performance of their schools and ensure ongoing programmatic excellence
• Legislative, advocacy, and legal experience combined with political savvy to understand the legislative, legal, and philosophical complexity of the charter school movement and its opposition
• The ability to react rapidly to continually changing legislative, legal, and media needs
• The ability to ensure compliance with all applicable federal, state, and local laws and regulations
• At least 3 years of leading and managing organizations during periods of political uncertainty
• Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree preferred; degrees in education a plus

http://pacharters.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/PCPCS-ED_Position-Description_2020_final2.pdf

How to Apply

The review of applications will begin immediately and continue on a rolling basis until the position is filled. However, for best consideration, applications should be submitted electronically by Monday, August 10, 2020. Applicants should include a cover letter introducing you to the Board of Trustees, explaining your interest in, and qualifications for, the position, and addressing what you see as the strategic priorities of the organization, along with a resume (max. 3 pages) and a list of three or more references who can offer insight into your abilities through their professional interactions with you. Upon initial review of those documents, the Search Committee will then ask preferred candidates to submit a document outlining his or her proposed strategy and communications priorities (more details to follow at that time). After reviewing those submissions, the Committee will conduct one or more rounds of interviews. All documents should be sent to PCPCS at pachartersed@gmail.com. PCPCS will require appropriate and valid background checks and clearances from all finalists for this position, and the hiring decision will be contingent on the results of those checks and clearances. The Pennsylvania Coalition of Public Charter Schools is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a pool of candidates that is diverse in every way.

Bureaus: Philadelphia. Job Categories: Full-Time. Job Types: Research and Policy.