ABOUT THE ORGANIZATION AND THE OPPORTUNITY

The Education Trust (Ed Trust) seeks an Executive Director to lead the Ed Trust–New York (ETNY) office. The Executive Director will champion and steward the work of the ETNY team in service of Ed Trust’s mission: to close opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income families.  

The Executive Director sets the vision that inspires and motivates staff, funders, and partners to rally around our mission to remedy gaps in opportunity, access, and achievement for students of color and students from low-income families in New York. This position serves as a member of the organization-wide Senior Leadership Team and leads the multi-layered, mission-driven ETNY office of policy, research, communications, government affairs, and operations professionals. The Executive Director enhances ETNY’s presence in the state as a leading advocate for educational equity and justice, setting the organization’s policy agenda and serving as the primary spokesperson and fundraiser to advance our policy, research, and advocacy agenda. This role is ideal for a leader who thrives in a fast-paced environment and has the breadth and depth of knowledge and experiences to lead on and speak to a range of equity issues for New York students. 

Ed Trust is committed to advancing policies and practices to dismantle the racial and economic barriers embedded in the U.S. education system. Through our research and advocacy, Ed Trust improves equity in education from preschool through college, engages diverse communities dedicated to equity and justice, and increases political and public will to build an education system where all students will thrive.    

Available immediately, the Executive Director works primarily from a home office and travels frequently throughout the state of New York and New York City. Only candidates who reside in New York or New Jersey will be considered. The Executive Director reports to the Senior Vice President and supervises a mid-size team (e.g., 8-10 full time employees). 

ABOUT THE ROLE 

The responsibilities and objectives for this role include, but are not limited to, the following: 

• Lead a dynamic and healthy team, and ensure a culture of identifying and retaining diverse talent, coaching and developing employees, succession planning, and managing and assessing performance 
• Set and measure Ed Trust–New York’s strategic vision, long-term goals, and priorities, defining accountability metrics and tracking success  
• Identify processes and policies for the organization that need improvement to support a positive, healthy work environment 
• Monitor and evaluate professional development needs for the New York office; identify resources necessary to support continuous improvement and skill-building of New York staff 
• Cultivate and secure philanthropic, individual, and corporate investors to meet annual fundraising objectives and ensure long-term financial sustainability for the organization’s policy, research, and advocacy agenda 
• Serve as the chief spokesperson for Ed Trust–NY, maintaining a personal brand and profile that uplifts organizational priorities and strengthens relationships with media, policymakers, community leaders, educators, and funders (e.g., through board and task force membership) 
• Review and approve all external-facing reports and collateral that reflect Ed Trust’s commitment to being data-driven and rooted in facts 
• Set the organization’s policy agenda, including identifying new concepts to be pursued, and manage key government and agency relationships in service of the New York policy and advocacy priorities 
• Foster effective coordination and communication within the New York office and across Ed Trust’s National, Regional, and state offices to build mutual support for one another’s work and to align across teams and offices around organization-wide priorities 
• Approve and manage the New York office’s budget and resources in line with strategic priorities and grant commitments

IDEAL SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Shared belief in Ed Trust’s mission and a commitment to improving educational equity with a focus on racial equity 
• Dedication in contributing to and maintaining an equitable working environment 
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including public speaking and presenting 
• Strategic thinking skills that unify large groups with diverse perspectives 
• Strong relationship-building and collaboration skills with internal and external stakeholders 
• High emotional intelligence, professional maturity, and problem-solving skills 
• Willingness to provide constructive feedback to others; as well as to receive and act upon feedback  
• Ability to speak on and represent organizational interests across a myriad of education subjects and areas
• Ability to exercise decisiveness and sound judgement in a complex political environment 
• Ability to build and manage teams across lines of difference in a remote work context, tailoring supports based on staff member needs 

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and experience: 

• Bachelor’s degree required; an advanced degree in public policy, organizational development, nonprofit management, community development, or a related field is a plus 
• Extensive leadership experience, with a track-record of creatively building coalitions to advance organizational policy and advocacy goals 
• Extensive knowledge in the areas of early childhood and P-12 policy in the state of New York and in New York City, including experience setting policy agendas from an equity lens 
• Nuanced understanding of the advocacy landscape in the state of New York and New York City 
• Experience developing and operationalizing vision and strategy through collaborative and innovative executive-level leadership 
• Experience fundraising with private foundations  

COMPENSATION 

This position falls in Level I of our salary structure for our New York office. The new hire offer range for this position is anticipated to be between $176,990 and $221,240, and offers are rarely offered at the top of this range. Offers will be commensurate with skills and experience.

The Education Trust prioritizes the health and well-being of its employees and, to that end, offers a highly competitive benefits package. Medical, dental and vision insurance are covered at 100% for the employee, with significant coverage also offered for spouses, domestic partners, and dependents. We provide sick leave, vacation leave, and personal leave, and we follow the federal government for most holiday closures. To ensure staff have synchronous opportunities for rest and renewal, the office is closed for a week-long summer break and a week-long winter break. Among other offerings, we provide an Employee Assistance Program at no cost to the employee, and a generous 7% contribution opportunity on a 403(b)-retirement plan.