Reporter or Editor Managing Director of External Affairs, New York
Job Description
The Opportunity
Through our work, we provide an opportunity to help shift an inequitable educational system caused by systems of oppression. E4E has expanded to six chapters across the country since 2010 and is looking this year to deepen in impact and excellence. Therefore, we focus advancement on increasing excellence within roles so that each employee’s work directly impacts our mission and vision.
To further our mission of equity in education, our New York team is hiring a Managing Director of External Affairs (MDX). Reporting to the Executive Director of E4E-New York the Managing Director of External Affairs (MDX) will work with teachers to learn about and contribute actively to district and state policy discussions affecting their classrooms and careers, while leading the communications and partner outreach efforts. The MDX will lead E4E-New York’s Policy Team Program — groups of E4E current classroom teachers who study, produce a policy brief on, and inform advocacy around a policy issue. The MDX help teachers learn about and advocate for teacher-selected policy issues, and ensure that teachers’ voices are heard by key stakeholders. The MDX will oversee E4E-New York’s media relations, member communications and external partnerships, coordinating closely with the national E4E External Affairs team.
You will:
Membership and Stakeholder Communications:
- Prepare the strategic communications plan for E4E-New York, the narrative and encompassing advocacy campaigns
- In coordination with the national External Affairs team, communicate the latest relevant E4E-New York’s news and district and state education policy information to members and stakeholders through E4E’s blog, email, social media, and in conversations with members
- Coach staff members on articulating and facilitating conversations on current policy issues with teachers
- Engage teachers in articulating their feedback on education policy issues through social media, letters to the editor, op eds, blog posts and other appropriate media
Policy Formulation and Strategy:
- Collaborate with E4E-New York teachers to formulate organizational policy stances on current education issues and proposed district and state laws or policies in ways that elevate student outcomes and the teaching profession, in line with E4E’s Declaration of Teacher Principles and Beliefs
- Collaborate with the National Director of Communications to craft and execute messaging for policy stances as well as author and edit media stories for publication
- In partnership with the Local Leadership Team, devise chapter-wide advocacy plans in response to current policy issues; collaborate with the National Manager of Policy and MDXs in other E4E chapters on national educational policy issues and programming
- Lead E4E-New York’s Policy Teams by recruiting and selecting members; developing a curriculum to help teachers learn about and discuss an issue affecting their classrooms and careers; leading team meetings; helping teams prepare, write about, and publish their recommendations; and leading advocacy campaigns around their recommendations
Partnerships and Advocacy:
- Build relationships with local and state education policy organizations, advocacy organizations, and other key stakeholders on behalf of E4E-New York, identifying shared stances and strategic opportunities for E4E-New York to collaborate with other organizations
- Engage key lawmakers, staffers, lobbyists, and administrative district, state, and/or federal officials in the work and member voices of the E4E-New York chapter
- Plan and coordinate large E4E-New York policy events (such as panel discussions and guest speaker series), connecting teachers with key local and state policymakers
Media Relations:
- Keep informed about local, state and national education policy and political events
- In coordination with the Executive Director and the National Director of Communications, build relationships with local education reporters and bloggers; prepare press statements and media advisories for E4E-New York, as needed; and pitch local reporters.
You Have:
Required:
- A Bachelor’s degree and at least five years of professional experience
- Previous communications, education policy, education legislative, campaign/community organizing, and/or advocacy experience
- Prior experience managing communications campaigns, with experience envisioning and creating action plans to achieve desired policy outcomes
- Experience with media outreach and preparing press statements, op eds and letters to the editor
- Experience working within the education landscape
- Demonstrated high-quality writing skills and attention to detail
Preferred:
- Experience with writing advocacy and informational emails, social media posts (Twitter and Facebook) and blogs
- Experience with qualitative and quantitative research and data analysis
- An ability to help teachers discover and articulate links between individual classroom experiences and systemic issues
- An exceptional ability to cultivate and develop relationships and networks, especially around education issues
- Prior experience writing high-quality policy memoranda, white papers and recommendations
- Deep knowledge of education policy issues at the district and state levels in New York, and an exceptional ability to synthesize and communicate such issues to diverse stakeholders through conversations and in writing
- Demonstrated track record of leadership with results and the ability to influence others to achieve outcomes, including influencing and motivating teams
- A self-starter with an entrepreneurial spirit; one who can work independently to achieve goals after receiving broad direction
- Proven track record and ability to organize, plan and execute multiple streams of work, meet deadlines and maintain timely correspondence/follow up
- Microsoft Excel and database (e.g. SalesForce) experience preferred, but not required
Moreover, all E4E staff demonstrate our Core Values:
- Respect and Professionalism: We act with personal responsibility, respect, and commitment to high quality work, to our organization and to each other
- Solutions Orientation: We consistently approach even the most complex challenges with positivity, proactive solutions, and the assumption of best intentions
- Growth Mindset: We intentionally create opportunities to develop ourselves and others in order to learn and continuously improve
- Dynamic Leadership: We courageously take ownership, empower others, set bold visions, think strategically, and adapt to change
- Diversity and Inclusiveness: Educational inequity is linked to race, power, and privilege, and so we take action to shift this paradigm by reflecting on our own identities, creating an inclusive and diverse community, and leveraging our differences as strengths
