Research and Policy Senior Project Director, Education Center
Job Description
Job Title: Senior Project Director
Reports To: Director, Center Director for Education
FLSA Status: Exempt
Location: Combination of in-person and remote work, with geographic proximity to our office in Denver.
SUMMARY
Keystone Policy Center is seeking a Senior Project Director to provide support and strategic leadership for the Center for Education. This position is expected to encourage collaborative efforts, open dialogue across systems, and shared resources to collectively improve learning experiences for youth, support families, and empower educators toward a shared goal.
ABOUT KEYSTONE POLICY CENTER
Keystone Policy Center is a non-profit, non-advocacy organization that brings together crucial teams of stakeholders who have diverse individual perspectives but recognize a common need to address urgent issues with lasting solutions. For more than 45 years, Keystone has helped leaders move beyond fixed positions toward collaborative, action-oriented approaches to problem solving. Keystone has built a portfolio of substantive work in designing effective forums for stakeholders to address complex and often contentious issues throughout the United States and internationally in the areas of health, natural resources, agriculture, education, human rights, and Tribal and Indigenous engagement. We engage participants in producing actionable outcomes. In all our work, we maintain an unwavering commitment to our statement of independence.
Keystone’s Center for Education challenges entrenched assumptions in the education system through robust research, experienced practitioners, and by connecting families and students with education decision-makers. Keystone is a catalyst for effective and genuine engagement, providing all education stakeholders the opportunity to participate in the decisions and actions of the education system. Our team:
- Engages stakeholders and thought leaders on key P-20 education policy development.
- Builds capacity at the school and system level for effective collaborative dialogue.
- Structures and leads authentic family and district leadership engagement efforts.
- Gives communities an active voice in the discussions that have the most impact on them and their children.
- Explores best practices, innovations, and emerging approaches to improving early childhood and postsecondary and workforce readiness opportunities for all learners.
RESPONSIBILITIES AND ACTIVITIES
Please note that this description is not designed to cover nor contain a comprehensive listing of all activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the position. Specific duties and will vary by project.
Senior Project Director: A Senior Project Director will have the following responsibilities and can perform these activities with knowledge and experience of networks, issues, and processes; and with minimal supervision. This is a senior position is an experienced project lead, with recognized subject matter expertise, able to develop and manage projects of high complexity and conflict and sensitivity.
Project and program strategy and development
- Contribute to Center for Education strategy.
- Support project development efforts, including researching emergent issues, developing concept notes, and responding to RFPs.
- Contribute to project development, client and participant relations, and help ensure that projects are implemented effectively and within budget.
- Successfully maintain client partnerships and funder networks.
- Lead the facilitation and development of new work to support themselves and others at the organization.
- Contribute to building a positive team environment.
Project facilitation and design
- Facilitation of collaborative discussions involving diverse perspectives.
- Support Center Director and/or project directors on complex and/or contentious projects, for example by providing support facilitation for specific elements, groups or workstreams within these projects.
- Lead, facilitate and manage projects of moderate to high complexity with minimal strategic oversight from Center Director.
- Ideally, grow over time to independently develop and lead projects of increasing complexity.
- Adaptive project design and implementation for complex, multistakeholder, and multisystem efforts.
- Support design and management of task forces and advisory groups, coalitions, public/community meetings, and online comment periods.
- Design and conduct situation assessments, surveys, public comment periods, policy research, and stakeholder interviews.
- Support integration of technical/scientific and values-based/societal information and inputs within complex science/policy discussions.
Project documentation and communications
- Draft and edit project documents and communications such as agendas, work plans, surveys, participant communications.
- Draft and edit meeting summaries, consensus recommendations, and final reports; conduct analysis of and synthesize participant input.
- Interact and communicate professionally and in a third-party manner with participants and funders in written and verbal formats.
Project management and coordination
- Responsible for managing multiple, multi-person project teams while tracking project tasks, work plans, and team member activities.
- Work with clients to ensure a solid understanding of the client’s needs and adherence to contract terms and conditions.
- Oversee coordination of project logistics and communications.
QUALIFICATIONS
Candidates with diverse experiences and perspectives are encouraged to apply.
Senior Project Director will typically have at least 10 plus years of relevant experience demonstrating progressively increasing levels of responsibility, leadership, and performance in managing complex efforts; however, years of employment alone are not the only criteria for senior-level positions. To be considered for Senior Project Director, a candidate should demonstrate a robust combination of the following:
- Experience with policy analysis, planning, or management in relevant policy areas such as early childhood education; K-12 education, postsecondary and workforce, community-based non-profits, community resilience and transition; and/or equity, diversity, and inclusion in the aforementioned fields.
- Exceptional ability to manage multiple, complex projects with support and direction from Center Lead.
- Ability to independently design, direct, manage and facilitate projects of moderate complexity and conflict with minimal supervisory support and direction.
- Strategic understanding of complex issues at the project level. Skill at navigating technical and social dimensions of policy issues.
- Substantial third-party experience and competence in navigating diverse perspectives in complex and high conflict situations.
- Skill at building and maintaining collaborative relationships.
- Existing relationships with diverse stakeholder and decisionmaker networks.
- Effective internal project team management of tasks, timelines, and budgets, including ability to delegate both to project directors and to support staff.
- Ability to maintain participant, client, and funder relationships and to draft proposals in support of development of new work.
- Ability to synthesize complex and diverse information and perspectives.
- Excellent verbal and written communications skills.
- Independent, creative, critical thinker, able to identify and resolve problems effectively and adaptively.
- Objectivity and openness to other’s views, with the ability to exercise excellent diplomacy and judgement especially in highly sensitive situations.
- Skill at managing multiple workstreams at once with excellent organizational skills combining big picture awareness, attention to detail, and ability to work effectively in executing tasks within a larger team setting.
- Can contribute to a positive and inclusive team environment.
- Ability to work effectively in remote, hybrid and in-person environments.
- Multilingual skills, qualitative analysis skills (survey analysis, coding, etc.), communications experience, teaching experience, and/or website management skills a plus.
TRAVEL
This position may require 25-30% travel throughout the year, depending on office location.
PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND ADA SPECIFICATIONS
This is a largely sedentary position with minimal physical requirements. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS
The salary range for the Senior Project Director Position is $95,000 to $125,000. Salary depends on relevant experience and new staff rarely start at the top of the range. Keystone Policy Center offers a full suite of benefits including generous sick and vacation leave, as well as health and dental benefits, and a 401k matching program.
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT
The Keystone Policy Center and Engage are equal opportunity employers. The Keystone Policy Center and Engage prohibit discrimination based on race, color, creed, religion, sex, pregnancy,v eteran status, marital status, age, national origin or ancestry, citizenship, physical or mental disability, sickle cell trait, genetic information, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, and any other consideration made unlawful by applicable federal, state, or local laws.
EQUITY, DIVERSITY, AND INCLUSION
Keystone Policy Center is committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and provides equal opportunity for employment and advancement throughout our Keystone Policy Center. We respect and value diverse life experiences and heritages and ensure that all voices are valued and heard. Diversity, inclusion, and equity are connected to our mission and critical to ensure the well-being of our staff and the groups we serve.
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act (ADAAA)
The Keystone Policy Center and Engage are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to qualified individuals with disabilities, which includes providing reasonable accommodations where appropriate.
How to Apply
Please submit your application to Sue Wilcox at swilcox@keystone.org by August 21, 2024. Cover Letter- Resume
- Writing Sample – Please provide a sample of your writing within the past 12 months that is related to one of Keystone’s program areas.
- References – Please provide at least two references from current or former employers, faculty members at degree granting institution(s), or others who can speak to your professional qualifications for this position. Keystone will not accept personal references.
