Director, Strategic Initiatives - Strategy and Innovation

Title: Director, Strategic Initiatives - Strategy & Innovation

Location: Alliance Home

Full time

job requisition id: JR100829

 Job Description:

ABOUT ALLIANCE COLLEGE-READY PUBLIC SCHOOLS

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is one of the largest and most successful nonprofit public charter school networks in the nation, operating 26 high-performing, middle and high schools that educate nearly 13,000 scholars who make up the heart of Los Angeles' Latinx, Black, and recent immigrant communities. Alliance schools have been recognized as among the best in the nation byU.S. News & World Report,Newsweek, the U.S. Department of Education, and the California Department of Education. Since opening our first school in 2004, 95% of Alliance scholars have graduated from high school. We strive to uplift our scholars and their communities by fostering unparalleled educational opportunities that encourage scholarly thought, resilient learning, powerful communication, mind-body wellness, and community advocacy.

The Director, Strategic Initiatives on the Strategy and Innovation team reports directly to the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer and helps to translate strategy into action, focusing on long-term innovation; communication, marketing, public affairs, and stakeholder engagement. The Director works closely with the Strategy and Innovation Leadership Team and Alliance's Executive Cabinet, and is responsible for providing project management for cross-functional initiatives across the network. The ideal candidate for this position will have the ability to manage myriad stakeholder relationships and an aptitude for identifying and addressing needs.

ESSENTIAL RESPONSIBILITIES

Project Management

• Work alongside the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer to streamline and synchronize the day-to-day operations of the division that make up long-term strategy, pilots, communication, marketing, and advocacy by providing project management, logistics, and progress monitoring support.

• Manage strategic monitoring, tracking, and support of the Strategy and Innovation team's operating plan and preparation for Strategy Leadership Team meetings, as well as Strategy and Innovation Division meetings; improve and iterate on the monitoring and tracking system as necessary; develop and facilitate meeting agendas; and manage follow-up to key actions and decisions.

• Oversee the project management function of the Strategy and Innovation Team, managing cross-functional initiatives (e.g., KPI stepbacks, editorial calendars, process-mapping for cross-departmental communication challenges), especially those requiring rapid-response or resolution (e.g., manage across teams to meet external and internal deadlines from key stakeholders), develop project plans, and conduct data analyses.

Leadership and Advising

• Serve as a strategic advisor to the Chief Strategy and Innovation Officer on cross-departmental projects, opportunities for cross-collaboration, process improvement, and problem-solving.

• Prepare for Strategy Leadership Team meetings that support a strong team culture, an awareness of the Division's work, cross-functional collaboration, and monitor progress against the Division's goals.

• Provide relevant and constructive recommendations to senior leaders, colleagues, and school sites on "best in class" strategy and communication practices in alignment with our network goals.

• Drive and support network-wide initiatives that require change management.

• Manage the Associate, Strategy and Innovation and ensure coaching and development.

• Perform other duties as assigned.

THE IDEAL CANDIDATES WILL HAVE

• Commitment to Alliance's core beliefs and mission.

• Knowledge of urban school systems, school environments, and school culture.

• Exceptional project management skills and experience in a context of competing priorities with limited resources and infrastructure, with the ability to efficiently manage multiple projects and deadlines, work across departments and functions, and translate strategies from plans to action.

• Proven track record of effective leadership and ability to navigate complex issues and drive strong performance results.

• Preferred experience with marketing systems and tools.

• Ability to work effectively in a multi-layered organization and build strong relationships with a variety of Home Office and school-based colleagues, as well as external stakeholders.

• Strong strategic thinking skills with an understanding of the impact that different approaches have on organizational culture and performance.

• Strong conceptual, analytic, and organizational/systems thinking necessary to interpret data, develop strategy, and lead implementation/execution.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to convey information to a variety of audiences (e.g., large groups, staff meetings, executive briefings, public board meetings, memos, etc.).

• Fluency with Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and other office and project management software.

• Willingness to go above and beyond to contribute to the success of a dynamic team committed to a new future for urban education.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

• At least four (4) years of progressive professional work experience in a related field, and a Bachelor's degree or higher from an accredited college or university in education, public administration or policy, or a related field.

OR

• At least 6 years of progressive professional work experience in a related field, and a high school diploma or equivalent (e.g., GED).

WORK LOCATION

This position is a hybrid role which will include a combination of working from home, our network office, and travel to school sites. The successful candidate will be given a $400 work-from-home set-up allowance and receive a monthly stipend of $100.

BENEFITS

In alignment with our commitment to equity for our scholars, Alliance is committed to equity and transparency for our team and offers competitive salaries commensurate with experience as well as generous retirement and health benefits. This position is exempt.

• Relocation: Individuals residing outside of the Greater Los Angeles area are eligible for a relocation bonus of $5,000 for individuals and $7,500 for new staff with families/partners.

• Health Insurance: Medical, dental, and vision plan options that are covered at 100% of monthly premiums for individual employees and at least $1,000 per month towards medical family plan premiums. Please click HERE for more information on health insurance.

• Retirement:Alliance Home Office employees are eligible for a retirement allowance equal to 7.5% of their regular yearly earnings. Please click HERE for more information on retirement.

• Paid Leave: Regular full-time 12-month employees receive 8.5 weeks of vacation and paid time off. Additionally, full-time employees accrue 3 weeks of flexible paid time off per year and receive 27 other paid holidays as part of our network calendar.

• Professional Development: At Alliance, we believe in supporting staff growth and development. Home Office staff are allocated $500 per year for professional development expenses.

COMPENSATION

$100,000.00 - $140,500.00

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Alliance College-Ready Public Schools is dedicated to fostering an inclusive, anti-racist, pro-Black community that celebrates diversity, equity, and the unique identities of all scholars and staff. Nearly two-thirds of our teachers and administrators identify as people of color, reinforcing our commitment to representation and the power of diverse role models. We recognize the richness of the cultures and communities we serve, and we believe that embracing and empowering these identities is essential to the success and pride of our scholars. Working at Alliance means joining a movement to drive transformative change, nurture resilience, and build lifelong, meaningful connections with scholars and their communities.

Champion Alliance's Anti-Racist, Pro-Black Mission: The strongest candidates will bring a commitment to Alliance's mission of building an anti-racist, pro-Black community that prioritizes the success and well-being of Black and Brown scholars. Candidates should have a passion for promoting equity through anti-racist, student-centered teaching practices that celebrate racial and cultural identities. This role is rooted in service to systemically underserved communities in Los Angeles, helping scholars graduate "college-ready" with pride in who they are.