Senior Director, External Affairs - Newark - Uncommon Schools

Uncommon Schools is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 52 schools serving more than 20,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond.

TEAM & ROLE OVERVIEW

The Regional Senior Director will play a critical role in managing all external- and community-facing work for their specific region, as our schools serve communities in multiple cities that each have different landscapes and needs. The Regional Senior Director will work to advance Uncommon’s reputation and influence as a leading charter management organization in the region. The Regional Senior Director will build support for our schools by leveraging a deep understanding of the community and ensuring that Uncommon Schools is working as effectively as possible with and building strong relationships with key external stakeholders in the community. The Regional Senior Director will work closely with the Head of Operations, who oversees school operations for the region, and the central External Affairs team at Uncommon’s Home Office, as well as other school, regional and Home Office leaders within Uncommon. The Regional Senior Director will report to the Senior Director of External Affairs on the Uncommon Home Office Leadership Team, and will oversee an External Affairs team, with size determined by the needs of the region.  

RESPONSIBILITIES

We are seeking a mission-aligned, high-energy, detail-oriented, people-driven and community-embedded leader who will create and execute on the strategic plan for external affairs in the region, and build deep and lasting relationships with school, regional, and external community members and stakeholders (e.g., parent leaders, community leaders, elected officials, school Board of Trustees, charter authorizers, other charter leaders).  Key responsibilities include, but are not limited to:

Management of External Affairs & Stakeholders

• Regional advocacy and government affairs

  • Plan and execute elected official engagement strategy, including managing high-level key relationships, supporting the team to plan for and execute on initiatives and strengthening relationships with elected officials (e.g., school visits, community projects, meetings)
  • Overseeing creation and execution of a parent advocacy strategy and successful coalition-building to support Uncommon Schools and education reform interests, and manage and implement Uncommon advocacy initiatives within the regional context (e.g., Get Out the Vote campaigns, voter registration, parent advocacy & organizing, etc.) 

• Board management

  • Serve as the key owner and liaison for the regional Board of Trustees, including long-term relationship management and facilitation of all board meetings and sub-committee meetings

• Other high-level external relationships

  • Partner with the central Uncommon External Affairs team on Uncommon Impact work related to supporting our district partnerships 
  • Build, implement, and manage a system for school tours/visits by external stakeholders
  • Plan for and support all other high-stakes relationships in the region (e.g., district leaders, fellow charter sector leaders, local coalition leaders, etc.)

Strategic Planning & Execution

• Partner with regional and Home Office leaders to create and implement a robust external strategy for the region
• Manage and drive strategy for all charter and governance compliance, including managing authorizer relationships, managing the charter application and renewal processes and ensuring adherence to all relevant governance policies and procedures;
• Determine and drive strategy for core initiatives/relationships in the region, including but not limited to: relationship with local school district(s) and implementation of district/city policies; supporting student recruitment

Collaboration & Team Management

• Work seamlessly with the Head of Operations and other regional leaders, especially around projects involving school implementation and Board of Trustees management
• Work closely with External Affairs, Enrollment, Development, and Media/Marketing teams and leverage organizational resources for the region
• Serve as an exceptional role model as a leader and manager, investing deeply in supporting and developing team members and growing their capacity to learn, contribute and engage in the work of the team and organization
• Establish team and individual staff goals that contribute to organizational objectives

Preferred

• 6-8 years of substantive work experience with increasing responsibility in external affairs in a non-profit and/or educational setting.
• Ability to create effective strategic plans and project manage to execute on that strategy.
• Excellent relationship- and coalition-building skills and ability to move and communicate seamlessly and effectively among and between varied audiences (e.g. board members, school/regional leaders, elected officials, school district leaders, Uncommon parents, etc.).
• Demonstrated experience in navigating and leveraging high-stakes relationships and negotiations.
• Experience and background in the community, professionally or personally
• Ability to serve as an effective ambassador for Uncommon Schools 
• Ability to thrive in a fast-paced, high-change organization; flexible; able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed.
• Excellent organization, time management, and follow-up skills; ability to prioritize and demonstrate an appropriate sense of urgency.
• Ability to navigate within ambiguity and successfully drive decisions given current context and desired outcomes

Minimum

• Strong commitment to the organizational mission.
• Bachelor’s degree required

Our people are what make us uncommon. It’s important to us that our compensation practices align with our values and enhance our ability to attract and retain talent.  Our compensation philosophy is focused on equity and fairness, retaining our talented staff and valuing their expertise, and transparency and clarity.

Compensation for this position: Candidates who meet all job description requirements will likely receive an offer of $139,500. The starting compensation for this role is between $124,000 to $155,000. The starting pay will depend on various factors including but not limited to relevant professional experience, education, certifications, and tenure with Uncommon Schools. To receive an offer at the top of the range, candidates will need significant experience beyond the job description requirements. Because we value staff tenure in a role, we do not currently cap salary ranges for current staff members. 

Other Benefits:

• 19 days of paid time off in addition to three weeks of paid winter and summer org-wide holidays
• Extensive, best-in-class training and development  
• Choice of 3 comprehensive health insurance plans
• Pre-tax flexible spending and health saving accounts
• Financial planning & wellness
• 403(b) retirement savings program + employer match
• 529 college savings program
• Public Service Loan Forgiveness application assistance
• Financial  planning tools and assistance
• Dependent Care FSA, back up childcare and daycare discounts, pet care insurance
• Paid leave of absence 
• Fully paid parental leave
• Fully paid medical leave
• Additional paid Short Term and Long Term Disability insurance 
• Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building an exceptional team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. We also strive to ensure an inclusive community by creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. As an equal opportunity employer, Uncommon provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions. If you would like to request an accommodation, please email recruitment@uncommonschools.org.