About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that currently supports 41 public charter schools in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Consistently rated as one of the top charter school networks in the country for almost 25 years, AF is committed to continuous improvement, programmatic evolution for enhanced student outcomes, and sustainable growth. The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families who will be the first in their families to graduate from college. AF currently employs more than 2,200 staff — 61% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, and Multi-racial — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence, RI.

The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America’s children. AF knows that every child—regardless of race, zip code, or economic status—deserves access to great schools. At AF, students realize their potential and develop the skills they need to graduate from high school, succeed in college, thrive in a competitive world, and serve as the next generation of leaders in their communities. At AF, students and staff embark on a shared journey to fulfill their incredible potential.

We are looking for a strategic and dynamic Director of Leadership Development to join our Leadership Development & Pipeline Team and our overall Talent team.

Impact and Opportunity

The Director of Leadership Development is a leadership role that will report directly to the Managing Director of Leadership Development and Pipeline as part of the broader Talent Team. The team seeks to create a world-class employee experience such that all employees feel valued and want to stay at Achievement First to relentlessly support student success. The Director will play a critical role in implementing an equity-centered approach in building adaptive, emotionally intelligent, and competency-based skilled people leaders and managers within our schools and across network support that represent AF’s mission and values. We are looking for a Director of Leader Development who has significant experience in 1) facilitating effective adult learning to deliver a consistently high-quality program experience, and 2) delivering a challenging and supportive training and coaching experience to aspiring principals and other leaders within the organization that both helps them make progress on their own leadership goals and serves as a model of outstanding coaching practice. This is an excellent opportunity for a passionate, driven, resilient, and community-building enthusiast with a track record in building communities of belonging across ONE AF (across 41 schools/network support).

Reporting directly to the Managing Director of Leadership Development and Pipeline, your responsibilities will be but are not limited to:

School Leader Development

• Drive the development and delivery of high-quality professional training sessions covering various management topics tailored specifically for deans development such as:
• Adaptive leadership (various skills related to the management of people, organizational development, relationship building, etc.)
• Instructional leadership power skills (LASW, Observation Feedback, IPP, Real-Time Coaching, ensure strong knowledge management of all materials).
• Utilize participant feedback to drive stronger results for future cohorts and training.
• Spearhead and project manage both short and long-term leader development strategies.
• Ensure strategic alignment with key stakeholders including senior leaders (SIT/RDO and
  Network Support Leaders).
• Establish systems to measure progress in annual milestones and priorities.
• Drive strategy implementation for leader development including sourcing and partnering with external consultant(s).
• Partner with Team Equity to ensure DEI is integrated into the development strategy for pipeline and development across the organization.
  development, hiring practices, onboarding, offboarding, training, etc.).
• Drive the vision process, revision, and execution of training for new staff (“New Team Training”), “All Team Training”, and ongoing Dean Development strategies throughout the year as it integrates with the Achievement First strategy for Talent Development and pipeline structures.

Network Support Leader Development

• Lead the development, practice, and delivery of top-tier professional training sessions covering various management topics tailored specifically for leaders within Network Support:
• Fundamentals of effective management, building relationships, effectively delegating, defining roles and goals as NS leaders, decision-making processes, giving and receiving feedback, investing in people you lead, effectively addressing performance problems, building and maintaining a strong team, etc.).

Leadership Fellows Program Development

• Lead a 12-month training program for 30 entry-level aspiring leaders across 40 schools as Leader Fellows.
• Design and facilitate a sequence of professional development sessions over the course of the year including a culminating leadership service project.
• Train aspiring leaders in the program in leadership competencies, emotional intelligence, and instructional skills designed to be growth and development in their role.
• Analyze data from sessions and cohorts to revise and upgrade programs regularly.
• Foster a strong cohort experience that promotes equity, inclusion, and belonging.
• Regularly assess and evaluate the effectiveness of initiatives and make adjustments as needed.

School Pipeline and Principal Fellows Support

• Facilitate coaching/development meetings 3x year for Principal Fellows with their Principals and Regional Superintendent.
• As a key strategic partner with the Managing Director, you will support the planning and execution of relevant selection days for Leadership Fellows, Principal Fellows, and Principal selection.
• Deliver comprehensive training sessions tailored to address the specific scope and sequence of development needs for Principal Fellows.

Skills You’ll Have

All candidates for this position will support AF core values, lead innovation, and manage projects to ensure our Leadership and Development team, like our schools, are setting a high bar in all areas and pursuing it relentlessly. A Bachelor’s degree is required however a relevant master’s degree is preferred.

An ideal candidate will demonstrate the skills and experience in the following areas:

• 3 years as a school leader (at least assistant Principal or dean) at a high-performing school that serves a similar population to Achievement First.
• Coaching and managing other leaders (Deans, teacher coaches, managers, and/or Directors).
• Leading adult learning and building a cohort experience - professional development and individual coaching.
• Managing multiple highly complex and high-stakes workstreams, change management and long-term and short-term projects.
• Experience in multi-state and multi-entity organizations is preferred.
• Willingness to travel extensively within the assigned regions of New York, Rhode Island, and Connecticut to lead professional development and support on-school site observations of Principal Fellows and Leader Fellows throughout the school year (approximately 35% travel required).
• Extremely skilled in building relationships with a diverse group of stakeholders that are grounded in relational trust, accountability, and community.
• Strong background leading with equity in the center and a track record of leading effective racially and gender-diverse teams.
• Knowledge of unconscious bias and how various forms of oppression impact talent development and performance.
• Experience managing others and/or managing change through others
• Strong problem-solving and critical thinking skills; able to formulate hypotheses, gather and synthesize data, develop and assess alternatives, and build a case for recommendations

• K-12 core instructional practices.
• Understanding of key school leader feedback and development structures (Observation/Feedback, Intellectual Preparation Protocol (IPP), LASW, Real Time Coaching, School Culture Systems, warm-demanding leadership, etc.)

Compensation

Achievement First sets salaries through a lens of equity, and based on the requisite skills, education, and experience relevant to the role. Salary for this role is $117,753.60 . In order to uphold our commitment to equity, Achievement First does not negotiate pay. Achievement First offers to all regular, full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match, and paid Family Leave.

Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Spanish language proficiency is a plus. You can learn more about diversity at Achievement First here: http://achievementfirst.org/about-us/diversity/