Managing Director, Early Reading Initiative (Delivery)

This is a full-time, remote position anywhere in the contiguous United States, with national travel expected up to 50%.

What You’ll Do

The Managing Director of the Elementary Reading Initiative (MD, ERI) leads the ERI delivery team to implement the work with excellence, ensuring it is grounded in its theory of change and focused on achieving significant reading gains for partner districts. They coach and develop the team to strengthen their ability to build data-informed improvement plans, support leaders’ instructional and change-management capacity, and ensure coherent implementation with both internal and external partners. By working closely with school systems, they stay attuned to system needs and emerging trends, identifying bright spots and challenges in elementary reading.

They use these insights to guide the direction of the initiative, offering recommendations on service design, tools, and resources, as well as on measurement and data tools. The MD, ERI also plays a key role in sustaining strong relationships with current partners and expanding work with new ones. In addition to strategic and partnership responsibilities, they hold primary responsibility for cultivating a big-hearted, inclusive team culture rooted in organizational values and focused on creating an excellent team experience.

Responsibilities:

Strategic Leadership & Team Development

• Translates organizational vision into strategy; ensures aligned goals and resourcing across teams
• Leads the Delivery team within the Elementary Reading Initiative division, providing oversight and support to District Implementation Specialists (DISs) as they implement the ERI model with their assigned partner districts
• Onboards and coaches team members as they lead service delivery with pilot partners, including on-site supervision and participation to ensure quality; coordinate and collaborate this responsibility with other leaders on the team
• Develops and supports a strong and joyful culture that is in alignment with the organization’s core values

Monitor Performance & Drive Impact

• Establishes systems for monitoring and accountability at scale; uses data to refine strategy
• Actively observes implementation and reviews data, then prepares for and leads internal learning meetings to monitor and continuously improve the implementation of the ERI
• Manages the implementation of a research study of the initiative, in close collaboration with the external evaluator and Program Research and Development team
• Manages partner contracts and deliverables to achieve year one goals based on systemic and instructional improvement; manages team capacity with the Executive Director

Coach & Develop

• Coaches leaders to coach others; builds leadership capacity across the division
• Plans for and monitors the growth and development of team members
• Supports full-time staff prospect identification and cultivation and leads DIS selection, hiring, and onboarding for the team
• Models and holds team members accountable to the organization's culture and core values, vision of team experience, and commitments

Operationalize ERI Service Model

• Synthesizes complex organizational factors to ensure execution of initiatives that advance the mission and deliver sustainable results
• In partnership with other teams, determines how to make the service model operational by mapping the phases of work across calendars and coordinating workflows across people and time
• Guides the creation of new organizational systems and process improvements for operationalizing the service to implement its strategy and achieve intended goals

Program Delivery Management and Engagement

• Provides division-level leadership and senior-level guidance and decisions as necessary
• Provides feedback and coaching on all aspects of ERI service-delivery with partners, including diagnostic reports, multi-year strategic maps of improvement, short cycle action plans, and coaching of partners
• Maintains direct relationship with the senior instructional leader/contract holder for each district, and advises on continuous improvement strategies in partnership with DISes

Program Quality & Innovation

• Defines and leads design of frameworks, processes, and tools in ambiguous, undefined situations including vision and all aspects of workflow management
• Oversees strategic vision for innovation, alongside the ERI Leadership Team
• Identifies team learning and development priorities and facilitates cross-team learning experiences in collaboration with other leaders
• Serves as Delivery Lead, collaborating closely with the design team on all aspects of the service model and on the development of resources and learning experiences

• Works closely with the Executive Director to identify and vet potential new partners and play a supporting role in closing contracts and kicking off the relationship
• Supports DISes in contract renewal strategy with current partners and conducts renewal conversations with partners
• Conducts presentations and training sessions for potential new partners

Candidate Qualifications and Traits:

• 10+ years of educational experience and 5+ years of system-level instructional leadership, either in a charter school network or traditional district
• Cross-Functional Leadership and Strategic Alignment: Proven ability to translate organizational vision into a divisional strategy , manage work across teams, anticipate organizational interdependencies, and ensure aligned goals and resourcing for the Elementary Reading Initiative
• Coaching and Leadership Development: Mastery in coaching leaders (District Implementation Specialists) to diagnose systemic and instructional needs, make data-informed decisions, and build their capacity to manage performance and team culture
• Elementary Reading Design and Coherence Expertise: Deep understanding of the instructional, systemic, and leadership conditions that enable improved elementary reading and language development for multilingual learners. Ability to leverage this expertise to guide system-level leaders in creating sustainable cycles of continuous improvement
• Service Model Operationalization and Innovation: Expertise in translating senior-level vision into design outcomes, overseeing and designing workflows, and guiding the creation of new systems and processes to implement the initiative’s strategy and achieve intended goals at scale
• Portfolio and Partner Impact Management: Expertise in managing a portfolio of system partnerships, balancing near-term delivery with long-term strategic impact. Ability to establish systems for monitoring and accountability at scale, using data to refine strategy and ensure measurable outcomes
• Equity and Partnership Orientation: Embodies a deep commitment to advancing equitable outcomes for students through trust-based partnerships. Demonstrates the ability to navigate complex interpersonal, political, and system dynamics to maintain direct relationships with senior instructional leaders/contract holders

Instruction Partners provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability or genetics. In addition to federal law requirements, Instruction Partners complies with applicable state and local laws governing nondiscrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including recruiting, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Compensation:

The salary for this role is $166,000. Detailed information about the organizational compensation philosophy can be found here. Competitive benefits and private retirement investment options are available, as well as a generous vacation policy. See our detailed benefits package here: Benefits in Brief Overview. Additionally, Instruction Partners participates in E-Verify. Please see the E-Verify “Notice of Participation” and the Department of Justice “Right to Work ” posters for more information.

Our Mission: 

We strengthen instructional leadership in schools, school systems, and states to ensure teachers have the support they need to improve learning experiences and learning outcomes for students - with attention to students of color, students experiencing poverty, multilingual learners, and students with disabilities.

Our Vision:

All students experience an excellent education that prepares them to contribute to their community, achieve economic security, and pursue their dreams.