Overview
In 2025, the National Equity Project (NEP) launched an ambitious decade-long strategy to transform educational experiences for 5 million young people nationwide. We are seeking a Managing Director of PK-12 Strategy & Impact to lead our direct services work with leaders and education systems into this next chapter of NEP's history. This full-time role is responsible for developing and executing a comprehensive strategy that drives NEP's programmatic growth in reach, impact, and revenue with school systems and education organizations that NEP works directly with to build the leadership practices and system conditions that cultivate learner-centered environments for young people.
Resumes and applications will be accepted through Friday, March 6, 2026 and reviewed on a rolling basis. The job posting will close at 5pm PT on this date.
The Organization
Founded in 1995, the National Equity Project (NEP) has supported 100,000+ leaders in 1,500 education agencies, intermediaries and philanthropic organizations to create conditions for equitable and excellent education. Our work has impacted the learning environments of more than 10 million young people and thousands of educators. As an experienced, intergenerational and racially diverse team, NEP has established itself as a trusted and credible partner in educational equity and transformation.
Our mission is to develop leaders and mobilize the education field to transform the experiences, outcomes, and life options for children and families who have been historically underserved by our institutions and systems. For 30 years, we have developed the will, skill, knowledge and capacities of leaders to identify and address inequitable patterns and practices, creating more effective, resilient and humanizing organizations.
NEP Facts
Your Key Responsibilities
- Develop & implement a 3-year comprehensive service delivery strategy and model that is aligned to NEP’s outcomes, further expands and deepens our work with leaders and organizations, and results in $3.5M-$4.0M annual revenue.
- Strategize with Regional Directors to establish business development strategies that result in a robust pipeline that helps to grow the number of clients that NEP partners and works with, who are working towards creating thriving learning environments for students.
- Identify, assess, and pursue opportunities to expand NEP’s work and impact into new regions and locations, where we can support the efforts of aligned leaders and organizations.
- Improve, design, and codify service offerings based on feedback / learnings from past and current projects, that are responsive to emerging needs from the education field, and that leverages NEP’s content, approach, and frameworks, developed over a 30-year history.
- Establish clear expectations, standards, and processes for service delivery to ensure consistency in quality.
- Collaborate with and support Regional Directors to build and maintain strong relationships with partners, funders, and other stakeholders, ensuring effective communication and collaboration to advance regional strategy objectives.
- Lead and manage high-profile, complex client projects that help to advance NEP's strategy, build and cultivate new or existing partnerships, and/or support our field impact goals.
- Cultivate a nurturing team environment that operates in alignment with NEP’s core values and motivates and inspires teammates to work collaboratively towards shared vision and goals.
- Contribute to NEP’s expanding and deepening influence on the education field by serving as an external representative of the organization, contributing to external communications and products, and building the routines and practices for capturing impact stories from our direct services work.
- Serve as a key member of NEP’s executive leadership team, charged with stewarding NEP’s work, investments, and resources towards its intended impact and collaborating across all areas of the organization.
How You’ll Spend Your Time
- PK12 Strategy, Implementation & Advising: 25%
- Business & Partnership Development: 20%
- Service Delivery: 20%
- Internal Infrastructure Development & Team Management: 20%
- Organizational Leadership & Stewardship: 15%
Who You Will Work Closely With
- Direct Manager: NEP Chief Executive Officer
- Core Team: Regional & Initiative Directors, Director of Portfolio Operations, Senior Consultants
- Other Key Relationships: Managing Director of Field Strategy & Impact; Chief of Staff
Requirements
This role is a fit if you...
- Are passionate about educational equity and ensuring that every young person in every community has what they need to learn, develop, thrive, and contribute
- Have a minimum of 10 years leading project / client delivery within PK-12 education agencies (e.g. school districts, charter management organizations, other learning systems, etc.), youth development, or school-district support organization experience working within school systems and/or organizations that create learner-centered environments, a plus
- Have demonstrated experience leading organization-wide, change management efforts and initiatives, including growing a program and/or organization in terms of both size and impact
- Have a strong track record of coaching and building the capacity of leaders in PK-12 education agencies to do their jobs more effectively and with greater impact
- Are comfortable leading proactively and opportunistically to move work in conditions of uncertainty
- Model and champion NEP’s Core Values and Guiding Principles
- Have a proven ability to effectively work and collaborate across differences, including race, gender and culture, and willingness to engage in honest conversations about challenging topics such as racism and systemic oppression
- Live in California, Michigan, or Illinois. Please note that these are preferred locations.
- Are able to travel 25-30% of the time
- Are eligible to work in the United States
Benefits
- Salary Range: $185,00-192,000
- Core Benefits:
- Medical, dental, and vision coverage
- Retirement 403b
- Voluntary life insurance, long-term disability, and short-term disability
- Remote / work from home
- $1,000 professional learning budget
The National Equity Project is an equal opportunity employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status. We encourage people to apply, and welcome your application, even if you do not meet every one of the above requirements.
