JFF position

About JFF:
Through research, action, and advocacy, Jobs for the Future develops
promising education and labor-market models that enable American
families and companies to compete in a global economy. Across the
United States, in partnership with foundations and other national
nonprofits, JFF improves the educational and workforce pipelines
leading from high school to college to family-sustaining careers. Our
initiatives take us to 206 communities in 41 states and the District
of Columbia.

About the Position:
JFF seeks an experienced education leader who has a track record of
shaping state education policy, from within or outside of government.
S/he advocates for policies focused on creating improved routes into
and through college for two segments of youth: students at risk of
graduating high school unprepared for college and youth falling off
track for high school graduation. The Director leads a team charged
with developing state policy positions and strategies, designing and
disseminating research, and providing technical assistance to states
trying to advance key policies, and cultivating new state clients. S/
he will work deeply in a targeted set of key states to develop and
implement policies that expand the success of “early college” designs
– those that improve the college readiness and success of underserved
students by featuring college courses as an integral part of the high
school course of study. The Director also manages several program
staff, maintains strong relationships with current and prospective
funders, and develops strategies to ensure JFF’s policy positions are
visible in the national education reform community and media.

Over the last decade, JFF has built expertise and a strong reputation
as an organization that advances state and federal policies and builds
the capacities of states, school networks, schools, and increasingly
districts to improve college and career readiness of low income young
people and young people of color. JFF has built, refined, and
implemented a state policy set that has resulted in a number of states
establishing the policies needed to build early college schools and to
expand dual enrollment options to a wider range of students with the
goal of increasing access and success in postsecondary education for
low-income, first generation, and young people of color. JFF has
also researched and developed policies to prevent high school dropout
and to support “Back-on-Track” school designs that provide students
off track for graduation with alternative routes to graduating
prepared for and supported in their transition to college.

Responsibilities:
The Director of State Education Policy will:

• Develop and refine the policy framework for early college school and
district designs and take responsibility for work plans and
development of a long-term strategy. The framework is likely to
include a focus on policies about curriculum and assessment
requirements, dual enrollment financing and quality issues, goal
setting and metrics, and building state capacity to scale up
innovative early college school and district-wide designs.
• Recruit, supervise, and deploy JFF policy staff and consultants to
ensure creation and delivery of state policy products and services
including: policy assessments, facilitation of state focus groups,
cost-benefit analyses, development of RFP and policy waiver processes,
creation of state goals and benchmarks, and documentation and
development of finance policies to support early college designs.
• Develop cross-cluster policy products, tools, services and
communications efforts.
• Build and maintain partnerships with philanthropies, states, and
other national education policy and school development organizations
• Convene staff and cross-cluster teams to identify state policy
opportunities and build a robust client base. Respond to state
requests for JFF’s services, prioritize JFF interest and determine
level of effort in states.
• Help develop and manage research projects, data, and internal
knowledge management systems for cross-cluster state policy work.
• Serve as liaison with Federal/national policy staff and carry out
joint projects to support JFF policy goals
• Represent JFF state strategy publicly by speaking, writing, and
communicating with key organizations, stakeholders, and policy makers
working at the state and national levels
• Recruit, manage, and develop high performing JFF staff.
• Manage budgets that support the early college state policy work.


QUALIFICATIONS:
1. Experience operating in a not-for-profit environment
2. Knowledge of state and district policy for sustaining and improving
public education, particularly those to promote high school graduation
and college readiness in K-12 education and that raise the success of
students in the first year of college.
3. Experience implementing approaches and policies that further the
high school and college success of low income students and students of
color, including through innovative high school design/redesign.
4. Experience in successfully promoting policies that advance the
interests low income young people and the educators, families, and
communities that support them
5. A strong reputation for service delivery at the state, national and/
or district levels
6. Experience working with governors, legislators, and state education
officials
7. Strong people skills—ability to give both positive and constructive
feedback and mentor younger professionals, ability to lead and
facilitate groups both within an organization and externally as well
as to work in communities characterized by race, ethnicity and
socioeconomic diversity.
8. Ability and experience in public speaking both informally and
formally
9. Very strong writing, editing and analytical skills and a history of
publication
10. Capacity to understand and use data and research to assess and
evaluate results and for purposes of accountability and improvement
(research design and stats useful but not required)
11. Five or more years experience in a relevant field and advanced
degree or comparable experience

Compensation

Commensurate with experience. Competitive benefits.

Please contact Nancy Hoffman, NHoffman@jff.org, or Joel Vargas,
JVargas@jff.org, with applications or questions.

Jobs For The Future is an Equal Opportunity Employer