Benefits
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Health, Dental, Vision, & Life Insurance
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401K with Organization Match
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Phone Stipend
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Professional Development Opportunities
Location
In Person
Salary
Commensurate of Experience
Education Requirements
Bachelor's degree required. Graduate degree preferred in Education, Educational Leadership, or related field.
Job Summary
The Director of Education Initiatives develops, coordinates, and executes strategic initiatives that strengthen educational outcomes across McLennan County, with a primary focus on K-12 systems improvement, teacher pipeline development, professional learning, and educational innovation.
This position serves as a key leader in Prosper Waco’s collective impact work, partnering with school districts, educator preparation programs, higher education institutions, regional and state partners, and community stakeholders to advance solutions that improve student success and strengthen educator capacity.
A core responsibility of this role is leading implementation and coordination of Prosper Waco’s Pipeline to Leadership (P2L) initiative, supported through a Gates Foundation investment, which seeks to strengthen teacher recruitment, preparation, retention, leadership pathways, strategic staffing models, and high-quality instructional implementation.
The Director will also help lead broader education strategy efforts, including engagement with regional and statewide initiatives such as Texas Impact Network, teacher pipeline efforts, professional learning communities, and emerging education priorities aligned to Prosper Waco’s mission.
Responsibilities
Strategic Leadership & Initiative Management
• Lead and coordinate Prosper Waco’s K-12 education initiatives and collective impact strategies to improve educational outcomes.
• Serve as primary internal lead for implementation and management of the Pipeline to Leadership (P2L) project, ensuring alignment across project workstreams, milestones, deliverables, budgets, timelines, and stakeholder engagement.
• Develop and maintain project plans, implementation frameworks, communication strategies, and systems for monitoring progress.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen educational outcomes through strategic partnerships, innovation, and systems-level collaboration.
• Support development and execution of education priorities connected to teacher pipeline, educator workforce development, instructional improvement, and student achievement.
District & Partner Engagement
• Build and sustain strong relationships with school districts, higher education institutions, educator preparation programs, Education Service Centers, nonprofit partners, and state and regional stakeholders.
• Convene and facilitate working groups, communities of practice, collaborative meetings, and cross-sector partnerships.
• Support districts in identifying challenges and opportunities related to teacher recruitment, retention, strategic staffing, instructional support, and professional learning.
• Serve as a trusted resource to education partners and the broader community in assessing needs, identifying opportunities, and advancing collaborative solutions.
• Represent Prosper Waco in local, regional, and statewide education partnerships and initiatives.
Pipeline to Leadership (P2L) Implementation
• Coordinate implementation of all major P2L workstreams.
• Serve as project “quarterback” by maintaining alignment among technical assistance providers, district leadership teams, research partners, and community stakeholders.
• Support district selection, onboarding, implementation planning, and milestone tracking.
• Coordinate strategic staffing and scheduling efforts, teacher leadership pathway work, professional learning structures, and implementation supports.
• Facilitate collaboration with technical assistance providers, research organizations, and professional learning partners.
• Support planning and execution of convenings, learning communities, site visits, and regional awareness-building efforts.
• Coordinate dissemination of lessons learned and promising practices.
Research, Data & Continuous Improvement
• Collaborate with Prosper Waco Data & Research staff to support shared measurement systems and continuous improvement processes.
• Assist in development of research questions, landscape analyses, and evaluation efforts related to educational initiatives.
• Use quantitative and qualitative data to inform strategy, identify trends, and support decision-making.
• Support partner capacity building related to data interpretation and continuous improvement.
• Monitor initiative outcomes and prepare reports for funders, partners, and leadership.
Professional Learning & Innovation
• Support initiatives related to curriculum implementation, instructional improvement, educator development, and professional learning systems.
• Help identify and scale innovative practices that strengthen educator effectiveness and student outcomes.
• Support exploration of emerging opportunities related to educational technology, AI-enabled educational supports, and instructional innovation.
• Identify opportunities to strengthen alignment across K-12, educator preparation, and workforce systems.
Communications & Organizational Leadership
• Develop presentations, reports, and communications materials related to education initiatives.
• Support grant reporting, funder communications, and sustainability planning.
• Demonstrate initiative and provide team support to advance project-specific and organizational priorities.
• Other duties as assigned.
Experience
Experience
Minimum five years of progressively responsible leadership experience in education, educational systems change, collective impact, nonprofit leadership, district administration, instructional leadership, or related field.
Experience working with K-12 systems strongly preferred.
Experience managing complex, multi-partner initiatives.
Experience in project management, stakeholder facilitation, and cross-sector collaboration.
Exceptional verbal and written communication skills.
Strong convening and facilitation abilities.
Strong public speaking and presentation skills.
Strong understanding of K-12 education systems and educator workforce challenges.
Ability to think strategically while executing operational details.
Exceptional networking and engagement abilities.
Strong relational and organizational skills.
Initiative, creativity, and ability to manage multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
Computer skills, including proficiency in word processing and a basic understanding of technologies associated with the Internet.
Knowledge of Salesforce and project management software preferred.
CORE COMPETENCIES
• Strategic Thinking
• Systems Leadership
• Project Management
• Collective Impact Facilitation
• Relationship Management
• Data-Informed Decision Making
• Communication & Influence
• Continuous Improvement Mindset
• Adaptability & Initiative
MISSION ALIGNMENT
Demonstrates exemplary integrity, professionalism, and commitment to Prosper Waco’s mission of inspiring change and achieving results through collective impact and cross-sector collaboration.