CLOSED | Vice-President, Elected Leadership (Flexible Location)

About Leadership for Educational Equity

Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan leadership development organization dedicated to developing its members’ potential to ensure every child has the opportunity to receive an outstanding education. Our kids and communities need more leaders who believe that educational inequity is a solvable problem. We believe that when our members are organized and reach positions of leadership, they’ll serve as a transformative force for students, communities and the broader movement for educational equity. LEE is a diverse team of passionate and talented individuals committed to making a difference. We are a high-growth, results-oriented organization that operates in an entrepreneurial environment deeply invested in continuous improvement.  If you would like to become part of our team and join the fight for educational equity, or if you would simply like to learn more about what we do, please visit educationalequity.org.

Position Summary:

The Vice President of Elected Leadership (EL)  serves on the senior leadership team and is responsible for developing and executing a strategic plan to inspire and develop a growing number of diverse political leaders from LEE’s membership.  LEE seeks an experienced and innovative Vice President of Elected Leadership to set an ambitious vision for transformative political leadership that will overcome educational inequity. This Vice President reports directly to the Executive Director and seeks to:

  • Develop a scalable platform that members access to overcome barriers to elected office.

  • Build a team and culture that inspires diverse members to embrace political leadership as a lever for change.

  • Collaborate with teams  across the organization to leverage programs and assets to reinforce support for members.

  • Cultivate organizational relationships with donors and partners who will invest in the promise and leadership of LEE members.

  • Advance a culture that values equity, inclusivity and commitment to having meaningful impact for kids at scale.

The ideal candidate will be a values-oriented executive who approaches their work through a diversity, equity and inclusion lens. They will also be able to skillfully collaborate across a virtual organization for the success of their team and LEE. Finally, this candidate will demonstrate the following competencies in their day-to-day work:

  • Set vision, strategy and direction: Motivate colleagues and staff toward a common vision and strategy aligned with LEE’s goals.  Develop team and work streams in service of this vision.

  • Strategic Thinking: Identify growth areas and develop + deliver solutions to advance mission and grow impact.  Identify opportunities and risks for delivering LEE’s services and create space for innovation and technology integration.

  • Relationship and Team Building - Develop and cultivate beneficial internal and external relationships and networks in order to advance organizational strategy and impact. Build an effective team of 30+ staff and vendors and manage execution to take action within and across teams to execute EL strategy and organizational goals through effective project management tools and a spirit of collaboration.

  • Influence and Alignment - Develop trusting rapport and influence with internal and external stakeholders to achieve greater impact and advance mission.

  • Effective Communication and Facilitation - Engage colleagues and staff effectively in a manner that reflects an understanding of the needs of the audience and an orientation toward solutions and outcomes.

  • Cross Cultural Competence - Apply knowledge of self in seeking to understand others to work effectively across lines of difference.

Position Location: Flexible​​

Travel Requirements: 50%

Responsibilities:

Elected Leadership Strategy and Execution 

  • Establish a clear vision and strategy for building and sustaining a team that inspires and supports diverse members in seeking elected office as a lever to overcome educational inequity

  • Integrate high-level, data-informed recruitment strategy and routinely evaluate effectiveness on outcomes

  • Collaborate with other VPs across the organization to develop various, meaningful ways to increase member engagement, recruitment results, and provide optimal support to members interested in elected leadership

  • Create new and cultivate existing relationships with external LEE partners and funders to secure additional support and opportunities for members in this pipeline

Organizational Partnership

  • Work in collaboration with all LEE VPs to identify opportunities for process improvements and innovation in engaging, inspiring and supporting members

  • Work in collaboration with all member- facing teams to align on strategy and goals

  • Commit to continuous learning from colleagues and greater LEE team

Team and Organizational Stewardship

  • Lead team of political experts by assigning work, setting priorities, evaluating performance, developing skills

  • Recruit top talent  for present and future departmental needs

  • Develop and manage annual budget and strategic goals that are aligned with organizational goals and mission

  • Build an inclusive team culture that values diverse perspectives and inspires team members to produce high-quality outputs. Support the professional development of the team.

Special Projects

  • Support LEE’s mission as needed​​

Minimum Qualifications:

  • Bachelor’s Degree required with graduate degree

  • 10 years of work experience; 3-5 years of professional political campaign experience, 3-5 years of management experience

  • Strong interest in educational equity and alignment with the mission of LEE

  • Ability to set and achieve ambitious goals through creative problem solving and collaboration

  • Extensive experience building and managing healthy and highly-effective teams

  • Excellent managerial, interpersonal and networking skills, as well as the ability to establish and maintain high-level political relationships

  • Excellent verbal and written communication skills

  • Demonstrated ability to conduct political landscape analysis and develop winning campaign strategy

  • Proven ability to effectively coach and advise candidates and elected officials

  • Proven ability to operate and thrive in a fast-paced entrepreneurial environment

Preferred Qualifications:

  • 6+ years of managing teams to exceed goals

  • 3+ years of professional political campaign experience working with candidates at the local and state level

  • 6+ years of managing teams to exceed goals

  • Deep understanding of the campaign finance landscape

  • Experience in fundraising from individuals and foundations

  • Experience working in a geographically dispersed work environment

Benefits and Salary

Salary for this position is competitive and depends on prior experience.  In addition, a comprehensive benefits package is included.  

An Equal-Opportunity Employer with a Commitment to Diversity

Leadership for Educational Equity is proud to be an equal opportunity employer, and as an organization committed to diversity and the perspective of all voices, we consider applicants equally of race, gender, color, sexual orientation, religion, marital status, disability, political affiliation and national origin. We reasonably accommodate staff members and/or applicants with disabilities, provided they are otherwise able to perform the essential functions of the job.

An affirmative action-equal opportunity employer.

The statements in this description represent typical elements, criteria, and general work performed. They are not intended to be construed as an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties, and skills required for the job.

Apply

CLOSED