Director, Education Agency Practice

This position is listed on behalf of a partner company, who manages all applications and next steps. Our partner is looking for a Director, Education Agency Practice based in United States.

This is a senior consulting and practice leadership role focused on helping education organizations use data and evidence to improve outcomes. You will lead complex engagements with state and local education agencies, nonprofits, intermediaries, and funders. The role combines client relationship management, project leadership, measurement and evaluation, data analysis, and business development. You will advise senior education leaders and governing bodies while translating complex evidence into practical strategies and decisions. Internally, you will strengthen practice capabilities, develop talent, and contribute to organizational strategy and continuous improvement. The position offers significant autonomy in a collaborative, mission-driven, and fast-paced environment where rigorous analysis and meaningful impact go hand in hand.

Accountabilities:

• Serve as the primary relationship manager for client engagements, ensuring projects are delivered on time, within budget, and to a high standard of quality, including training, workshops, coaching, and implementation support related to programs, policy, and strategic budgeting.
• Build and maintain trusted relationships with state and local education agencies, intermediaries, funders, technical assistance partners, and internal teams, advising superintendents, cabinet-level executives, governing boards, and other senior stakeholders on evidence and continuous-improvement challenges.
• Lead all aspects of assigned engagements by developing project and work plans, establishing timelines and deliverables, calibrating approaches to client needs and capacity, coordinating team expertise, and providing actionable feedback throughout delivery.
• Design and lead measurement, evaluation, and learning initiatives, including performance measurement frameworks, KPI systems, theories of change, logic models, mixed-methods research, and evaluation studies that translate complex challenges into actionable findings and improvement strategies.
• Direct data collection, analysis, and modeling activities, including financial and budget modeling, forecasting, dashboards, quantitative analysis, and qualitative research, while ensuring insights are synthesized into clear and client-ready presentations, reports, and recommendations.
• Maintain rigorous quality control across engagements by reviewing analyses and deliverables, editing content, identifying opportunities for improvement, and providing clear and constructive feedback to project teams.
• Develop and facilitate content for virtual and in-person meetings, workshops, and training sessions covering data analysis and visualization, continuous improvement, policy and process change, financial modeling, forecasting, and the interpretation of research and evidence reviews.
• Contribute high-quality analysis and deliverables to engagements led by other team members while collaborating across the organization to develop reusable tools, frameworks, analytic templates, and evidence products.
• Strengthen practice operations by codifying measurement, evaluation, and learning methodologies, sharing lessons learned, developing reusable resources, and delivering internal training to improve consistency and capability.
• Attract, develop, coach, supervise, and retain high-performing Associates and Senior Associates, providing actionable feedback, supporting professional growth, and empowering team members to take on greater responsibility.
• Contribute to organizational strategy and participate actively as a member of the management team, supporting effective operations, learning, performance, and continuous improvement.
• Develop new business by leveraging relationships across education, nonprofit, and philanthropic networks, using thought leadership, publications, conference presentations, and field-facing resources to strengthen market visibility and generate opportunities.
• Independently generate leads and manage the sales cycle from relationship development and thought leadership through proposal development and closing, while maintaining responsibility for revenue goals, engagement budgets, and project margins.
• Lead or support grant and proposal development, particularly for measurement, evaluation, evidence-building, and related education initiatives.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s degree required; a master’s degree is preferred, particularly in education, public policy, evaluation, data, nonprofit management, or a related field.
• 10+ years of relevant professional experience across education, nonprofit, operations, policy, evaluation, data, consulting, or related environments, including at least 7 years of management experience involving project leadership, supervision, financial planning, and/or organizational planning.
• Demonstrated experience managing clients and complex projects involving multiple stakeholders, evolving priorities, tight timelines, and high expectations for quality.
• Proven experience with business development and client relationship management, including the ability to cultivate relationships, generate opportunities, manage sales processes, and support revenue growth.
• Strong expertise in measurement, evaluation, learning, evidence-based practices, data analysis, and the ability to translate complex findings into clear, actionable recommendations for external stakeholders.
• Experience designing and executing work plans, processes, documentation, curriculum, workshops, training programs, coaching, and implementation support.
• Experience managing and developing teams, including attracting, supervising, coaching, retaining, and empowering high-performing professionals while creating a culture of productive feedback and accountability.
• Strong analytical, problem-solving, organizational, and project-management skills, with the ability to independently assess challenges, prioritize competing demands, and develop practical solutions.
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to write, edit, and present clear and concise narratives, reports, presentations, and client-facing materials.
• Strong attention to detail and exceptionally high standards for accuracy, quality, and consistency.
• Ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders across education, nonprofit, government, philanthropic, and other professional environments.
• Comfort operating in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment where priorities can change quickly and multiple projects must be managed simultaneously.
• Proficiency with cloud-based productivity and collaboration tools such as Google Docs, Microsoft Office 365, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack.
• Experience developing budget models and financial forecasts is a plus, as is familiarity with current trends and developments in education, evidence-building, evaluation, and related fields.
• Self-directed and proactive, with strong active-listening skills, intellectual curiosity, and the ability to research and synthesize technical documentation, policy, and other complex information independently.
• Commitment to a high-performance culture, continuous learning, self-improvement, and giving and receiving constructive feedback.
• Ability to work effectively with a distributed team across multiple time zones, with regular availability between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Eastern Time.
• Ability to work approximately 40-50 hours per week, with workload potentially fluctuating based on client needs, and willingness to travel as required.
• Valid driver’s license required, along with the ability to meet the role’s physical requirements, including extended periods of sitting, speaking, listening, typing, and occasional lifting of up to 30 pounds.

Benefits:

• Salary of $120,000-$140,000.
• Fully remote position within the United States, with preference for candidates based in the Midwest or Northeast, particularly Chicago, Boston, New York City, or Philadelphia.
• Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision insurance plans.
• 403(b) retirement plan with employer matching contributions.
• Life and disability insurance.
• Unlimited vacation days and Summer Fridays between Memorial Day and Labor Day.
• Organization-wide closure from December 25 through January 1.
• Remote work stipends to support an effective home-office environment.
• Professional development reimbursement and paid time for relevant learning and development activities.
• Coverage for relevant professional membership fees.
• Opportunity to lead high-impact engagements that help education organizations strengthen data, evidence, decision-making, and outcomes for students and communities.
• Significant exposure to senior education, nonprofit, government, and philanthropic stakeholders, with opportunities to shape practice strategy and organizational growth.