Posted on November 6, 2009

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Executive Director

Founded in 1999, the Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools (PCCS) is a membership organization that historically has represented the state’s charter schools through advocacy, communications, networking, and services for membership. In 2009, the PCCS went through a comprehensive strategic and business planning process in an effort to vastly ratchet up its ambitions and impact. The PCCS is now planning to implement changes needed to build a movement-leading organization with increased influence, activities and effectiveness to improve education for all of Pennsylvania’s public school students through the power and example of charter schools. Specifically, the PCCS will mobilize a broader group of stakeholders in support of the state’s charter schools, add programs and services to build a sector of high-performing charter schools, and build itself into a strong and high-performing organization. Please visit www.pachartercoalition.com for more information about the organization.

Position Overview:

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools seeks a highly motivated and dynamic Executive Director to lead the organization in working toward its new vision. The Executive Director will be responsible for building a broad-based coalition to support the charter school movement, supervising the development and implementation of all programs, and leading PCCS’ transformation into a high-performing organization. The Executive Director will draw on experience in state-level advocacy work to design and drive efforts to improve the charter landscape in Pennsylvania and fuel the overall growth of a high-quality charter school community. With strength building and transforming organizations, the Executive Director will realize the goals of the newly developed Strategic Plan and will engage with the membership to develop and implement a range of services that will strengthen schools across the network.

Responsibilities: The primary responsibilities of the Executive Director correspond to the three aspects of the Strategic Plan: Building a Movement Leader, Building a Network of High-Performing Schools, and Building a High-Performing Organization. Specifically, the Executive Director will:

Building a Movement Leader

• Influence the policy environment to allow charter schools to grow and thrive
• Increase support among legislators
• Develop relationships at both the state and district level to facilitate charter applications
• Mobilize movement constituents to focus on key policy and issues at the state and local level
• Develop a broad grassroots coalition with a range of stakeholders that can be mobilized in support of key charter movement objectives
• Communicate the value of charter schools to key influencers, the media, and the public
• Use external and internal communications, PR, and polling to highlight high-performing schools, counter charter opponents, and change public opinion
• Communicate to movement members by developing a system of communication products (e-newsletters and email blasts) focused on a range of participants
• Promote effective evaluation of school success and the gathering of critical school data in order to build support for the charter school movement
• Conduct legal activities that defend the state charter movement

Building a Network of High-Performing Schools

• Develop and/or supervise programs and services that improve school operations by using collective power to obtain less expensive or better services for PCCS members.
• Develop and/or supervise programs and services that maximize school performance, for example, through professional development
• Hold events to support membership and movement constituents in networking, best practice sharing, and training.

Building a High-Performing Organization

• Increase philanthropic investment via foundations, corporate and individual donations
• Manage the tracking, modeling, and reporting of financial progress to inform and drive the launch of new programs and staff hiring
• Direct and leverage the work of existing staff and consultants
• Build and develop team to lead key functional areas as outlined in the 3-year Strategic Plan

Qualifications:

• At least 7 years of experience leading and managing organizations during significant periods of growth and transformation
• Extensive legislative, advocacy, and/or public policy experience combined with the political savvy to navigate the complexity of the Pennsylvania charter school movement including the legal and political landscape
• Demonstrated success in managing and developing staff, consultants, partners, and advocates
• Excellent relationship-building experience, with superb communication skills including the ability to tailor and convey ideas and positions as a spokesperson for charter schools to a wide range of constituent groups
• Professional maturity and sophistication to act as the public face of PCCS
• Knowledge of issues and challenges facing education reform and school choice, the national charter school landscape, and K-12 education circles in Pennsylvania preferred
• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required, advanced degree preferred

The Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools is an equal opportunity employer and welcomes a diverse pool of candidates.

About Commongood Careers: The Pennsylvania Coalition of Charter Schools has partnered with Commongood Careers to conduct the search for an Executive Director. Commongood Careers is a nonprofit search service that connects talented individuals to organizations that are dedicated to creating positive social change. Founded and staffed by nonprofit professionals, Commongood Careers offers personalized, engaged services to jobseekers and organizations throughout the hiring process, as well as access to a wealth of knowledge about nonprofit careers. Learn more about nonprofit jobs at Commongood Careers.

To Apply:

Qualified candidates from outside of the Pennsylvania area are welcome to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position and stating how you heard about this opportunity, both in Word format and addressed to:

Karen Del Guercio

Find out more by visiting the organization's web site»

Job Type: Senior Management
Organization Type: Nonprofit Organizations