About the Organization and the Opportunity
The Education Trust seeks a Senior Associate, National and State Partnerships on its Partnerships & Engagement Team. The Senior Associate will join a passionate staff who are committed to fulfilling a mission of closing opportunity gaps that disproportionately affect students of color and students from low-income families.
The Senior Associate, National and State Partnerships contributes to Ed Trust’s mission of advancing education equity by building partnerships and activating Ed Trust’s priority policy issues with advocates and coalitions. This position coordinates outreach planning and execution, designs and leads advocate learning experiences for various priority areas, and engages with coalitions and advocates to advance Ed Trust’s policy priorities and advocacy agenda. The Senior Associate also collaborates deeply with other roles across Ed Trust to realize policy change and impact through partnerships and coalitions.
The Education Trust (Ed Trust) is comprised of fierce advocates for the high academic achievement of all students — pre-kindergarten through college, particularly those of color or living in poverty. Through research and advocacy, Ed Trust’s goal is to close the gaps in opportunity and achievement that affect millions of young people across the U.S. — especially students of color and those from low-income families. We work alongside educators, policymakers, parents, and community and business leaders across the country to advocate transforming schools and colleges into institutions that serve all students well. Lessons learned in these efforts, together with unflinching data analyses, help shape our state and national policy agendas.
This role, available immediately, is based in our Washington, DC office and is eligible for telework for up to 3 days per week . This role may be expected to travel up to 40 percent of the time. The Senior Associate, National and State Partnerships reports to the Senior Director of Partnerships & Engagement, and may supervise interns, fellows, or consultants.
About the Senior Associate Role
The responsibilities and objectives for the role include, but are not limited to, the following:
- Contribute to advancing Ed Trust’s advocacy agenda by coordinating and liaising with coalitions and partners, in close collaboration with team leadership
- Collaborate to set strategic advocacy goals for the year with content teams and state and local partners; design and execute activities aligned to these goals
- Support cross-team efforts to develop the capacity of state and local advocates by designing and leading advocate learning experiences (e.g., Ed Trust’s semi-annual bootcamp and frequent webinars and presentations)
- Support coalition building efforts by developing and maintaining partnerships with external organizations around shared priorities
- Advance Ed Trust’s research and policy priorities in states by providing consultation and support for advocacy efforts with sub-grantees and external partners, including managing sub-grant processes and reporting
- Design, coordinate, and track outreach efforts for a portfolio of education issue areas (e.g., teacher diversity and early childhood education), and track the success of such efforts
- Collaborate with other roles across the organization to inform issue-specific outreach strategy and keep internal teams abreast of advocacy efforts
- Inform advocacy strategy by monitoring and reporting on the changing landscape of education policy at the state and national level
- Contribute to external-facing written material such as reports, grant proposals, and letters through research, writing, and editing
- Stay current and knowledgeable on organizational priorities and recent research from Ed Trust and our partners
Ideal Skills and Characteristics
- Shared belief in Ed Trust’s mission and a commitment to improving educational equity with a focus on race equity
- Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to connect with a range of diverse stakeholders
- Highly collaborative with both internal and external partners, with the ability to overcome obstacles and find common ground
- Dedication in contributing to and maintaining an equitable working environment
- Strong project management skills
- Strong written and verbal communication, including facilitation skills and adult learning design
- Creative problem solving and analytical skills
- Ability to adapt and exercise sound judgment
- Ability to analyze education policy
Qualifications and Experience
The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and experience:
- At least a bachelor’s degree
- Valid driver’s license
- At least 4 years of related work experience in organizing, training, and/or advocacy
- Knowledge of education policy and advocacy, preferably on topics related to equity
- Experience designing and delivering adult learning
Compensation & Benefits
The annual salary for this position starts at $78,000 and will be commensurate with experience.
The Education Trust prioritizes the health and well-being of its employees and, to that end, offers a highly competitive benefits package. Medical, dental and vision insurance are covered at 100% for the employee, with significant coverage also offered for dependents. We provide sick leave, vacation leave, and personal leave, and we follow the federal government for most holiday closures. To ensure staff have synchronous opportunities for rest and renewal, the office is closed for a week-long summer break and a week-long winter break. Among other offerings, we provide an Employee Assistance Program at no cost to the employee, and a generous 7% matching opportunity on a 403(b)-retirement plan .
