Director of Policy (Early Childhood)

Description:

The Education Trust (Ed Trust)’s New York regional office seeks a Director of Policy to join and lead the Ed-Trust-NY regional early childhood education agenda. This person 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 Director of Policy leads the Early Childhood team and works with the Executive Director of Ed Trust NY (ETNY) to set the direction and goals for this work. This role serves as a content expert in the field of equitable early childhood policy and leads the Raising New York coalition.  Through expertise in the early childhood policy landscape, effective management of a comprehensive state-wide advocacy strategy, and strong leadership of the diverse partners that make up our coalition, the Director of Policy (Early Childhood) will help increase the number of children from historically underserved communities who are on track for school readiness in New York State.

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 New York City office but is eligible to telework from any part of New York State. The Director of Policy reports to the Executive Director for the New York regional office and will supervise the Associate Director for Early Childhood Policy.

Responsibilities:

ABOUT THE DIRECTOR OF POLICY ROLE

• Collaborate to set the long-term vision and direction for the Early Childhood Policy team and translating that vision into short and long-term goals with relevant work plans
• Lead a small but dynamic team by identifying and retaining diverse talent, coaching and developing 1-2 direct reports, and managing and assessing performance
• Lead the conceptualization and development of tools and resources, such as policy briefs, reports, statements, fact sheets, and other written collateral which make complex policy information accessible to a broad array of stakeholders
• Inform the organization’s policy positions by monitoring and reporting the early childhood policy conversations across government, media, think tanks, academia, and advocates.
• Lead the Raising NY coalition of early childhood-focused organizations from across New York State. This work will include managing funder relationships and reporting, collaborating with partners to identify key issues for advocacy action, and ensuring that the needs of infants, toddlers, and their families are at the forefront of state policymaking and investment.
• Elevate the policy priorities of Raising NY and Ed Trust by representing the organizations in external meetings and developing relationships with key external stakeholders, peer organizations, policymakers, leaders, funders, and other advocates
• Develop and manage the execution of the advocacy strategy for our policy agenda at the state and local level, including work to inform legislative and regulatory proposals, respond inquiries from allies, and other long-term and rapid-response opportunities.
• Direct the review of all policy and research products to ensure that they are high-quality, accurate, equity-driven, and actionable, as well as aligned with Ed Trust’s mission and goals
• Develop and present on key metrics to assess the mission-impact of our policy efforts
• Build systems and structures for effective internal collaboration within and across teams to ensure on-time, high-impact, and high-quality products

IDEAL SKILLS AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Shared belief in Ed Trust’s mission and a commitment to improving educational equity
• Dedication in contributing to and maintaining an equitable working environment
• Strong project management skills
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills
• Strong relationship-building skills with a range of stakeholders
• Deep familiarity with the New York State, New York City, or other local New York policy contexts that affect educational equity for our youngest children.
• A strong vision for improving the policies and practices that impact children from birth to three years old and their families – particularly children and families of color and from low-income households and other historically underserved communities.
• Eagerness for supportive collaboration with both internal and external partners
• High emotional intelligence, professional maturity, and problem solving skills
• Willingness to provide constructive feedback to others; as well as to receive and act upon feedback from others
• Ability to exercise sound judgment and decisiveness
• Preference for a candidate who brings additional experience in the K12 or higher education field in addition to early childhood expertise

Qualifications: