As Director, Regional Planning, you will work with Teach For America’s Chief Operating and Program Officer (COPO) to manage two critical and high-impact work streams:
- Overseeing the processes and systems that govern regional financial management and resource allocation (e.g., the process for setting each region’s annual incoming corps size target)
- Directly supporting the COPO by providing her with the data, tools, and capacity to effectively manage the regional portfolio toward strong financial outcomes
Ideal candidates are energized by complex problem-solving challenges, seek out environments of constant change and improvement, and are motivated by empowering others to succeed. The Director will apply existing strengths in complex project management, problem solving, operations, analysis, and communications, and will be excited to build financial acumen in a nonprofit context. This is an excellent opportunity to gain insight into the complex, behind-the-scenes structures and process that govern and support Teach For America’s 53 regions as they drive toward strong financial outcomes.
You will work closely with Teach For America’s most senior leaders, including the Management Team, Regional Field Executives, and Executive Directors (EDs) as you support the COPO to foster financial sustainability across the portfolio. This role sits in the Office of the COPO and reports to the Senior Managing Director, Regional Finance Strategy.
Project Management & Operations (50%)
- Design and manage complex, cross-functional processes for one-time and annual work streams related to regional resource allocation and financial management, and coordinate COPO/Regional Operations role in processes owned by other teams. Examples of process we manage or partner on include:
- Annual regional budgeting and budget approvals
- Annual target-setting for regional incoming corps sizes and refinement at each admissions deadline
- Developing and communicating regional financial policies
- Create and maintain a system to define, plan and track sub-team priorities across the full year, recalibrating as needed in response to new information
- Determine when and how COPO, Regional Operations Leadership Team, and Management Team (CEO and her direct reports) engage in regional financial management and policy decisions throughout the year, and partner with respective Chiefs of Staff and Executive Assistants to coordinate that engagement
Communications & Stakeholder Management (25%)
- Develop and track stakeholder engagement plans to maintain thoughtful, collaborative relationships between OCOPO and key internal and external partners in our regional finance work, including the Executive Leadership Team and the National Council
- Set COPO up for various stakeholder engagements, including drafting emails, creating meeting slides and talking points, and managing meeting follow-up
- Anticipate and execute communications to diverse internal audiences to ensure smooth rollout and implementation of our work (e.g., identifying training needs for a new policy, creating content for the Annual Planning Hub)
Analyzing and Interpreting Data (25%)
- Interpret and draw insights from monthly regional financial progress reports, share insights with COPO, and provide recommended next steps to understand or address major risks
- Drive ad-hoc work streams to develop policy and process recommendations by analyzing and interpreting historic data
The ideal candidate for this role is:
- Outcomes-oriented
- Organized and reliable
- Creative, scrappy and persistent in the face of challenges
- Motivated by empowering others to succeed
- Energized by ambiguity and complexity
- Adaptive and nimble in changing environments
- Hungry for feedback and constantly looking to improve
- Committed to Teach For America’s mission and core values
Prior Experience
- 3-6 years of professional work experience
- 2+ years in a management consulting, strategy, or operations role
Work Demands
- Some evening and weekend work required
- Occasional travel required (1-3 trips/approx. 4-10 days total per quarter)
Skills
- Exceptional planning and project-management skills
- Exceptional critical thinking and problem-solving skills
- Exceptional organizational skills and attention to detail
- Exceptional written and verbal communication
- Poise, confidence, and maturity interacting with key stakeholders
- Ability to analyze, interpret and synthesize data
- Proficient in Excel (e.g., vlookups) and PowerPoint
Salary for this position is competitive and depends on prior experience.
Teach For America encourages individuals of all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization, as we want to engage all those who can contribute to this effort. Learn more about our diversity on staff: www.teachforamerica.org/about-us/careers/life-at-tfa/workforce-diversity....
Teach For America is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.
This job description reflects Teach For America's assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing in this herein restricts management's right to assign, reassign or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time.