Work with the portfolio lead on the strategic development and management of a portfolio of complex grants that improves the availability, selection, and implementation supports for high quality K-12 curriculum and instructional tools in secondary mathematics, English language arts, and science. Collaborate with developers, distributors, funders, researchers, technical assistance providers, practitioners, and other key stakeholders to advance the evidence base and accelerate uptake of curriculum-based interventions that help improve teacher practice and generate positive student outcomes. Focus on the needs of each set of key stakeholders in the ecosystem to foster scalability and sustainability of key solutions and organizations.
- Develop strategy and execute grantmaking to improve the availability, selection, and services to effectively implement instructional materials that improve teacher practice and student learning outcomes. Negotiate and manage complex, performance-based grants and contracts.
- Improve availability and transparency of market information around curriculum and instructional tools; ensure that actors at the district, school, and classroom levels have access to actionable information on the quality and pricing of relevant products and services that lead to increased selection and use of high quality options.
- Identify gaps in curriculum availability and quality, develop and manage investment approaches to catalyze development and improvement.
- Advance the evidence base and research about the efficacy of various dimensions of curriculum quality and the impact of diverse curricular interventions on student learning outcomes and teacher content knowledge and pedagogical content knowledge.
- Build field knowledge about user-centered design and consumer preferences to increase the attractiveness of high quality curricular products and implementation services.
- Monitor the market forces that impact the availability, quality, pricing, and incentives for adoption and effective implementation.
- Scope, shape, propose, and manage a portfolio of demand-related activities and investments to support programmatic goals involving behavior change and changing social norms.
- Develop, monitor, and adapt measurement, evaluation, and research plans to manage portfolio performance and adapt investment strategy.
- Contribute to the design of new strategies, internal and external collaborations, and implementation plans to ensure long-term sustainability and impact.
- Engage with other donors and investors to increase overall investment in portfolio priorities.
Core Knowledge and Skills
- Development of portfolio strategy with a strong orientation around measurable outcomes and data-driven decision-making
- Grant design, development, and management with an investor’s mindset
- Ability to assess the quality of instructional materials and understand their relationship to coherent instructional systems
- Systems and markets orientation
- Policy knowledge relevant to the design, adoption, and implementation of instructional materials. Ability to recognize patterns and trends, conduct cost analysis, and assess product-market fit
- Data- and outcomes-driven
- Learning orientation driven by synthesis and triangulation
- Strong ecosystem development skills and ability to productively engage diverse stakeholders including researchers, product and service providers, educators, policy makers and district- and school-level consumers
- Knowledge of various school contexts
- Ability to assess and advance the evidence base
- Understanding of business model development and organizational capacity building
- Ability to develop and leverage distribution channels creatively
Experience
- Prior senior management or executive-level roles in one or more of the following areas: design, development and/or distribution of K-12 education curriculum or related implementation services; philanthropy or impact investing in K-12 education instructional materials.
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment with the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.