Executive Director, PLE

Overview

The Darden School Foundation seeks a strategic and mission-oriented leader to serve as its next Executive Director (ED) with the University of Virginia's Partnership for Leaders in Education (UVA-PLE or PLE). The incoming Executive Director will build upon the success of the current team to expand the reach and impact of PLE's cutting-edge leadership development and evidence-based educational strategies to advance system change that elevates the quality of education and life outcomes for students across the nation.

UVA-PLE is a joint venture between the University of Virginia's Darden School of Business (Darden) and the School of Education and Human Development (EHD). A truly unique enterprise, PLE's evidence-based, evolving approach combines the most innovative thinking in business and education to strengthen education leaders for the demands of leadership.

The Executive Director is the chief strategist, team and operational builder, and the ambassador of PLE's mission. This leader integrates efforts to advance distinctive learning experiences and partner support services. As the leader of PLE, this person will ensure seamless partner development, operations, marketing, network building, and research and thought leadership on systems change. Specifically, the new ED will:

• Define and advance a compelling, collaborative strategic vision for PLE's next chapter.
• Serve as an external ambassador and relationship builder to raise the profile of PLE.
• Champion best-in-class cultural leadership to drive the PLE team toward ambitious, mission-aligned results and partner service.
• Serve as a savvy and entrepreneurial financial steward and ensure operational excellence.

The Executive Director will execute an ambitious agenda and provide robust support for internal and external efforts. They will work closely with other constituents at UVA, manage the organization on a day-to-day basis, and lead goal-oriented decision-making.

Location & Travel

The PLE Executive Director must reside in the Charlottesville VA area and will travel approximately 25 percent of the time—and likely more during the early stages of their tenure.

The successful candidate will bring leadership experience in a K-12 education organization (school system or service provider), including experience managing a team, and will possess a terminal degree in business, education, law, or policy. While not required, experience in fundraising or sales is preferred. The successful candidate will possess the following characteristics:

• Strategic Vision and Systems Thinker
  • Foresees future possibilities and translates them into breakthrough strategies that generate measurable progress for students and systems.
  • Navigates ambiguity and the challenges in the education sector with adaptability, vision, and substance, and can adapt strategy across diverse contexts.
  • Serves as a trusted thought partner to superintendents and national education leaders by bringing both a broad field perspective and actionable insights.
• Collaborative Coalition Builder
  • Mobilizes people, ideas, and systems across organizational boundaries, sectors, and graduate schools to create conditions for transformational change.
  • Inspires and builds coalitions, partnerships, and networks that expand PLE's reach and deepen its impact.
  • Aligns the work of the team, faculty, consultants, and partners, drawing from their collective wisdom to ensure shared vision, coordinated execution, and sustained engagement.
• Champion of Excellence in Service, Operations, and Learning
  • Combines vision with execution: a "doer" who shapes proposals, directs projects, and ensures the highest standards of delivery.
  • Champions seamless coordination across executive education, field support services, and ongoing thought partnership.
  • Uses data, evaluation, and feedback to continuously improve—and ensure that operations drive not just efficiency but transformational results for students and school systems.
• Mission-Driven Team Leader
  • Leads with care and conviction, sustaining a highly motivated, mission-driven team and culture.
  • Deeply committed to—and could serve as an advocate for—the…