Director, Statewide Strategy

Director, Statewide Strategy

Reports to:

Senior Managing Director, Alumni and Community Impact.

Location:

New York (Rochester, Syracuse, or Buffalo preferred).

The Director, Statewide Strategy will lead the development and execution of our regional statewide strategy, including partnerships, alumni and community engagement, and policy/advocacy engagement in cities outside of New York City. This role will work across the state to cultivate strategic partnerships with key stakeholders, foster alumni connectivity, and meaningfully engage elected officials and advocates in support of our regional priorities.

Success in this role requires strong strategic thinking, operational execution, stakeholder engagement, and a results-oriented mindset.

• Stakeholder Relationships:
  Established strong relationships with elected officials or their senior staff across the four upstate cities in collaboration with the regional team and lobbyist.
• Alumni Talent Strategy:
  Developed a comprehensive alumni talent strategy, in partnership with district and charter leadership, for Buffalo, Syracuse, and Rochester.
• Listening Tour:
  Completed a formal listening tour with school district partners and community organizations in each of the four markets.
• Presence:
  Established a presence with partners and institutions as the “face of Teach For America” outside NYC.

• Set Vision, Strategy, and Execute Operations for Statewide Engagement Strategy (40%).
• Design and execute a comprehensive strategy for engaging alumni and key stakeholders in the four primary cities outside of NYC (Albany, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse).
• Build strategic partnerships with school districts, charter networks, and other nonprofit organizations/government entities to advance our regional priorities and support the unique needs of each city.
• Collaborate with the Career Center and regional team to coordinate rural participation in the Rural School Leadership Academy (RSLA).
• Lead engagements with elected officials and other policy leadership across the state in alignment with the regional policy agenda.
• Support regional leadership with legislative meetings and follow‑up (e.g., prepare briefings, draft follow‑up communications).
• Collaborate across the Teach For America network, including with LEE, to impact policy and advocate for systems change and increase alumni participation in LEE offerings outside of NYC.
• Stay well-informed and connected to key issues facing communities in western and central New York.
• Operationalize enterprise‑wide alumni benefits and value propositions locally.
• Design, Manage, and Execute Alumni Programming & Engagement (40%).
• Design and implement engagement strategies and programming that foster alumni connection and leadership.
• Collaborate in partnership with the communications team to develop and execute predictable, purposeful alumni communications, including a monthly newsletter.
• Collaborate with the Director, Alumni and Community Impact, and the Director, Alumni Pathways to ensure coordination of alumni network engagement and career development across the state.
• Lead Alumni Data Integrity, Accuracy, and Systems Alignment (10%).
• Maintain and enhance the accuracy of alumni data in TFACT for alumni residing outside of New York City.
• Use CRM and analytics tools to monitor campaign effectiveness and alumni engagement.
• Create systems and guidance for internal teammates to support ongoing data integrity.
• Enterprise Responsibilities (10%):
  Participate in cross‑functional initiatives, including selection processes for corps members and Ignite fellows, enterprise and regional leadership development initiatives, and community engagement events where TFA representation is needed.

Meet with local districts, charter networks, and partners to discuss emerging career/talent opportunities. Facilitate alumni network engagement through 1:1 interactions and strategic alumni events. Engage with key elected officials to inform them about our regional policy agenda and key initiatives that support our agenda and/or tee up regional leadership for these engagements. Align with team members in…