Special Assistant to the CEO

Position Overview

Title:

Special Assistant to the CEO

Reports To:

CEO

Location:

Remote (Strong preference for candidates based in the Washington, D.C. metro area)

Travel:
Less than 10%

Salary Range: $78,000 – $85,000 per year

Our Mission:
To eliminate the achievement gap by accelerating innovation in standards-aligned tools and practices, focusing on pedagogy-first and safe-by-design approaches to educational technology. We work to ensure data interoperability, AI literacy, and educator workforce development remain at the core of national conversations.

Our Vision:
To transform the education sector by building uncommon alliances and a networked architecture that moves beyond technical fixes toward lasting, systemic change. Ultimately, we strive to build a learning ecosystem where every student is prepared for a global economy, centering the field's needs to create an equitable and inclusive future for all learners.

Position Summary:

ry InnovateEDU is seeking a highly organized, adaptive, and execution-oriented Special Assistant to the CEO to provide direct strategic and operational support to our Chief Executive Officer. Serving as a dynamic force multiplier for the CEO, this role is critical to advancing high-impact projects, national policy task forces, and organizational initiatives.

Because the CEO frequently engages with federal policymakers, national partners, and philanthropic organizations in the capital, a Washington, D.C.

-based candidate is highly preferred to provide on-the-ground support. The ideal candidate excels at "blocking and tackling"—mastering foundational execution, anticipating the CEO's needs, and remaining agile enough to provide critical surge capacity during high-stakes project cycles and congressional or national policy events.

This is a unique opportunity to gain a bird's-eye view of executive leadership in a national education non-profit and contribute directly to high-visibility strategic priorities.

• Drive High-Priority Initiatives:
  Own the end-to-end execution of fast-moving projects and initiatives directly overseen by the CEO, moving them from initial concept to completion with precision.
• Surge Capacity Support:
  Act as a flexible resource to provide rapid-response support for the CEO's most critical national initiatives, such as data interoperability frameworks and AI policy advocacy.
• Stakeholder Coordination:
  Act as a critical liaison between the CEO, internal departments, and external national partners. Maintain a broad understanding of the CEO's portfolio to provide rapid, in-depth support as needed.
• Process Improvement:
  Proactively identify workflow bottlenecks in the executive office and implement systems or tools to enhance the CEO's overall operational efficiency.

• National Event Execution:
  Support the CEO and Policy Portfolio in planning and executing high-profile events, national convenings, and capital-based stakeholder meetings.
• Research & Scoping:
  Gather data, analyze key metrics, and conduct landscape research to evaluate new strategic opportunities, education policy shifts, or federal guidance to brief the CEO.
• Executive Content Development:
  Author and edit high-level memos, congressional testimony drafts, stakeholder updates, and talking points, ensuring a consistent and authoritative voice for the CEO.
• External Representation:
  Support the CEO and Executive Team in external conversations. When asked, serve as the CEO's representative in first-round introductory meetings, synthesizing notes and elevating key action items.
• Data Synthesis:
  Translate quantitative and qualitative data into comprehensive reports and high-impact presentation decks for policy, government, and funder audiences.
• Pipeline Management:
  Track and manage the CEO's fundraising pipeline, preparing briefings ahead of funder meetings and ensuring timely follow-up on prospective philanthropic opportunities.
• Funder Cultivation & Stewardship:
  Draft personalized communications, follow-up notes, and strategic outreach materials for high-level donors and foundation program officers to advance ongoing funding conversations.
• Support Grant…