Senior Director, External Engagement

Washington, DC (Hybrid); frequent travel

WHAT IS THE ROLE

You are the senior member of the External Engagement team responsible for the Alliance's full coalition and grasstops portfolio: building the SCOTUS coalition and congressional programming that puts charter schools in front of lawmakers, and building the capacity of state charter association leaders, school and network leaders, and the broader coalition of partners who make up the charter movement's base. Reporting to the Chief of External Engagement, you work directly with the Alliance's Legal team on coalition and litigation strategy, and you own the relationships and programming that turn state associations into high-quality advocacy organizations and keep school and network leaders engaged.

On the legal and congressional side, you build and mobilize a coalition ahead of the next U.S. Supreme Court case on religious charter schools, and you design and deliver Partner Fly-Ins, the Congress on Campus school visit program, and earmark advocacy programming. This role does not hold the Alliance's relationships with members of Congress – that responsibility sits with the Federal Government Relations team.

Instead, you coordinate closely with that team to design and deliver the product: the strategy, content, and school and leader preparation behind fly-ins, Congress on Campus visits, and earmark programming, so that the relationships Federal Government Relations holds translate into well-prepared, effective engagement.

On the partner and state side, you convene and support the State Leader Council through monthly calls and three annual in-person convenings, engage CMOs and school and network leaders, and mobilize the coalition partners who make up the movement's grasstops base.

Operating across a fast-moving legal and political environment as well as a diverse landscape of state and local advocacy partners, this role requires sound judgment under pressure, the ability to build trust with legal counsel, congressionally-facing colleagues, and grassroots leaders alike, and the discipline to deliver complex, parallel programming in close partnership with teams that own adjacent pieces of the relationship.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

• With the Legal team, build, educate, and mobilize a coalition of legal, political, policy, and school-choice stakeholders, including state association leaders and aligned organizations
• Identify potential litigants, intervenors, and amici for the case and related litigation
• Explain the stakes to the national charter community and provide clarity on how and when to activate

Design and Deliver Congressional Programming

• Design and deliver Partner Fly-Ins (including NCSW and NSCW), coordinating with the Federal Government Relations team on member and staff engagement and with the Manager of Events & Logistics on execution
• Design and deliver the Congress on Campus school visit program, including preparing schools and leaders to be effective hosts and advocates
• Design and deliver earmark advocacy programming, including webinars and technical assistance, in partnership with Federal Government Relations and the federal affairs team
• Develop strategy for effective partner letters (appropriations, bills, Dear Colleague letters), coordinating with Federal Government Relations on congressional targeting

Partner Across Teams

• Serve as the coordination point between External Engagement and Federal Government Relations on all congressional programming
• Equip partners and school leaders with the substance, positioning, and materials they need to be effective once Federal Government Relations has secured the relationship or meeting

Build State Association Capacity

• Convene and connect the State Leader Council (SLC) through monthly virtual calls, including…