Temporary Deputy Director, Campaigns (Organizing Director)

Deputy Director, Campaigns (Organizing Director)

Hiring Manager: Lisa Lazare

Location: Massachusetts (preferably Boston or Springfield but flexible if willing to travel to either location on a semi-regular basis)
Application Deadline: rolling

Role Tier: 4 – Director

Status: Temporary through June 30, 2023. Potential for renewal or transition into a full-time position.

About Us

Our nation’s education system is leaving millions of students—including an overwhelming number of students of color and low-income students—unprepared for college, career, and life. While research shows that classroom teachers are the single most important in-school factor in improving student achievement, their diverse voices are consistently left out of education policy decisions. For far too long, teachers have been treated as subjects of change rather than as agents of change.  

Founded by public school teachers, Educators for Excellence is a growing movement of 34,000 educators, united around a common set of values and principles for improving student learning and elevating the teaching profession. We work together to identify issues that impact our schools, create solutions to these challenges, and advocate for policies and programs that give all students access to a quality education.

What We Do

Our Theory of Change is grounded in two long-term goals that are inextricably linked: better outcomes for our students and the elevation of the quality and prestige of the teaching profession. We achieve these goals by changing policy at the district, state, and federal levels and transforming our teachers’ union to be more student-focused, democratic, diverse, and anti-racist. United around our Declaration of Teachers’ Principles and Beliefs, we are building a powerful movement to lead this change by:

• Organizing educators who share a common vision of equity and excellence in schools,
• Training and supporting teacher leadership, and
• Advocating for teacher-led recommendations at all levels of government, within teachers’ unions, and in the public conversation around education.

Educators for Excellence envisions an equitable and excellent education system that provides all students the opportunity to succeed and elevates the teaching profession. 

The Opportunity
Educators for Excellence, Massachusetts is seeking a Deputy Director, Campaigns (Organizing Director) to serve as a senior leader on the local team and drive the strategy and execution of all chapter-level campaign work in order to increase E4E-’s impact on elevating the education profession and improving outcomes for all students in Massachusetts starting as soon as possible through the end of the next campaign. Thereafter, the position will be reevaluated to align with the organizational structure.

The position of Deputy Director, Campaigns is a deeply rewarding opportunity to work with both the E4E-MA team and educator members by leveraging campaign, organizing, and management skills. A leader in this role will contribute to the impact of our team by creating a vision for our campaigns that is aligned with our organizational theory of change. This will require creating engaging issue based campaigns and supporting E4E members who are interested in pursuing leadership in their unions to ensure they are democratic, diverse, and student-focused. This individual should have deep knowledge of how multiple pieces of a campaign (ie strategy, messaging, field, etc.) come together to achieve wins and a passion for managing individuals and teams towards impact.

Scope: What is the nature of the role?

In this role, you will report directly to the E4E-MA Executive Director. You will manage the local Organizing & Field team – with all E4E-MA Organizers reporting to you directly. The Deputy Director, Campaigns will serve as a member of the Local Leadership Team and will hold significant responsibility in ensuring the overall success and sustainability of the chapter, ultimately serving as second in command to the Executive Director. You will…

• Create the vision, goals and strategy for all chapter-level campaigns that bring together multiple functional areas such as organizing & field, communications, digital, policy, partnerships, etc. to change education policy and push unions to be more democratic, diverse, and student focused.
• Build comprehensive campaign plans and successfully align and manage two streams of work within the chapter, External Affairs and Organizing & Field, in the execution of chapter-based campaigns and goals
• Set goals and expectations for direct reports and support their performance and ongoing professional development 
• Collaborate effectively with national teams and other chapters to incorporate best practices, expertise and org-wide strategy in communications, policy, digital, and organizing into campaigns
• Support teamwide engagement and retention across the chapter through thoughtful engagement in vision setting, strategic planning and staff development
• Serve as a member of the local leadership team, strategic advisor, and second-in-command to the Executive Director of E4E-MA.

Qualifications & Requirements:

Experience: 

• 7-10 years of professional experience
• Experience managing direct reports and working across teams to drive organizational success
• Passion and commitment to E4E’s mission; experience working on issues relevant to our work; experience working in a policy/advocacy/systems-change organization preferred
• Prior experience with campaign management and/or a deep understanding of campaign tactics and strategies, including how to write and execute a field plan
• Prior experience leading a team in a fast paced environment, ideally one with an organizing or advocacy focus 
• Prior experience effectively managing multiple streams of work
• Exceptional communication and collaboration skills
• A coaching style that empowers others to thrive and do their best work  

Technical Skills: 

• Bachelor’s degree required
• Ability to produce and deliver clear, concise, formal and informal oral and written communications to a variety of audiences
• Exceptional organizational skills, high level of efficiency, and ability to manage operations and multiple projects at one time with precision
• Proficiency with G-Suite, Salesforce, and/or Voter Contact Platforms

Transportation: Often works out of the office or in the field

• Time will be divided between office meetings with staff within the organization, self-directed execution of tasks, and meetings with external stakeholders including donors and partners. 
• Must be able to work occasional weekends and evenings for programmatic events and other priorities.
• Must be willing to work long hours when needed to meet campaign deadlines.

Core Values: What beliefs do you embody? How do you approach your work?

• Equity: We look for opportunities to redistribute power in response to inequity.
• Achieve Ambitious Goals: We strive to have a transformational impact on the staff, teachers, and students we serve.
• Adjust Course: We take a resilient attitude towards roadblocks and adjust strategies to ensure progress to goal.
• Empowering Feedback: We constantly give observable & actionable feedback in a way that demonstrates belief in our people.
• Communication: You listen actively and respond appropriately.
• Deep Belief in Mission: We believe change is possible, so we equip ourselves to achieve it.

Positional Skills – What can you do well? 

• Organizing, Planning and Executing – Sense of urgency and demonstrated self-motivation, ability to work both independently and collaboratively to meet ambitious goals.
• Allocating and Managing Resources A practical ability to get things done; the ability to set clear priorities, delegate, and guide investment in people and systems.
• Building High Performing Teams – Hire high-quality, talent whose strengths match the needs of the work; develops an environment of camaraderie and collaboration that enables teams to meet & exceed goals
• Thinking Holistically & Making Connections – Connects the work to the big picture, identifies opportunities to streamline tactics and integrate streams/functions 
• Conducting Rigorous Analysis – Uses rigorous logic around aggregate data; performs a variety of analyses to inform decisions with broad impact and solve problems requiring diverse perspectives 
• Ensuring Diverse and Equitable Environments – Strong commitment to establishing a diverse, equitable, and inclusive work environment and to developing and retaining talent.

Functional Knowledge – What do you know a lot about?

• General knowledge of all functional areas of organizing (e.g. campaign organizing, building membership, movement building)
• General knowledge of all functional areas of external affairs (e.g. media & press, writing & public speaking, digital campaigns and marketing)
• Experience with union organizing, union bylaws & collective bargaining
• Demonstrated knowledge of local education policy landscape
• Demonstrated past experience with planning and facilitating trainings and meetings
• Working knowledge of contemporary data management practices and innovations that can streamline the campaign process and contribute to the integration of related functions
• General knowledge of MA legislature and workings

Compensation Policy

Educators for Excellence (E4E) is committed to valuing team members holistically in appreciation of their contribution to the organization’s success and for the good they create for society as part of our mission. While there are many facets of the “Total Rewards” package that come with working at E4E, compensation is a significant factor in a team member’s decision to work here. As such, we strive to attract, retain and reward top talent by offering competitive salaries and benefits that are equitably and transparently administered. Therefore, we do not engage in salary negotiations – our first offer is always our best offer!

The salary band for Deputy Director, Campaigns is $81,800–$122,571. 

*based on Boston, MA cost of labor

Within this range, our competitive, non-negotiable salary offer will be based on a candidate’s relevant experience and credentials, role-related competencies assessed through our robust hiring process, and geographic location. 

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

All new employees are required to comply with E4E’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, which requires all staff be fully vaccinated prior to the start of employment. An employee will be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the requisite number of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Employees may request an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief.

E4E abides by each state’s requirements, and acknowledges they may change over time. If you advance forward to an interview, you will have the opportunity to ask questions about this job requirement.

Benefits & Applying

Educators for Excellence (E4E) believes in providing employees with benefits to support self-care, wellness, and financial stability. We value the whole person and provide benefits such as; paid time off, health insurance plans, competitive salaries that include pre-tax benefits, and cell phone reimbursements. See more information about our benefits here.

E4E is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. E4E has a zero tolerance for discrimination, racism, xenophobia or misogyny in any form in our workplace. We strive to create a workplace where everyone feels a strong sense of belonging.

Accommodations: We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible interview experience and will ensure that all candidates are provided with reasonable accommodations that allow them to participate in the interview process. To request an accommodation, please email peopleandequity@e4e.org

EEOC questionnaire: We place a particular focus on recruiting staff members who share the backgrounds of the communities we serve. We encourage all applicants to complete our EEOC questionnaire as part of your application process (the form is included in your initial application). Completing the questionnaire will help ensure our People & Equity team are attracting a diverse pool of qualified candidates for each of our open positions. Please note this information is not included with your application, and our hiring managers do not have access to race and other identifying information at any point in the interviewing or hiring process, including after a hire is made.

E4E uses E-Verify when completing all new hire paperwork. For more information, visit here.