Director of School Partnerships

About WestEd

As a community of over 1,400 researchers, practitioners, consultants, and administrative professionals from all backgrounds and life experiences, we are committed to making a qualitative difference in the lives of youth, children, and adults. We conduct and apply research, develop evidence-based solutions, and provide consulting services across the country in both rural and urban communities to improve equitable outcomes for individuals from infancy through adulthood. Serving as trusted partners in the areas of education, health, and justice, our teams enhance capacity within communities and school districts to prioritize impact — asking the right questions, customizing methodologies, developing relevant tools, and implementing best practices specific to a diverse range of stakeholder needs.

WestEd supports individual initiative, excellence, and hard work of all individuals in our hiring and work practices. WestEd complies with all applicable federal and state anti-discrimination laws, as well as OFCCP requirements. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to disability, or status as a protected veteran.

SPECIAL NOTICE REGARDING THE WORK LOCATION OF THIS POSITION—Although WestEd provides the option of working at one of its facilities for employees, many roles allow employees to choose to work remotely for their own convenience. The decision to allow remote work at the employee's convenience is based on the requirements of the position or project in question.

The Opportunity

As the Director of School Partnerships, you will lead WestEd's efforts to expand the reach and impact of several Language and Literacy service lines, driving business development, marketing, and partnership strategy to grow revenue and deepen relationships with districts, schools, and state agencies. In a period when states, districts, and schools are seeking to accelerate literacy outcomes, you will work closely with WestEd’s program teams, communications team, and institutional development team to raise the visibility of Language and Literacy service lines and support their sustained growth.

As a key voice within Language and Literacy, the Director of School Partnerships will guide the development and implementation of a proactive business development strategy across multiple service groupings. Core responsibilities include developing and managing sales pipelines, raising the visibility of the team's brands and service lines, and building networks with key decision makers. This is an individual contributor role reporting to the Practice Area Director. The Director of School Partnerships will use expertise in business development, literacy policy and programs, and professional learning to help the team meet revenue goals while maintaining strong client relationships and satisfaction.

About the Team

WestEd's Language and Literacy team is a collaborative group of researchers, practitioners, technical assistance providers, and professional learning designers united by a shared commitment to excellence in literacy education. We partner with schools, districts, and state education agencies to strengthen literacy outcomes for all learners through professional learning design and facilitation, instructional coaching, and program evaluation across grade levels and contexts. We bring both rigor and care to everything we do, grounding our practice in research while centering the assets and experiences of the educators and students we serve. Our work reflects deep expertise supporting multilingual learners, students who struggle with reading, and educators working in diverse and under-resourced settings.

Responsibilities

Develop and manage sales strategy across multiple service lines (40%)

• Manage and build pipelines of new and repeat clients across service lines and service groupings, balancing near-term revenue goals with long-term client relationships.
• Identify new targets and leads, and manage lead generation and qualification processes for each service line.
• Identify competitors and market needs across the literacy and multilingual learner service space.
• Contribute to the development and execution of the team's business plan, including bid/no-bid criteria, proposals, and statements of work.
• Create and manage pursuit strategy and teams for major clients and opportunities.
• Coordinate across service groupings to identify cross-selling opportunities and avoid duplicated or conflicting outreach to shared partners.

Build and leverage networks with key decision-makers (30%)

• Identify, meet, and introduce program and content staff to known and new networks.
• Nurture existing partnerships while forming new relationships with state departments of education, local education agencies, and affiliated service providers.
• Develop and cultivate strong relationships with potential and existing clients, decision makers, and key influencers across the literacy and multilingual learner service space.

Raise the visibility of the team's service lines (20%)

• Develop and implement a strategy to represent service lines and staff expertise at key national and regional conferences aligned to business development goals.
• Collaborate with program teams and WestEd's Communication team to craft and implement outreach and visibility plans, and provide input on messaging.
• Raise the visibility of staff as thought leaders and trusted partners in literacy and multilingual learner education.
• Support cross-promotion of services with other WestEd program areas.

Contribute to the overall direction of the Language and Literacy team (10%)

• Serve as a member of the Language and Literacy leadership team.
• Provide feedback and insight from clients to help shape decisions about future program development, informed by ongoing research, strategic goals, and feasibility.
• Inform leadership about current market and user trends as they affect the team's brands and service lines.
• Guided by the team's strategic plan, help determine how service lines and grant-funded initiatives complement and leverage each other to expand reach and impact

What We Are Looking For

To help expand the positive impact of the team's service lines for educators and students from various backgrounds, we are looking for a passionate team member who has the following:

• Proven ability to draw on established networks to secure district, state, or foundation funding to increase equitable access to evidence-based services or products.
• Exceptional understanding of school district and state policies, structures, contracting practices, and funding mechanisms, especially as they relate to literacy, multilingual learner education, professional learning, and student outcomes.
• Bachelor's degree in education, business, or a related field, that provides the background to perform the responsibilities outlined above.
• At least five years of experience in business development, sales, or partnerships, ideally within education.
• Demonstrated experience marketing and selling a service, product, or asset, including familiarity with social media and other digital marketing channels.
• Entrepreneurial mindset and comfort operating in a fast-paced, evolving environment.
• Skilled in clearly and effectively presenting and writing for, as well as collaborating with diverse audiences of educators, policymakers, and other stakeholders.

Additional Experiences of Interest (Preferred, not required)

• Prior experience specifically within literacy, multilingual learner education, or adjacent K-12 academic content areas.
• Existing personal network among state departments of education or large urban/suburban district leaders.
• Experience with Customer Relationship Management software (e.g., Salesforce) or pipeline-tracking tools.
• Familiarity with federal grant-funded education initiatives and how they intersect with sales cycles.
• Prior experience in a nonprofit, research, or mission-driven organization where sales required translating complex or evidence-based content.
• Public speaking or media experience (webinars, podcasts, panels) that supports visibility-building goals.
• Experience managing pursuit teams or coordinating proposal efforts across multiple internal stakeholders.

Work Location and Travel

• This position may be based in a WestEd office or from a home office location.
• Ability to travel 40%, including in-person meetings with district and state partners, conferences, and team convenings across multiple states.

*Note: Visa sponsorship is not available for this position. Successful candidates must be authorized to work in the United States.

WestEd conducts a criminal background check and education verification for all new hires. Any offers of employment will be contingent on receiving a clear background check in accordance with applicable law.

SALARY AND BENEFITS:

The full salary range for this position, WestEd level (11), is $106,000 to $165,000, but WestEd does not typically hire at or near the top of the salary range. The typical hiring range for this role is $106,000 to $132,500. The actual offer considers multiple factors, including but not limited to education, experience, internal equity, and other organizational needs.

In addition to the base salary, benefits include:

· 15% contribution toward retirement effective day 1 of employment and immediately 100% vested

· Pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts and Health Savings Account option

· All health/welfare benefits are effective the first of the month following the hire date

· PTO: 19 days (increases to 21 days beginning the third year of employment), 12 paid holidays

· Life Insurance: value of 3x gross salary, max of 500k

· Opportunities for annual merit-based performance increases + annual incentives

· Professional development opportunities & mentorship program

For more details about our benefits, go to: WestEd is a Drug Free Employer and maintains a drug-free workplace. #Circa-Remote

Equal Opportunity Employer/Protected Veterans/Individuals with Disabilities

The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information. 41 CFR 60-1.35(c)

Originally posted on Himalayas