State Policy Director, Postsecondary Education

Job Description

Job Description

Job Summary :

Commit Partnership is seeking a detail-oriented, solutions-based leader to join the Policy & State Coalitions Team to play a crucial role in advancing systemic change with an emphasis on advocacy to state legislators and agencies.

Commit’s Policy & State Coalitions team has played an integral role in the passage of several pieces of meaningful legislation at the state level to improve student outcomes, including historic community college finance reform in the 2023 Texas legislative session that shifted funding from enrollment to performance outcomes with equitable weighting for students who need additional support.

Under the direction of the Managing Director of Policy & State Coalitions, the Director of Postsecondary Education will work closely with all members of the Commit team, particularly the Communications team and the Analytics & Insights team, and will manage two staff members.

A critical part of this role is partnering with Commit’s programmatic initiatives including Dallas County Promise, Texas Impact Network, and Dallas Thrives among others to understand their work and what legislative and regulatory changes can support their efforts.

The director will collaborate with the other members of the Policy Team to research, develop, advocate for, and implement policy priorities at the state level that support Commit’s true north goal and programmatic initiatives.

This role will partner closely with the State Policy Director, Early Childhood and PK-12 Education to foster a positive and supportive team culture, share resources, and ensure a coherent policy strategy from early childhood to postsecondary achievement.

Job Responsibilities :

Policy agenda formation

• Work with the internal policy team and programmatic partners as well as key external stakeholders and coalitions to develop, refine, and execute a state-level postsecondary policy agenda (both regulatory and legislative) that improves student outcomes, closes student achievement gaps, and increases workforce readiness.
• Determine relevant rulemaking opportunities, and monitor opportunities for other regulatory or legislative engagement.
• Develop a strategy to mobilize broad and diverse coalitions to support these policy priorities, including strategies for interim charge approval and hearings, rulemaking opportunities, and other opportunities as made available.
• Work with the Communications team to develop and activate relevant communications strategies.

Relationship Management

• Develop and maintain trusted relationships with legislative leaders, staff, and relevant agency staff and leadership.
• Build strategic relationships and alliances with senior leaders from programmatic initiatives and other partners statewide who are involved in similar policy priorities or are stakeholders.
• Establish, facilitate, and mobilize coalitions as needed. Provide regular communication and updates so partners are aware of progress and can provide input.

Build consensus on policy recommendations to share with agencies / legislators.

• Equip advocacy partners to influence and advise on postsecondary policies at the state level.
• Provide communication and enhance knowledge among the general public about the policy agenda : presenting to Chambers, grassroots organizations, etc.
• Supervise relevant team members and assist with team strategy
• Manage junior members of the Policy & State Coalitions team.
• Co-create goals, coach, and provide annual reviews and professional development.
• Support with hiring, onboarding, and training of new Policy staff.
• Support strategic planning and goal-tracking for the Policy & State Coalitions team.
• Oversee team budget with the Managing Director.

Qualifications and Experience :

• 7+ years of work experience preferred, with at least 4 years in a postsecondary education policy and / or public policy role advocating to the state Legislature and / or relevant agencies
• Strong interpersonal communication skills, both written and oral, including group facilitation and public speaking
• BA / BS degree in a related field; Master’s degree a plus
• Demonstrate understanding of the structure, operations, and challenges facing postsecondary education institutions, including community colleges, public universities, and private colleges;

knowledge of the Texas postsecondary landscape preferred.

• Ability to build strong, trusting relationships with key internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to communicate complex ideas and strategies in a simple, motivating way
• A team player who works nimbly across the organization and team with humility and urgency
• Strong project management skills, attention to detail, and follow-through

Benefits Summary :

• Hybrid position
• Health insurance plans through BCBS (medical), Guardian (dental), and VSP (vision), including FSA and HSA plans.
• 401k plan (Roth and traditional)
• Professional Development stipend
• EAP access through BCBS
• 8 paid holidays, 16 hrs. volunteer hours, 2 hrs. voting leave
• Flexible PTO
• And more!

Salary Band : $110-$126K

About The Commit Partnership :

Our Mission

We believe that through our actions, Dallas County which educates 10% of Texas and 1% of the nation can be an inclusive and prosperous region where economic opportunity is shared equitably.

That’s why our true north goal is that by 2040 at least half of all 25-34-year-old residents of Dallas County, irrespective of race, will be provided the opportunity to earn a living wage.

To increase living wage attainment, we must equitably increase educational success aligned with high-demand jobs, maximizing the cumulative impact from early education all the way to college, career, and / or military readiness and accessing and completing a strong postsecondary education.

Our staff aligns community stakeholders around this shared future roadmap analyzing data to lift up strategic initiatives that improve policies, practices, and funding that grow our community’s capacity to serve every student more effectively.

Our Story

Founded in 2012, this partnership is the nation’s largest educational collective impact organization, composed of backbone staff and over 200 partners across Dallas County and the state of Texas working collaboratively to solve systemic education challenges.

Our staff aligns community stakeholders around a shared future roadmap analyzing data to lift up strategic initiatives that improve policies, practices, and funding that grow our community’s capacity to serve every student more effectively.

Together, we work to advocate for excellent and equitable public education that ensures all students regardless of race, place, or socio-economic status have the power to determine their future and earn a living wage.

We do this work through several ventures including Early Matters Dallas, North Texas Tutoring Corps, Dallas County Promise, Texas College Bridge, Dallas Thrives, Commit’s Policy Team, the Texas Impact Network, and several coalitions.

True North Traits

Our True North Traits creates a mission-driven environment and champions us to do our best work each day.

Systemic Impact : You understand the barriers and lived experiences that our students face and are skilled at delivering systemic solutions at scale that address these needs.

You achieve significant, sustainable results that increase equitable outcomes through your work (including the reallocation or improvement in public funding), and you recognize the difference between activity and impact.

Judgment : You exhibit a relentless students first focus by thinking strategically about what data must be collected, analyzed, visualized, and activated (and what steps must be taken, in what order) to cause resources to be reallocated and actions to be taken to systemically overcome the root causes hindering achievement of the Partnership's mission.

Communication : By listening to understand before seeking to be understood, you’re able to build trust and facilitate collaboration across lines of difference, recognizing that both are essential to our success.

You are also able to find common ground with diverse stakeholders and can tailor the organization's message to different audiences as needed to influence meaningful change.

Innovation : You can create or meaningfully contribute to the design and execution of a systemic and transformational strategic plan to solve complex problems, often at scale, that improves organizational effectiveness and / or closes equity gaps for our students and families.

Equity and Inclusion : You intentionally create spaces where relevant stakeholders have a seat or voice at the table, ensuring that each person at the table's thoughts and perspectives are shared, valued by all others at the table, and reflected in our work.

You're excited to help build and / or contribute to teams where everyone feels welcomed, respected, valued, and highly supported.

Joy : You recognize that people are central to our work, striking a balance between people and process, and you inspire others with your optimism and thirst for substantive change in service to the mission.

Integrity : You admit mistakes openly, share learnings widely, and elevate bad news quickly, also capable of making difficult decisions in all situations to ensure the success of the organization.

The Commit Partnership is an Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to hire individuals with backgrounds similar to that of the stakeholders they serve.

As an organization that embraces equity and inclusion, all employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and / or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws.

Commit does not sponsor visas of any kind.

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