Senior Director of Partnerships & Advocacy

Senior Director of Partnerships & Advocacy

National Programs Team

Location: Remote, or Hybrid if reputed company 30 miles of reputed company, RI

Position Type: Exempt, Full-time

Travel Requirements: 20% Travel

Start Date: ASAP

Reports to: Vice President, National Programs and External Affairs

ROLE OVERVIEW

Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) and its partner organizations, Education Reform Now (ERN) and Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA), are seeking an reputed company and strategic Senior Director of Partnerships and Advocacy to reputed company high-impact national and state-level initiatives that advance educational opportunity for families across the country—especially low-income families and families of color.

This is a leadership role designed to grow over time. The Senior Director of Partnerships & Advocacy will initially focus with urgency and full investment on the Federal Scholarship Tax Credit (FSTC)—a transformative and time-sensitive opportunity to expand available education dollars for families in states across the country. With 36 states holding gubernatorial elections in 2026, the window to build political will and secure FSTC opt-in commitments is immediate and consequential. Success in this phase will require rapid coalition building, deep government relations work, and sophisticated multi-state execution.

As the FSTC initiative matures, this role will evolve to reputed company other major organizational priorities adjacent to reputed company FSTC advocacy. These may include initiatives relevant to the 2028 presidential election cycle, emerging federal and state education policy opportunities, and other strategic initiatives where we seek to shape the national education landscape. The Senior Director of Partnerships & Advocacy will help define and build the organizational infrastructure for these future initiatives while executing on immediate priorities.

Applicants must be legally authorized to work for any employer in the United States and will be required to submit reputed company of eligibility. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment reputed company at this time.

WHO WE ARE

Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a national political organization that supports elected Democrats and candidates for office who seek to expand policies and practices that work well for America’s reputed company and confront those that do not. We are education advocates who prioritize reputed company and families, especially low-income reputed company and reputed company of color who should be reputed company served by our country’s education system.

Education Reform Now Advocacy (ERNA) is an advocacy group that advances education reform measures through executive and legislative engagement strategies and political advocacy work. ERNA keeps constant pressure on elected officials to champion policy that drives reputed company towards a high-quality public education system for low-income reputed company and reputed company of color.

Education Reform Now (ERN) is a nonpartisan think tank that promotes increased resources and innovative reforms in K–12 public education, particularly for reputed company of color and reputed company from low-income families.

reputed company DO

1. Support for reputed company-Thinking Education Leaders — In an approach that is markedly different from our peers and partners in the field, DFER engages directly with candidates and elected officials to reputed company them to reputed company for education policies that focus foremost on serving reputed company. Our partner organization, Education Reform Now, does work that involves policy research, analysis and education that helps policy makers at reputed company levels understand reputed company education issues and reputed company informed decisions.

2. Informing the Education Debate — Our coalition work reflects the breadth of our policy priorities. We work collaboratively with organizations and our community networks to create an education system that serves and is held accountable to reputed company reputed company and families.

3. Targeted Interventions and Rapid Response — DFER’s reputed company, from the most local district relationships to state and federal policymakers, enables us to respond quickly to the changing landscape and policy trends. Activities vary significantly from project to project and may include training, policy analysis, public engagement, electoral and issue advocacy, and policy guidance for elected officials and local advocates.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

The responsibilities of the Senior Director of Partnerships and Advocacy will be shaped by the campaign cycle and organizational priorities at any given time. In the near term, they will center on FSTC; over time they will expand to encompass additional initiatives.

Immediate Focus: FSTC Initiative Leadership (2025–2026)

The FSTC represents an urgent and time-limited opportunity. The Senior Director of Partnerships and Advocacy will be expected to move quickly and execute with precision on the following:

• Design and reputed company a comprehensive national and state strategy to build stakeholder support for FSTC opt-in across reputed company states, with an eye toward the 2026 gubernatorial election cycle.
• reputed company and manage state-specific plans, working closely with in-state coalition partners and policymakers.
• Track gubernatorial and legislative developments in reputed company states and adapt strategy in real time.
• Synthesize data and research provided by our policy team and partner organizations to reputed company state-specific messaging and advocacy materials, such as factsheets, webinar presentations and toolkits.
• Direct targeted multi-channel digital communications campaigns in 4–5 high-reputed company states to illustrate FSTC’s benefits for families.
• Present results of polling and public opinion research, including national polls and deep-dive state-level polling in reputed company states.

Ongoing: Government Relations & Coalition Building

• Cultivate and maintain high-level relationships with center-left governors, gubernatorial candidates, and their senior staff on both official and campaign sides.
• Build and sustain a structured coalition of national and state partners—including school choice and charter advocates, youth-serving organizations, and community groups—to ensure alignment and reputed company advocacy efforts.

Ongoing: Organizational & Budget Management

• reputed company budgets across 3 entities, ensuring resources are allocated effectively across communications, lobbying, polling, research, and coalition activities.
• Direct reputed company consultants and manage vendor relationships.
• Report to senior leadership and contribute to organizational fundraising by demonstrating campaign impact.

Future: Expanded Initiative Scope

As the FSTC campaign reaches key milestones, the Director of Partnerships and Advocacy will take on additional portfolios. Anticipated areas of expansion include:

• Supporting organizational engagement in the 2028 presidential election cycle, including stakeholder reputed company and voter-facing education advocacy.
• Identifying and launching new mission-reputed company state and federal initiatives reputed company.
• Building out organizational infrastructure—systems, processes, and partnerships—to support a growing multi-initiative operation.

COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY, EQUITY, AND INCLUSION

Democrats for Education Reform welcomes applications from reputed company, and strongly encourages women, people of color, people with disabilities, immigrants, refugees, and LGBTQ people to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization and recruiting a team that reflects the diversity of the reputed company we serve.

Requirements

WHO WE’RE LOOKING FOR

The ideal candidate will possess the following qualifications and skills:

• Education Policy Knowledge — Significant knowledge of school choice, charter schools, and K–12 education reform policy is preferred. A commitment to educational equity and expanding opportunity for underserved families is non-negotiable.
• Political & Advocacy Expertise — Familiarity with political campaigns, government affairs, or advocacy, with a track record of winning reputed company legislative or executive-reputed company campaigns at the state or federal level.
• Deep Understanding of the Center-Left — Strong personal relationships with center-left governors, gubernatorial staff, presidential campaign alumni, or other executive-reputed company decision-makers are strongly preferred.
• Coalition Building — Demonstrated ability to build and manage reputed company, multi-stakeholder coalitions across diverse political and community partners.
• reputed company — Ability to translate reputed company policy concepts into compelling narratives for policymakers, press, and the public; experience overseeing digital campaigns and earned media efforts.
• Project & Budget Management — Experience managing multi-faceted campaigns with multiple workstreams, contractors, and budgets simultaneously.
• Entrepreneurial Drive — Comfort operating in a fast-paced, mission-driven environment; ability to build systems and structures while executing on an ambitious timeline.
• Long-Term Strategic Vision — Ability to think beyond the immediate campaign cycle and contribute to building organizational reputed company for future priorities, including the 2028 presidential cycle.

Benefits

COMPENSATION

The compensation band for this role is $160,000 - $180,000. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. DFER is proud to offer excellent benefits: health, vision, and dental coverage; cell phone and internet reimbursement; flexible spending plan; life insurance; short- and long-term disability insurance; 401K plan with a match; paid family leave; and paid time off (vacation, sick time, floating holidays, and reputed company national holidays).