VP External Affairs

Job Description &

Introduction to

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Vice President, External Affairs – The Opportunity

TEACH is the largest recruiter of teachers in the country, currently partnering with 8 State Departments of Education. In the next decade, we plan grow to all 50 states, which would make TEACH one of the largest and most impact-producing education reform nonprofits, changing the life trajectories of over 100 million students per year. We are seeking our inaugural Vice President of External Affairs to lead that growth.

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The reason TEACH is poised for such scale and impact is that roughly 80% of our budget is covered by earned revenue contracts with State Departments of Education (also known as State Education Agencies or SEAs). The VP External Affairs will be responsible for all new partnerships with SEAs and owning the annual revenue goal for the organization. In addition, you will own strategy and execution of all external-facing work. This is an opportunity for an inspiring communicator, savvy partnership manager, and skilled relationship-builder to propel TEACH’s growth to live into its mission in all 50 states.

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TEACH offers a fully remote working environment. The organization’s core values of Mission & Impact, Learning & Growth, and Care & Support are embodied through a generous benefits package, ways of working, and an ongoing commitment to ensure every individual is set up to thrive. , with a culture of care and support for every staff member.

VP External Affairs – Responsibilities

• Own revenue goals for the organization

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• Pursue and secure new earned revenue contracts with SEAs

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• Raise TEACH’s profile and reputation among SEA decision-makers

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• Oversee key contract renewals and securing legislated funding

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• Develop and manage relationships with aligned and allied advocacy groups

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• Manage TEACH’s lobbyists

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• Fundraise from foundations

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• Oversee advocacy efforts of our NY initiative

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• Serve on TEACH’s senior leadership team, which collaborates to set the overall vision, strategy, policies, and culture for the organization

VP External Affairs – Qualifications

• A compelling communicator to external audiences; able to effectively share TEACH’s mission and model and inspire involvement and allyship from a number of different audiences, including leaders in State Departments of Education, other policy makers, funders, advocates, and elected officials.
• A strong track record of developing new business amongst government agencies (or similar), resulting in multi-year earned revenue contracts (includes a base level of understanding related to contracting).
• An accomplished relationship manager with 3+ years of success in building authentic partnerships with and for nonprofits, government agencies, community partners, policymakers, funders and other supporters.
• A demonstrated commitment to TEACH’s mission and vision for attracting and keeping new, diverse talent in the teaching profession.
• Culturally competent and a self-reflective leader who understands the effects of race, class, ethnicity, income, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, and other dimensions of identity in society and is able to lead direct conversations about them.
• Strong writing and editing abilities, especially as it pertains to writing compelling grant proposals and reports, as well as persuasive documents of all kinds.
• Strategic thinker, creative problem-solver, and understanding of how to manage an organization’s profile and reputation among target audiences.
• Demonstrated success raising dollars from foundations strongly preferred.
• Experience working with and/or managing lobbyists or policy advocates is preferred.
• Understanding of state budget cycles and legislative funding processes is preferred.

TEACH was founded by the U.S. Department of Education

Our mission is to end the national teacher shortage and diversify the teaching profession

We are the recruiting arm of the teaching profession, partnering directly with State Departments of Education, school districts, and teacher preparation programs

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TEACH accomplishes its mission by

Rebranding the teaching profession through an ongoing PSA ad campaign (TEACH has put hundreds of millions of dollars of media behind it)

Deploying a Comprehensive Teacher Recruitment System, based on best practice research, emulating the most sophisticated recruiting organization in the country (US Army)

Supporting prospects to get over barriers that would stop them from becoming a teacher

Meeting Millennials and Gen Z where they are: on their phones, online, and on social media

After seven years of implementing and scaling our innovative model for attracting new talent into the teaching profession, TEACH has already become the larger recruiter of teachers and largest recruiter of teachers of color in the country

To deploy our model, we currently partner with State Departments of Ed, universities, and school in districts in ten states/metros:  

CT

CO

NC

SA

SC

We generate earned revenue from State Departments of Education

Financially sustainable

We built our platform to scale: it is robust, replicable, and realizes strong economies of scale

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We plan to scale to 50 states

Scalable

High ROI

We have the highest ROI (i.e., lowest cost per outcome) model that exists for bringing new talent into teaching

DFW

Our model is….

NY

HOU

NM

MN

We welcome talented teammates from anywhere in the country

We intentionally foster a culture of care and support

TEACH is a virtual org

We enjoy the convenience of working virtually

from home

TEACH Team

Strategy, Policy, and Research

You’d be joining a team of 54 dedicated “TEACHers”

Learn about your potential future teammates here

Further Reading

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Still curious to learn more?

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Click here for further details about the problem TEACH is addressing, the model, and the team