Managing Director, Leadership Development

Teach For America • Washington, DC

1d

About The Position

As a Managing Director, Leadership Development (MDLD), you will coach a cohort of corps members (CMs) to lead transformational classrooms, grounded in our universal program model and your region’s 2030 vision. You will support CMs from the moment they join Teach For America, helping them grow their instructional practice and leadership identity while navigating the broader ecosystem of schools, partners, and communities. Through deep, individualized coaching, data-informed decision-making, and strong partnerships, you will ensure that every CM in your cohort can drive meaningful outcomes for students today—and emerge from their two-year commitment with clarity about their long-term impact as alumni. No two weeks will look the same, and no job description can fully capture the adaptability, complexity, and depth this role requires. What we can promise: meaningful work, growth, and the chance to support emerging leaders who will help bring about One Day. In collaboration with regional and national partners, you’ll lead community-building efforts, facilitate coaching spaces, and contribute to the design and execution of practicum experiences. You’ll also partner closely with your regional team to develop a CM placement strategy aligned with 2030 goals and build strong relationships with schools, districts, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment and support. Using tools like CLASS, student surveys, and achievement data, you'll help CMs reflect on their practice and build personalized learning plans that drive both student outcomes and leadership growth. Beyond coaching, you’ll help implement our universal program model by managing key systems and analyzing data across your cohort, region, and national hub to inform strategy and ensure compliance. The ideal candidate is a strong relationship-builder with leadership coaching experience, an impact-centered approach, and a systems-level understanding of the CM ecosystem. You are skilled at managing multiple work streams, using data to drive decisions, and working both collaboratively and independently toward bold outcomes for students and corps members alike. For this role, supporting corps members in Washington, D.C., experience and expertise in Special Education is highly preferred.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree
• 7+ years experience, with specific experience in leadership coaching and/or leading adults
• You must complete both the Primary (PreK-3rd) and Secondary CLASS certifications prior to conducting your first CLASS observation which typically happens in October. CLASS certification for each area requires you to complete a 2-3 day CLASS course and successfully pass a certification assessment (this training is provided by TFA). If you start in the role midyear, you will be expected to enroll in a CLASS course within your first month to start the certification process. You will also be expected to renew your CLASS certifications annually.
• You must also enroll in and successfully complete an Executive Coaching Program (at TFA’s expense) within the first two years in the role, or show proof of previous completion of an ICF-accredited Coaching program.
• Willing to work flexible hours with some nights and weekends; willing to travel 1-2 times per year for conferences

Nice To Haves

• Master’s degree in School Administration/Leadership or another applicable area; Special Education
• Experience as an Assistant or School Principal
• Experience coaching and advising capable and competent leaders through complex challenges towards impact
• Experience in Special Education, delivering PD for Special Education teachers and targeted support
• Experience in both public and charter schools
• A track record of getting results while managing multiple large-scale projects simultaneously
• Deep investment in TFA’s mission and a commitment to live out our core values and our commitment to people, community, and opportunity for all
• Belief that there is a place for both standard and customized approaches to supporting CMs in service of both of universal program model and a region’s contextualized 2030 goal
• Strategic thinker able to analyze multiple data sources, conduct needs assessments, and plan effectively across different levels (cohort, region, hub).
• Skilled in both high-level visioning and detailed execution, including operational tasks and compliance follow-up.
• Strong relationship builder with exceptional interpersonal, communication, and emotional intelligence skills.
• Effective at managing up and collaborating with multiple managers to drive development and impact.
• Strong problem solver who can independently develop strategies without templates and effectively engage others as thought partners.
• Demonstrated ability and enthusiasm for inquiry-based leadership coaching over instructional coaching.
• High adaptability, self-awareness, and commitment to accountability and continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to: work with a significant level of autonomy, and make strategic decisions in varying and nuanced situations develop and cultivate effective relationships with diverse internal and external stakeholders and support them in contributing to a shared goal listen, learn, and earn credibility with all constituencies, then decisively move forward to implement agreed-upon solutions manage multiple priorities, prioritize effectively, and alternate fluidly between thinking about the big picture and executing on specific strategies

Responsibilities

• Set and execute the overall vision and strategy for coaching a cohort of CMs aligned to the universal program model and regional 2030 vision.
• Lead the development and cultivation of strong school partnerships across all cohort placements to enhance CM support, development, and retention and to drive student impact.
• Collaboratively set and lead the overall vision and strategy for teacher leadership group experiences, ensuring alignment with the universal program model and regional 2030 vision.
• Across all workstreams, operate with a deep internalization of our shared programmatic metrics and goals to guide your work, monitor progress towards outcomes, and evolve the vision and strategy as necessary to account for new information and/or current results.
• Serve as an “all hands on deck” team member to both Corp Member Leadership Development team (CMLD) and your regional team by adding capacity to projects and initiatives as they arise.
• Preferably, serve as an expert in Special Education for our entire corps.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director