Director - Internal Strategy

Baltimore City Public Schools; Baltimore (MD); On-site; USD 119,000 - 203,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Benefits eligible

City Retirement System

Job summary

Baltimore City Public Schools is seeking a senior strategist to lead the Office of the Chief of Staff's internal planning and cross-department coordination. You will translate the CEO's vision and Board goals into measurable cabinet-level objectives, assign owners, and set timelines.

You will build and maintain systems like initiative trackers, scorecards, and dashboards, monitor progress, and drive continuous improvement in how the central office plans and executes district priorities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required; master's preferred.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives and strategic planning.
• Strong communication and project-management skills.

Responsibilities

• Develop and refine the district's internal strategic planning process.
• Plan, coordinate, monitor, and evaluate high-priority district initiatives.
• Map initiative ownership and workload across departments to balance work.
• Lead cross-departmental planning and strategy sessions.
• Establish governance structures and reporting cycles for accountability.
• Monitor compliance with plans, timelines, and policies; address variances.
• Oversee cross-functional projects and Board-directed priorities.
• Support organizational change management efforts.
• Provide guidance and development to Special Assistants and liaisons.
• Prepare executive-level reports and briefings for CEO, Chief of Staff, Cabinet, and Board.

Skills

Strategic planning

Cross-functional leadership

People management

OKRs

PMP

Lean Six Sigma

Change management

Communication

Education

Bachelor's degree

Master's degree

Tools

Microsoft Excel

PowerPoint

Job description

Leads internal strategy and cross-departmental alignment for the Office of the Chief of Staff, ensuring that the planning and implementation of the CEO's vision and the Board of School Commissioners' goals are carried out consistently across all departments. Serves as the district's central point for translating strategic priorities into clear, measurable, cabinet-level commitments and for tracking that those commitments are met. Builds and maintains the systems, rhythms, and tools - strategic roadmaps, initiative trackers, scorecards, and cross-departmental working agreements - that keep Cabinet coordinated, surface gaps and overlaps early, and keep ownership and workload for district priorities balanced. Monitors internal adherence to established plans, timelines, reporting requirements, and Board-adopted policies and administrative procedures, and leads continuous improvement of how the central office plans and executes together.

Essential Functions

• Leads the development, implementation, and continuous refinement of the district's internal strategic planning process, translating the CEO's vision and Board goals into measurable cabinet-level objectives, owners, and timelines.
• Directs the planning, coordination, monitoring, and evaluation of high-priority district initiatives, ensuring alignment with the district's strategic plan, established performance measures, and executive expectations.
• Ensures the planning and implementation of district goals land evenly across all departments by mapping initiative ownership and workload, identifying gaps, overlaps, and overextended teams, and recommending adjustments to the Chief of Staff.
• Leads cross-departmental planning and collaboration to ensure strategic alignment, effective communication, coordinated implementation, and successful delivery of shared priorities, including facilitation of recurring cross-functional strategy sessions.
• Establishes and maintains internal governance structures and operating rhythms (e.g., initiative trackers, scorecards, status reporting cycles, decision logs, escalation paths) that drive accountability and efficient execution.
• Monitors internal compliance with strategic plans, project commitments, deadlines, reporting requirements, and Board-adopted policies and administrative procedures; follows up on variances and ensures corrective actions are completed. Refers legal and regulatory questions to Legal Counsel and the appropriate offices.
• Oversees the identification, assessment, prioritization, and resolution of cross-departmental challenges through data-informed decision-making, root-cause analysis, risk assessment, and continuous improvement methodologies.
• Provides oversight and coordination of cross-functional special projects and Board-directed priorities, ensuring timely execution, stakeholder engagement, and achievement of desired outcomes.
• Supports organizational change management efforts by promoting a shared vision, fostering collaboration, and cultivating a culture of accountability aligned with district values and priorities.
• Provides strategic guidance, coaching, and professional development to Special Assistants and designated liaisons to build consistent planning, project management, and reporting practices.
• Develops executive-level reports, dashboards, presentations, briefing materials, and recommendations for the CEO, Chief of Staff, Cabinet, and Board.
• Facilitates meetings and represents the Chief of Staff in Cabinet, Board, and other meetings as needed.
• Completes internal and external reports accurately and promptly.
• Maintains confidential and sensitive information.
• Performs and promotes all activities in compliance with equal employment and non-discrimination policies; follows federal laws, state laws, school board policies, administrative regulations, and professional standards.

Maximum Salary 202832.00

Minimum Salary 118909.00

Full time or Part time Full time

Desired Qualifications

• Unless expressly stated otherwise with respect to the qualifications indicated in the position description, City Schools reserves the right to consider other combinations of applicable education, training, and experience which provide the knowledge, abilities, and skills necessary to perform effectively in the position.
• Bachelor's degree required from an accredited institute of higher education; master's degree preferred.
• At least ten years of relevant full-time professional experience with at least five years of people management experience and at least five years of progressively responsible experience in strategic planning, program or project management, operations, or organizational improvement, with successful, timely deliverables and positive outcomes; public education or government experience preferred.
• Demonstrated experience leading cross-functional teams or initiatives to completion without direct supervisory authority.
• Experience designing and maintaining performance-tracking systems such as scorecards, dashboards, and initiative trackers.
• Working knowledge of strategic planning and continuous improvement frameworks (e.g., OKRs, logic models, PDSA, root-cause analysis).
• PMP, Lean Six Sigma, or change management certification preferred.
• Exceptional verbal and written communication skills including the ability to make effective presentations to diverse audiences and convey complicated information with tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to exercise independent judgment, work quickly to analyze problems and recommend workable solutions including the planning and implementation of those solutions.
• Skill in research, presenting, and explaining policies and procedures, assembling data, preparing complex reports, and formulating and presenting recommendations with all levels of management to facilitate change, implement strategy, and accomplish objectives.
• Ability to multi-task, prioritize changing assignments, and organize busy workload, meet deadlines, and work well under pressure, while exercising excellent attention to detail.
• Interpersonal skills that ensure effective team building and commitment to collaborative work.
• Proficient skill in the use of technical computer applications, including electronic databases, Microsoft Office (including Excel and PowerPoint), and data visualization or project tracking tools.
• Working knowledge of school district operations and Board governance structures preferred.

Benefits -- This position is eligible for benefits. To review the available options please see the information relevant to the union for this position by viewing the following link: http://www.baltimorecityschools.org

This position is not affiliated with a bargaining union.

This position is affiliated with the City Retirement System.

In accordance with Maryland law, City School is required to share the position salary ranges in its entirety. Please note, this is not the hiring range. The hiring range for this position is ($118,909 - $166,022).