Director of School & District Partnerships

KID Museum; Bethesda (MD); On-site; USD 85,000 - 95,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Competitive benefits package

Job summary

KID Museum is seeking a mission-driven Director of School & District Partnerships to lead discovery, scoping, pricing, and contracting for partnerships with school systems across the region and beyond. This role blends consultative sales, strategic partnership management, and thought leadership to expand access to high-impact STEM learning for students and teachers.

You will build authentic relationships, manage the full proposal cycle, and work with Advancement and Finance to refine K-12

Qualifications

• 8+ years in partnerships, sales, or biz dev with schools or STEM orgs.
• Strong understanding of K-12 ecosystems and federal education funding.
• Proven success developing and renewing education partnerships, including multi-year agreements.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree preferred.

Responsibilities

• Identify and cultivate relationships with districts, CMOs, and education orgs.
• Lead scoping, pricing, and contracting to secure partnerships.
• Manage proposal cycles from idea to signed agreements.
• Collaborate with Advancement and Finance on pricing strategies.
• Maintain pipeline tracking and CRM documentation.
• Support documentation and refinement of systems driving revenue growth.

Skills

Partnerships

Sales

Business development

Education nonprofits

STEM education

K-12 ecosystems

Stakeholder navigation

Bachelor's degree

Education

Bachelor's degree

Advanced degree

Job description

What if your next role helped transform how a generation of students learns?

KID Museum is expanding its impact, and we're seeking a mission-driven, relationship-oriented leader to serve as our next Director of School & District Partnerships. This is an ideal role for someone who thrives at the intersection of innovative STEM programming, K-12 systems, and strategic partnerships.

If you're energized by building authentic relationships, navigating complex educational landscapes, and turning conversations into transformative learning opportunities for students and teachers - this role was made for you.

About the Role

As the Director of School & District Partnerships, you will lead the discovery, scoping, pricing, and contracting stages of our partnership cycle. You'll drive new business development while also supporting renewals with school systems across the region and beyond.

This role blends consultative sales, strategic partnership management, and thought leadership, helping KID Museum expand access to high-impact STEM learning experiences - especially for historically underrepresented students.

What You’ll Do

Relationship Identification & Cultivation

• Grow our K-12 partner pipeline by building trusted relationships across districts, CMOs, and education organizations.
• Lead cultivation calls and partner meetings that move opportunities toward commitments.
• Represent KID Museum at conferences and convenings, translating new connections into actionable next steps.

Scoping, Pricing & Contracting

• Draft scopes of work and pricing models aligned to partner needs and our program portfolio.
• Manage the full proposal cycle—from initial ideas to signed agreements and clean handoffs to program delivery teams.
• Collaborate with Advancement and Finance to refine K-12 pricing strategies.
• Maintain accurate pipeline tracking, forecasting, and CRM documentation.

Internal Collaboration & Systems Strengthening

• Become an expert on KID's K-12 offerings to effectively communicate program impact and customization options.
• Set and achieve revenue targets across school and district portfolios.
• Facilitate feedback loops that strengthen both our partnerships and our internal practices.
• Support documentation and refinement of systems and tools that drive revenue growth.

What You Bring

Experience & Technical Skills

• 8+ years experience in partnerships, sales, business development, or similar roles within or alongside school districts, CMOs, education nonprofits, or STEM-focused organizations.
• Strong understanding of K-12 ecosystems and federal education funding.
• Proven success developing and renewing education partnerships, including multi-year agreements.
• Experience in consultative sales, client services, or roles requiring navigation of multiple stakeholders.
• Bachelor's degree required; advanced degree in education, public policy, business, or related field preferred.
• Background in Education and STEM is highly valued and strongly preferred.

Core Competencies

• Mission Alignment: Commitment to expanding STEM access for historically underrepresented students.
• Strategic Relationship Building: Skillful at navigating complex conversations with clarity, warmth, and influence.
• Exceptional Communication: Excellent writer and presenter who can quickly build rapport and craft compelling proposals.
• Project Management: Strong ownership, organization, and follow-through across multiple workstreams.
• Critical Thinking: Ability to identify roadblocks and design creative, practical solutions.
• Growth Mindset: Values feedback, continuous improvement, and collaboration

Compensation and Location: The salary range for this position is $85,000-95,000 (commensurate with experience) and it is offered along with a competitive benefits package. The position is based in Bethesda, MD.

About KID Museum

KID Museum is the nation's leading educational makerspace for youth. We empower young people through hands-on, maker-centered learning that builds creativity, STEM fluency, innovation skills, and real-world problem solving. We focus on expanding access for students historically underrepresented in STEM and partner with school districts, policymakers, and funders across the DC region and beyond to deliver learning at scale. Learn more: www.kid-museum.org

Diversity, Equity, Accessibility and Inclusion are important, interdependent components of everyday life at KID Museum and are critical to our pursuit of excellence. KID Museum is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on race, color, religion, national origin, age, gender, sex, ancestry, citizenship status, mental or physical disability, genetic information, sexual orientation, veteran status, or military status.