Managing Director, Partnerships (Connecticut)

Teach For America; Connecticut; On-site; USD 98,000 - 128,000; Full time

Job summary

Teach For America Connecticut seeks a Managing Director of Partnerships to build and steward mission-aligned coalitions with schools, districts, and organizations to drive impact locally and statewide. You will set the vision for partnership strategy and lead alumni engagement, contracting, and regional collaboration.

The ideal candidate brings 7+ years in mission-driven nonprofits, strong relationship networks in Connecticut, and willingness to travel.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree required.
• 7+ years of professional experience in schools, school districts, or mission-driven nonprofits serving under-resourced communities.
• Availability for occasional evening and weekend commitments based on role demands.
• Ability to travel for in-person meetings throughout Connecticut and occasionally to other states.

Responsibilities

• Build and steward deep, mission-aligned coalitions with schools, districts, and organizations to drive statewide impact.
• Set vision and direction for school partnership strategy across the region and manage alliances with partners.
• Lead alumni engagement strategies and create meaningful pathways for alumni to contribute to partnerships.
• Create and finalize contracts with partners, including data sharing agreements.
• Support local recruitment activities and network engagement as needed.

Skills

Communication skills

Travel willingness

Evening/weekend availability

Education

Bachelor's degree

Job description

ROLE TITLE: Managing Director, Partnerships (Full-Time) POSITION REPORTS TO: Sarah Diggs, Senior Managing Director (SMD), Strategy & Impact APPLICATION DEADLINE: Applications are due no later than Monday, October 19, 2026, by 11:59 PM ET. ANTICIPATED START DATE: January 2027 LOCATION: New Haven, Connecticut

WHAT YOU’LL DO

In order to achieve our vision, that one day all children have access to an excellent education, Teach For America Connecticut seeks a Managing Director of Partnerships who will build and steward deep, mission-aligned coalitions with schools, districts, and organizations to drive impact both locally and statewide. The focus of this role is to build and sustain partnerships with various constituents. The ideal candidate will have existing relationships and have worked in the communities we serve. You must be passionate about wanting to address the educational system in Connecticut that produces unequal outcomes, to ensure all children are set up for postsecondary success and a promising future. You will be responsible for setting vision and direction for school partnership strategy across the region and building and managing alliances/partnerships with organizations, institutions, and individuals who share a commitment to our mission. You will also lead the execution of alumni engagement strategies, fostering strong engagement and meaningful pathways for alumni to contribute to and advance Teach For America Connecticut’s partnerships and broader impact.

WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

• Partnership (30%) Build and deepen relationships with existing district, network, and community partners and explore new partners to advance shared goals, leveraging partnerships to strengthen impact across the state
• Ignite Fellowship (30%) Partner closely with districts, networks, and schools to facilitate strong implementation, resulting in clear evidence of student growth. Set and lead strategy for Ignite growth and execute on partnership expansion to increase reach while maintaining strong implementation.
• Alumni Leadership Development (20%) Lead the planning and execution of alumni engagement strategies that deepen connection to Teach For America Connecticut’s mission and create clear, meaningful pathways for alumni to engage. Cultivate and activate alumni relationships, leveraging alumni expertise and leadership to strengthen partnerships and advance collective goals for students across Connecticut.
• Contracts (10%) Create and finalize contracts with all partners, including data sharing agreements.
• Recruitment (5%) Support with local recruitment activities, including prospect/campus campaign support and network engagement.
• Agile Regional and Organizational-Wide Work (5%) Participate in regional and organizational events and initiatives

A WEEK IN THE LIFE

The work of the MD, Partnerships at Teach For America Connecticut, is fast-paced and externally focused, centered on building and sustaining the relationships that drive impact across the state. You will work in partnership with district, network, and school leaders to strengthen collaboration, strengthening partnerships for strong implementation resulting in student growth. Much of your time will be spent in schools and community settings, engaging with educators and partners and using real-time insights and data to inform partnership strategy and support program quality and expansion. Across the week, you will cultivate relationships with mission-aligned organizations and alumni, building coalitions and activating leadership that strengthens Teach For America Connecticut’s broader impact. In between, you will handle key operational responsibilities such as contracts, data‑sharing agreements, and recruitment support. Throughout it all, you will move fluidly between strategy and execution in service of the vision that one day all children in Connecticut will have access to an excellent education. You will be expected to be in person at the regional office in New Haven at least once per week to connect with colleagues and advance cross‑functional work and to be present throughout Connecticut, particularly in our current Ignite and corps member placement communities of Bridgeport, New Haven, and Hartford.

YOUR EXPERIENCE

Minimum Qualifications: Your areas of knowledge and expertise that matter most for this role Bachelor’s degree required 7+ years of professional experience in schools, school districts, or mission‑driven nonprofits serving under‑resourced communities Work demands Availability for occasional evening and weekend commitments based on role demands Ability to travel for in‑person meetings throughout Connecticut and occasionally to other states

BONUS (preferred qualifications)

• 3–5 years in a formal leadership role (school‑based, district, or network level) with responsibility for people, programs, or initiatives
• Master’s Degree
• Demonstrated commitment to community‑centered or equity‑driven work, reflected through professional experience, volunteer engagement, or mission‑aligned roles
• Demonstrated ability to make sound decisions in complex or high‑stakes environments
• Experience building and managing relationships across levels and functions, including with stakeholders of varying backgrounds or perspectives
• Experience influencing outcomes without direct authority, using relationships, data, or shared goals
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to tailor messages to different audiences
• Experience planning and executing projects or initiatives from concept to completion, including setting goals, timelines, and next steps
• Ability to provide others with effective professional development, coaching, and mentoring
• Strong organizational and prioritization skills, demonstrated by managing multiple workstreams simultaneously
• Ability to synthesize information and align strategies across multiple initiatives or stakeholders
• Experience using qualitative and/or quantitative data to inform decisions or recommendations
• Spanish language proficiency (conversational or professional)

THE TEAM

The Managing Director, Partnerships, will work on a small team of people committed to educational excellence and making a difference in the lives of children and communities in Connecticut.

YOUR COMPENSATION

The applicable salary range for each U.S.-based role is based on where the employee works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers according to a cost‑of‑labor index in that geographic area. Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job‑related factors, which may include education, training, experience, location, business needs, or market demands. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint, depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. The expected salary range for this role is set forth below. These ranges may be modified in the future.

• Tier B: $98,100-$127,800

You can view which tier applies to where you plan to work here. If your location is not listed, please click here for additional Total Rewards information. Whether you’re a seasoned professional or right out of college, chances are Teach For America has a staff role to fit your aspirations and career goals. Many of our employees are themselves TFA alumni, while others are new to the organization. Staff positions are available across the country. You can find full-time positions, or seasonal positions with our recruiting team and summer training programs. And, as a partner of Employers of National Service, we welcome candidates from AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, City Year, and other volunteer programs.

Teach For America is committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics (or those of a family member) or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. *Our job descriptions reflect Teach For America's assignment of essential functions and qualifications of the role. Nothing herein restricts management's right to assign, reassign or eliminate duties and responsibilities to this role at any time.