MD, Leadership Development - Rhode Island

Teach For America; Rhode Island; On-site; USD 93,000 - 142,000; Full time

Job summary

Teach For America is seeking a Managing Director, Leadership Development (MDLD) located in Rhode Island. You will coach a cohort of corps members to grow instructional practice and leadership identity, supporting them from joining to post-program alumni.

You will lead coaching spaces, practicum experiences, and CM placement strategy while partnering with regional and national teams. Strong relationship-building and data-informed decision-making are essential.

Qualifications

• Minimum Bachelor’s degree required.
• 7+ years experience in leadership coaching or leading adults.
• CLASS certifications required before first CLASS observation; Executive Coaching Program enrollment required.

Responsibilities

• Coach a cohort of corps members to develop instructional practice and leadership identity.
• Lead community-building, coaching spaces, and practicum design with regional/national partners.
• Use data sources (CLASS, surveys, achievement data) to inform coaching and learning plans.
• Support CM placement strategy and relationships with schools, districts, and partners.

Skills

Leadership coaching

People management

Data-informed decisions

Relationship building

Education

Bachelor’s degree

Job description

TEAM: National Team - Corps Member and Alumni Leadership Development (CMALD) REPORTS TO: BOTH SMD, Leadership Development AND Regional Point of Contact LOCATION: Must be located in Rhode Island geographic area PRIORITY APPLICATION DEADLINE: October 2, 2026. Applications submitted after this deadline will be reviewed on a rolling basis. ROLE FUNCTION: Learning and Development ROLE FOCUS: Coaching ROLE CAREER LEVEL: IC4

WHAT YOU’LL DO

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.

A WEEK IN THE LIFE

Likely no two weeks in the MDLD role will look exactly the same! As a member of both the Rhode Island regional team and Northeast Program Hub, you'll coach a cohort of approximately 40 corps members across Providence, Pawtucket, Central Falls, and Woonsocket while collaborating with regional, hub, school, and community partners. Throughout the year, you'll observe corps members using CLASS, analyze data, and lead coaching conversations that support their leadership development and student impact. You'll build relationships with school leaders across a range of school contexts, navigating both strong partnerships and situations that require difficult conversations, accountability, and creative problem-solving. As Rhode Island is a self-certifying region, you'll also lead programming and monitor progress connected to state certification requirements. Your work will regularly shift between coaching individual corps members, facilitating corps-wide learning, collaborating with colleagues and partners, analyzing data, and completing the operational follow-through that keeps the program running smoothly. Success in this role requires being able to move between the balcony and the weeds—setting vision and direction while staying close to the relationships, details, and execution required to bring that vision to life.

WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

• 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 A Leadership Development team (CMALD) and your regional team by adding capacity to projects and initiatives as they arise.

YOUR EXPERIENCE

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree
• 7+ years experience, with specific experience in leadership coaching and/or leading adults

Required Training and Certification: 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.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience supporting special education programming, multilingual learners/English language learners, or educators serving those student populations is preferred
• Master’s degree in School Administration/Leadership or another applicable area
• School leadership experience is welcomed but not required; candidates with strong adult coaching, teacher leadership, instructional leadership, or comparable experience are encouraged to apply
• Experience coaching educators or other adult leaders through complex challenges, particularly through an inquiry-based or leadership coaching approach
• A track record of getting results while managing multiple large-scale projects simultaneously
• Bilingual or multilingual skills are a plus

Skills & Orientations

• 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

THE TEAM

As a MD, Leadership Development, you will be a member of both the Teach For America Program team and of the region(s) you support. The Program Team is responsible for defining the type of systems-change leadership required to reach "One Day" and how to best develop that leadership through the act of teaching. We provide, develop, and or connect people to resources and experiences of superior quality, relevance, and efficiency that empower and support regions in optimally developing leadership through the act of teaching in ways that can be adapted to their specific contexts. As a result, our teachers are more likely to feel part of a connected and thriving community, increasingly achieve meaningful and enduring impact, and commit to systems-change leadership in their work for educational equity.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

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 are set forth below. These ranges may be modified in the future.

Tier A: $93,300-$120,300

Tier B: $101,700-$131,100

Tier C: $110,100-$141,900

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.