Principal Director, Board Coaching and Development (Director III)

Texas Education Agency; Austin (TX); On-site; USD 130,000 - 185,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Retirement through ERS

Employer-paid health insurance

Dental and vision options

Holidays, vacation leave, sick leave

Job summary

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) seeks a Principal Director of Board Coaching and Development to provide strategic leadership for statewide efforts to strengthen school board governance and boost superintendent capacity for student outcomes. The role partners with agency leadership to shape vision, priorities, and service models across initiatives like EISO and Lone Star Governance.

Position requires building alignment among senior leaders and external stakeholders, directing content strategy,

Qualifications

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
• At least seven years of experience in managing large, complex initiatives and programs, with school or district leadership and coaching experience
• At least two years of experience managing at least one direct report

Responsibilities

• Lead statewide vision, strategy, and implementation for TEA's board coaching and development portfolio.
• Oversee performance management, quality assurance, and statewide implementation of governance supports.
• Engage senior leaders and external partners to align content, coaching, and services with district priorities and student outcomes.
• Direct development and continuous improvement of learning content, training materials, and guidance for board governance and superintendent leadership.

Job description

Agency Information

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) oversees primary and secondary public education in Texas and is committed to improving outcomes for all public school students by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems across the state.

Core Values

• We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in pursuing our primary purpose of improving outcomes for students.
• We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain committed talent that reflects the diversity of Texas, with each individual contributing to our shared vision for students.
• We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on outcomes, and continuously improve in pursuit of excellence for students.
• We are Servant Leaders: We are public servants committed to improving opportunities for students and supporting those who serve them.

Job Description

The Principal Director of Board Coaching and Development provides strategic leadership for the Texas Education Agency's statewide approach to strengthening school board governance and improving boards' and superintendents' capacity to maintain a sustained focus on student outcomes. As a strategic partner to the Senior Director and agency leadership, the Principal Director establishes the long-term vision, priorities, and integrated service model for initiatives including Evaluating and Improving Student Outcomes (EISO) and Lone Star Governance (LSG).

The role translates agency priorities, legislative requirements, research, implementation evidence, and stakeholder feedback into differentiated, scalable, and sustainable strategies aligned with broader district leadership and school improvement efforts. The Principal Director directs the design and continuous improvement of content, training, certification, coaching, technical assistance, and quality-assurance systems delivered by internal teams, Education Service Centers, approved providers, vendors, and other partners.

The Principal Director builds alignment among senior agency leaders and external stakeholders, resolves complex strategic and implementation challenges, and engages with ESC leaders, in coordination with ESC Strategy and Support, as well as superintendents, school board members, and service providers, in support of agency priorities. Using performance data, stakeholder experience, implementation findings, and emerging trends, the role assesses statewide effectiveness and recommends policy, programmatic, and operational improvements.

The Principal Director also leads a high-performing team, develops staff and partner capacity, and aligns resources and workstreams to the portfolio's highest-impact priorities.

This role is situated within TEA's Division of District Strategic Leadership, which encompasses the following teams: Texas Strategic Leadership, Effective Frameworks and Diagnostics Alignment, Board Coaching and Development, Leadership Academies, and District Planning and Performance Management Supports.

This position requires up to 25% travel, based on business needs, to support program initiatives, collaboration, and operational priorities.

This position is a satellite role requiring candidates to be based in the state of Texas and will require frequent travel to the Austin area/across Texas.

Essential Functions

Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.

1. Statewide Vision, Strategy, and Innovation:

establish and advance the vision, strategic direction, priorities, outcomes, and success measures for TEA's statewide board coaching and development portfolio, including EISO and LSG; partner with agency leadership to translate requirements, research, evidence, and field needs into an integrated governance strategy; anticipate emerging challenges, recommend responsive service models and investments, and align content, provider certification, coaching, technical assistance, stakeholder experience, and operations to deliver high-quality, differentiated, scalable, and sustainable supports statewide

2. Strategic Performance Management, Quality Assurance, and Statewide Implementation:

establish and oversee systems for monitoring statewide implementation, service quality, stakeholder experience, fidelity of execution, and progress toward intended outcomes; regularly assess quantitative and qualitative information to identify patterns, risks, barriers, and opportunities for improvement; use findings to make strategic adjustments to programming, content, training, coaching, certification, and technical assistance; prioritize resources toward the highest-impact opportunities; and strengthen the agency's knowledge base regarding effective governance supports; set statewide quality standards and implementation expectations for board coaching and development initiatives, ensuring delivery models balance consistency in core expectations with appropriate differentiation for local context and need

3. Stakeholder Engagement and Systems Alignment:

develop and facilitate strategic stakeholder engagement with senior leaders across TEA; Education Service Centers, in coordination with the ESC Strategy and Support team; and school systems, school boards, approved providers, vendors, and other organizations whose work influences board and district leadership; lead cross-functional decision-making and resolve complex issues that span agency divisions, programs, and external organizations; ensure board coaching and development strategies complement broader district leadership, school improvement, and agency priorities while maintaining a clear focus on improving student outcomes

4. Content Strategy, Development, and Continuous Improvement:

lead the strategic design, development, and continuous improvement of content and resources that support school board governance, superintendent leadership, and student-outcome-focused governance practices; establish content priorities and frameworks that translate research, policy, implementation evidence, stakeholder feedback, and agency priorities into coherent learning experiences, tools, training materials, and guidance; ensure content remains aligned across coaching, certification, technical assistance, and professional learning systems while maintaining relevance, usability, and fidelity to program objectives; direct processes for evaluating content effectiveness, incorporating emerging evidence and field insights, and updating materials to support statewide scalability, consistency, and impact

5. Team Management and Supervision:

lead, coach, and develop an internal team responsible for board coaching and development; establish clear roles, goals, decision-making structures, and performance expectations; foster a collaborative, learning-oriented culture; and manage staff and resources toward ambitious program outcomes

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
• Experience: At least seven [7] years of experience in managing large, complex initiatives and programs, developing and/or implementing project and performance management systems, serving in a school or district leadership position, and coaching and developing school boards. At least two [2] years of experience managing at least one direct report.

Other Qualifications

• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military
• Track record of success as a district or campus leader in achieving strong student academic outcomes
• Demonstrated experience managing external vendors or consultants
• Strong understanding of school boards and good governance practices aligned to focus on student outcomes
• Proven ability to collaborate across teams and manage complex, cross-functional work
• Excellent content development and facilitation with senior executive leaders such as superintendents
• Track record of success building and managing a team towards ambitious goals by setting clear expectations and holding others accountable for performance including strong coaching and capacity-building skills to help new and existing teammates perform effectively
• Highly organized with strong planning and project management skills with the ability to balance the demands of multiple projects at different stages of development while maintaining quality and consistency across all work
• Problem-solving orientation, with an ability to break down complex information into component parts, ask questions, synthesize, and analyze
• Ability to build relationships and strong rapport with others, and an ability to manage relationships with senior district and internal agency stakeholders
• Meticulous attention to detail with an ability to produce high-quality work in a dynamic, collaborative environment
• Critical thinking and problem solving with the ability to break down complex information into comprehensive parts and communicate them
• Success leveraging different strategies and interpersonal skills to move the work forward, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability when presented with a change of course or deadline
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to give, receive and implement critical feedback

New hires, rehires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees within the same classification. Offers are based on the candidate's experience and qualifications and consider internal pay equity across employees performing similar work.

The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates whose qualifications exceed the role's requirements. The maximum of the range is typically reserved for candidates who significantly exceed the required and preferred qualifications.

Benefits

TEA employees receive a comprehensive benefits package through the State of Texas and the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS), supporting health, financial security, and work-life balance.

Benefits include:

• Retirement through ERS and employer-paid health insurance for eligible employees
• Optional dental, vision, and dependent coverage
• Paid state holidays, vacation leave, sick leave, and longevity pay
• Wellness programs, employee assistance programs, and professional development opportunities
• Eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program

To learn more about benefits available to State of Texas employees, please review the State of Texas Employee Benefits brochure and visit the TEA Compensation and Benefits page .

Military/Veteran Information

Applicants eligible for Military Employment Preference (MEP) will be considered in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

• Select the applicable Military Employment Preference category in the employment application.
• Upload supporting documentation verifying eligibility in the Attachments section of the application before submitting the application.

Important: Self-identifying as eligible for Military Employment Preference does not by itself establish eligibility. Supporting documentation is required for TEA to verify eligibility before Military Employment Preference can be applied during the selection process. Applicants who do not submit sufficient documentation may not be considered eligible for Military Employment Preference. This requirement is consistent with TEA's Military Employment Preference procedures.

For information about eligibility requirements, required supporting documentation, and instructions for claiming Military Employment Preference, please review the Military Employment Preference page, which outlines eligible categories, documentation requirements, and the eligibility verification process.

To explore how military experience may align with this role, applicants may review Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes within the State's Position Classification Plan. Please refer to the Military Crosswalk and select the occupational category that most closely corresponds with the classification listed in this job posting.

Additional Information

TEA is an equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal and state nondiscrimination laws. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age, or veteran status.

TEA does not sponsor or assume sponsorship of employment visas.

This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.

To learn more about working at TEA, including hiring timelines, process details, and candidate resources, please visit the Careers at TEA page .