Senior Managing Director, Partnerships

Teach For America; Sacramento (CA); On-site; USD 119,000 - 159,000; Full time

Job summary

Teach For America is seeking a dynamic Senior Managing Director of Alumni Partnerships in Sacramento, CA. You will shape statewide and regional alumni strategies, cultivate high-impact partnerships with school systems and communities, and lead the expansion of the School Leadership Lab program.

You will coordinate external affairs, alumni engagement, and cross-sector partnerships while guiding fundraising and sustained collaboration across California.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required.
• Ability to develop and execute complex strategies and manage high-stakes partnerships.
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives or community coalitions.
• Expertise navigating K-12 education ecosystems and working with public officials.
• Strong organizational and communication skills, including contract management and external engagement.
• Experience with program implementation, particularly in school or district settings.
• Strong facilitation and relationship-building skills with the ability to drive alignment across multiple stakeholders.
• Proficiency in tracking and using data to inform decision-making.
• Comfort with CRM systems, alumni engagement platforms, and data visualization tools.
• Track record of meeting and exceeding goals while managing multiple projects simultaneously.
• Willingness to work occasional weekend or evening work hours.

Responsibilities

• Statewide Alumni Strategy (40%) Vision & Strategy: Socialize the One CA alumni strategy among external stakeholders, building buy-in and momentum for statewide progress, and implement vision and strategy to secure partnerships with high-impact organizations across the state.
• Cultivation: Develop strategic infrastructure and processes to cultivate and steward key high-impact partners and maintain relationships with officials, communities, schools, and networks.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Leverage internal leaders to support partnerships and event planning across the state.
• School Leadership Lab Partner Strategy (40%) Vision & Strategy: Build and socialize a Lab vision among external stakeholders and implement a strategy to secure school and district partnerships.
• Portfolio Management: Oversee a portfolio of school and community partnerships with alignment to regional goals and initiatives.
• Build Sustainability: Lead local fundraising for the School Leadership Lab and pursue external opportunities.
• Network-in-Action: Connect Lab participants to Teach For America network leaders and alumni.
• Regional Team (20%): Build relationships with alumni in schools and communities; support interview/selection of corps; contribute to regional events; participate in staff gatherings.

Skills

Strategic leadership

Cross-functional collaboration

Partnership development

K-12 education ecosystem

External engagement

Contract management

Data-informed decision making

CRM systems

Alumni engagement platforms

Data visualization tools

Project management

Stakes management

Education

Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

Tools

CRM systems

Alumni engagement platforms

Data visualization tools

Job description

ROLE TITLE: Senior Managing Director, Partnerships (Full Time)

POSITION REPORTS TO: TFA CCV Executive Director, Angelina Molina

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Priority deadline Friday, October 30th - applications received after this date will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

LOCATION: Sacramento, CA

WHAT YOU’LL DO

We are looking for a dynamic, strategic, and collaborative leader to serve as the Senior Managing Director of Alumni Partnerships. In this role, you will shape and execute on a holistic strategy to drive statewide and regional progress toward our California alumni strategy, cultivate deep partnerships across school systems and communities, and support the expansion of our School Leadership Lab program. You will lead across multiple priorities, including external affairs, alumni engagement, and cross-sector partnerships that deepen Teach For America’s impact both locally and across the state. The ideal candidate will be passionate about educational excellence and systems-level change, with the ability to lead complex strategies, build enduring relationships, and connect big-picture vision to on-the-ground execution. You thrive in fast-moving environments, are self-motivated and an excellent communicator and collaborator. The goal is to drive strategic alignment, partnership, and programming to maximize Teach For America’s impact on statewide and local educational outcomes, and position alumni as key contributors to community-defined success.

WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

• Statewide Alumni Strategy (40%) Vision & Strategy: Socialize the One CA alumni strategy among external stakeholders, building buy-in and momentum for statewide progress, and implement vision and strategy to secure partnerships with high-impact organizations across the state.
• Cultivation: Develop strategic infrastructure and processes to cultivate and steward key high-impact partners. Leverage these processes to cultivate and maintain relationships with key external partners, including elected/appointed officials, community organizations, schools, districts, and school networks.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration: Leverage internal leaders, including the Executive Directors, regional alumni staff, and enterprise partner teams to support high-stakes partnerships and event planning across the state.
• School Leadership Lab Partner Strategy (40%) Vision & Strategy: Build and socialize a School Leadership Lab vision among external stakeholders, building buy-in and momentum for community-led progress, and implement a strategy to secure school and district partnerships aligned with our 2030 goals and partnership footprint.
• Portfolio Management: Cultivate, confirm, and oversee a portfolio of school and community partnerships, ensuring alignment with regional goals and opportunities for deeper engagement, including DSA signing, fee for service, and MOU renewal campaigns to ensure ongoing viability and alignment with strategic priorities.
• Build Sustainability: Lead local fundraising for the School Leadership Lab in partnership with fee for service models, and pursue external sustainability opportunities.
• Network-in-Action: Connect School Leadership Lab participants to local Teach For America network leaders and the broader alumni community.
• Regional Team (20%) – all California Capital Valley team members contribute time to cross-team projects and all staff are expected to:
  • Build and maintain strong relationships with key alumni in schools and across the communities we serve.
  • Support the interview and selection of corps members and/or Ignite fellows.
  • Contribute to the planning and execution of key regional events and initiatives aligned with our mission and vision.
  • Participate, facilitate, and engage in all staff gatherings and learning experiences.

A WEEK IN THE LIFE

Over the course of any week, the Senior Managing Director of Alumni Partnerships will spend time meeting with alumni staff across CA regions, school district leaders, alumni, high-impact organizations, and community stakeholders to advance key initiatives, finalize partnership contracts, and steward existing programs. Each day will look different. You’ll align internally with the One CA team to implement and monitor progress toward the One CA strategy and goals, and align with the California Capital Valley team to ensure all partnerships are on-track to renew and/or grow/scale across the region. Your time may also include traveling to schools for partner check-ins, joining virtual coalition meetings, and engaging with state or local officials on education policy opportunities.

YOUR EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required
• Ability to develop and execute complex strategies and manage high-stakes partnerships
• Experience leading cross-functional initiatives or community coalitions
• Expertise navigating K-12 education ecosystems and working with public officials
• Strong organizational and communication skills, including contract management and external engagement
• Experience with program implementation, particularly in school or district settings
• Strong facilitation and relationship-building skills with the ability to drive alignment across multiple stakeholders
• Proficiency in tracking and using data to inform decision-making
• Comfort with CRM systems, alumni engagement platforms, and data visualization tools
• Track record of meeting and exceeding goals while managing multiple projects simultaneously
• Willingness to work occasional weekend or evening work hours

BONUS (preferred qualifications)

• Prior experience in education leadership, community organizing, or strategic partnerships
• Prior education-based experience
• Baseline knowledge of Sacramento and Central Valley histories, culture, and context

YOUR FUTURE TEAM

The California Capital Valley team works collaboratively, and in partnership with our students, families, and community, to advance systems change across the California Capital Valley. We are deeply grounded in place and embrace change, ambiguity, challenge, and courage as we do our work.

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 ranges for this role are set forth below. These ranges may be modified in the future. Tier B: $118,700 - $158,700 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.