Executive Director, Strategy, People & Special Projects

A pioneer in K–12 education since 2000, Amplify is leading the way in next-generation curriculum and assessment. Our core and supplemental programs in ELA, math, and science engage all students in rigorous learning and inspire them to think deeply, creatively, and for themselves. Our formative assessment products help teachers identify the targeted instruction students need to build a strong foundation in early reading and math. All of our programs provide educators with powerful tools that help them understand and respond to the needs of every student. Today, Amplify serves more than 10 million students in all 50 states. For more information, visit amplify.com.

Amplify is seeking a full-time Executive Director of Strategy, People, and Special Projects (ED, Strategy) for the Technical & Support Services Team. This role is ideal for someone who’s passionate about supporting high-performing executives and leadership teams, leading cross-department projects, and helping teams grow and succeed on a larger scale. The ideal candidate is someone who is a seasoned professional, with wisdom, integrity, and a keen ability to manage relationships.

The Executive Director of Strategy, People, and Special Projects (ED, Strategy) will work closely with the Vice President of the Technical Onboarding & Support Teams (TOAST) to help shape the core strategies for the department. You'll make sure the team has the right people, structures, and resources to achieve ambitious business goals while adapting to the evolving needs of our education clients. In this role, you’ll support and guide TOAST leadership on strategic direction, lead team development and performance management, and help streamline inter- and intra-departmental projects to ensure everything runs smoothly.

As an organized self-starter with a strong focus on culture, systems-level thinking, and team management, you’ll be crucial to anticipating problems, fostering collaboration, and maintaining high standards of excellence. You'll also bring business acumen, relationship-building skills, and emotional intelligence to influence outcomes and help the team thrive. By constantly innovating and evolving the way the team works, you'll ensure that TOAST is staying ahead in the dynamic education landscape. You’ll also help communicate our impact and position Amplify for success.

This is an exciting opportunity for someone with strong organizational, critical thinking, communication, and relationship-building skills to make a big impact on Amplify’s Technical & Support Services team. The ED, Strategy, People & Special Projects will report to the Vice President of the Technical Onboarding & Support Teams.

Essential Responsibilities:

Chief of Staff Responsibilities; Strategy & Executive Support (~30%)

• Be a trusted advisor to the VP of the Technical Onboarding & Support Teams (VP, TOAST), offering operational support and insights to help achieve the department’s goals. You’ll assist with executing the department’s vision and strategic priorities, tracking progress, and managing operational plans to ensure we stay on target.
• You’ll work closely with the VP to set clear annual and quarterly goals, overseeing the implementation of key strategies. This includes coordinating resources, managing timelines, and ensuring everything runs smoothly with the right governance in place.
• You’ll also manage and develop the department’s commercial offerings, taking a thoughtful and strategic approach to designing and refining them. Collaborating with the VP and other key stakeholders, you’ll help with meeting preparation, follow-up, and logistics for both in-person and virtual events.Additionally, you’ll develop the team’s communication strategy, making sure the right messages get to the right people at the right time.
• In this role, you’ll be a flexible “jack/jill of all trades,” jumping in wherever needed to get things done at a high level, especially when urgent needs arise.

Technical Onboarding & Support Teams Growth & Development (~30%)

• Help foster a strong team culture and support the onboarding and training of new and existing team members. Partner with HR to assist the VP, TOAST, and hiring managers in achieving goals around diversity, retention, and staff engagement.
• You’ll work closely with HR to manage the hiring process across the department, ensuring a smooth and positive experience for both candidates and hiring managers. Additionally, you’ll design and implement ongoing training programs tailored to both standardized roles and people managers.
• Collaborate with the VP and HR to roll out processes that boost team engagement and support professional growth for everyone on the TOAST team.

Special Projects (~40%)

• Act as the go-to person between TOAST and other departments to drive alignment on special projects and initiatives, making sure everything runs smoothly, on time, and meets outcomes. You’ll collaborate closely with business leaders across the company to develop business cases, project plans, and strategies, all while building strong relationships and enhancing company culture.
• You’ll also identify opportunities for collaboration across teams, maximizing synergies between departments. Managing and coordinating a variety of projects, you’ll ensure they are completed on time and that communication with stakeholders is clear and effective.
• When complex issues arise, you’ll dive in to assess the situation, perform root cause analysis, and create actionable solutions. You’ll also set up the right communication channels and processes to make sure everyone is on the same page and decisions are made efficiently.
• Throughout each project, you’ll keep stakeholders and executives updated with briefings, reports, and presentations. During times of change, you’ll provide key operational support to ensure the team stays on track and project plans are followed.
• These projects could range from training and development initiatives to new product rollouts, performance management processes, data analysis, or team communications, so you'll need to be flexible and ready to tackle a wide range of needs. 

Individuals who will thrive in this role are:

• A strategic thinker and operator. When you face a large problem, your first instinct is to break it down into smaller, manageable pieces and ruthlessly prioritize what is most important. You have the ability to identify key issues in complex educational, political and cultural dynamics, then chart out potential paths forward. You are adept at managing up to your manager and other champions to execute against a set of priorities and goals.  
• A conscious leader and learner. You are oriented towards excellence and equity. You have a pattern of modeling a set of values for others through self-reflection, curiosity and exploration, and an ability to connect and empathize with people. You have an uncommonly high bar of personal integrity and can be trusted to have the utmost discretion with sensitive and confidential information. When there’s talk at a water cooler, you walk away. You have a deep commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion and intentionally use this lens when making decisions. You are who you are, no matter where you are.
• A compelling communicator. You work across multiple stakeholders to ensure consistency and quality of internal and external communications. You can analyze, synthesize, and prioritize large volumes of information into easy to understand, consumable chunks. You love puzzles and proactively seek out missing information, identify discordant views, and build a recommendation for the next right step.
• Grace under fire: ​You are emotionally intelligent. You can read people/read a room and can restore equilibrium, grace, and positivity. You focus on de-escalating, simplifying, and neutralizing challenging or complex situations. You sustain yourself in your work, and model this for your team 
• Focused on outcomes. You have an incredibly strong record of achieving ambitious goals despite obstacles and have experience doing so in complex situations with diverse teams. Your decisions are data-driven, and you stay laser-focused on your goals regardless of any day-to-day chaos or distractions. You also have experience in change management and are motivated to achieve extraordinary performance and cultural outcomes in the midst of change.
• A coach and connector. You cultivate and manage strong and lasting relationships with ease and have a knack for achieving ambitious goals by coaching others and playing a role in their leadership development. You are a coach and mentor to your team, and everyone who works with you and for you feels respected and deeply connected to your department’s charge and priorities. You are naturally empathetic and can quickly understand people’s needs and aspirations and how to support them in achieving their goals. You regularly leverage a keen understanding of the beliefs, motivations and contexts of others as well as the power of networks to influence key stakeholders towards meaningful outcomes. 
• Self-driven. You have superior organizational skills and great follow-through on all facets of your work. You demonstrate an uncommon level of personal responsibility for achieving results, define broadly what is within your control, persevere in the face of challenges and are exceptionally optimistic about what is possible. You take initiative to do what it takes to achieve success.
• Delighted by playing a support role: You thrive when it comes to problem solving and driving long-term impact. You do not see the world as either/or. You are a nuanced thinker and are also quick to take actions. Where others see roadblocks or challenges, you see solutions and possibilities. You enjoy working with a variety of stakeholders, but are also happy working behind the scenes. People describe you as someone who makes work light. Enabling others and a team to be successful brings you joy. You enjoy a good laugh. You like to be delighted and delight others. 

Minimum Qualifications:

• Bachelor's Degree or equivalent professional experience
• Minimum 15 years of professional work experience in education management, team leadership, or project management 
• Proven record of achieving ambitious results in previous role, including managing a team of direct reports to accomplish ambitious results
• Experience in team leadership and project management preferred
• Demonstrates exceptional professionalism, poise, and judgment at all times, is often trusted and interacts with sensitive and/or confidential information 
• Tech and data savvy - exceptional with Google, Apple, and Microsoft office suites (e.g. word processing, excel/sheets, slides/decks); proficient in Salesforce and similar platforms; and eager and able to pick up any new technology or software with ease

What we offer:

Salary is only one component of the Amplify Total Rewards package, which includes a 401(k) plan, stock options, competitive health insurance and mental health options, basic life insurance, paid time off, parental leave, and access to best-in-class development programs. The gross salary range for this role is $140,000 - $150,000. This role is eligible to earn an annual discretionary bonus that rewards individual and company performance.

We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. To that end, we seek to recruit, develop and retain the most talented people from a diverse candidate pool. 

Amplify is an equal opportunity employer that is committed to inclusion and diversity. We take affirmative action to ensure equal opportunity for all applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, Veteran status, or other legally protected characteristics. 

This position may be funded, in whole or in part, through American Recovery & Reinvestment Act funds.

Amplify Education, Inc. is an E-Verify participant.

If selected, a background check will be required. As required by state and local laws and district policies, you may also be required to provide additional documentation, such as proof of vaccination or submit to enhanced background screening, including fingerprints.