Director of Impact & Learning

Sobrato Early Academic La • Milpitas, CA

6h • Hybrid

About The Position

The Director of Impact & Learning leads SEAL’s Impact & Learning Unit and serves as a member of the Leadership Team. Reporting to the Head Program & Strategy Officer, this role advances SEAL’s theory of action through evaluation frameworks, data architecture, and learning cycles that support evidence-based innovation. The Director also represents SEAL with external researchers, policymakers, and education stakeholders to communicate the organization’s impact and advance its priorities in California and nationally.

The role oversees the Impact & Learning Unit, including supervising and developing staff, managing consultants, contributing to organizational strategy and operations, supporting recruitment, managing research partnership agreements, and contributing to budgets and annual performance metrics. It leads development and implementation of theories of change, logic models, evaluation frameworks, impact-data collection and analysis, program evaluation protocols, and program data systems. The Director collaborates across departments, including with IT, Fund Development, and Marketing, and leads learning cycles and research-to-practice projects when resources are available. The role also supports program teams with research and evaluation, and builds relationships with partner sites, districts, researchers, policymakers, and education leaders.

This is a hybrid position based in California, working from home and in the field, with domestic travel expected approximately 15% of the year. The salary range starts at $167,500 and is commensurate with experience.

Requirements

• Master’s degree required; doctorate strongly preferred.
• At least 7 years of experience with senior-level responsibilities, including management or supervisory experience for education research and evaluation projects.
• Research expertise and experience in multilingual learner, dual language learner, or English Learner education, including the EL classification process and its relationship to short- and long-term educational outcomes.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills, including clear, concise writing and proofreading.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office, Adobe, Google Suite, and video-conferencing platforms such as Google Meet and Zoom.
• Proficiency with data and research software such as Google Forms, SurveyMonkey, NVivo, SPSS, Stata, Salesforce, and Tableau.
• Track record authoring blogs, issue briefs, white papers, or research articles.
• Track record writing or contributing to proposals to fund research, evaluation, or special projects.
• Technical evaluation skills and experience with diverse publicly available statewide and district-level datasets for quantitative and qualitative measurement.
• Fluency in data-systems architecture and management beyond data analysis.
• Exceptional leadership skills, including leadership related to diversity, equity, and inclusion, and the ability to lead effectively in a complex, high-performing organization.
• Exceptional organizational, project-management, and multitasking skills, including the ability to proactively prioritize responsibilities in a fast-moving, changing environment.
• California resident or willing to relocate.
• Valid driver’s license and/or regular access to a vehicle, and willingness to travel regionally.

Nice To Haves

• Personal and professional experience working directly with English Language Learners.
• Experience working with or for nonprofit education organizations.
• Coaching and team-building skills to strengthen relationships and support staff professional development.
• Strong learner disposition and ability to synthesize unfamiliar research, ideas, and theories quickly and apply strategic awareness to new learning.
• Experience with SEAL professional development work and offerings.
• Bilingual and/or multilingual ability.

Responsibilities

• Manage the Impact & Learning Unit, including supervising, training, mentoring, setting goals, and conducting performance reviews for direct reports; manage external consultants as needed.
• Serve on the Leadership Team and contribute to SEAL’s organizational development, management, and organizational health.
• Facilitate and participate in personnel recruitment, screening, selection, and employment.
• Develop and manage contracts and memoranda of understanding for research-oriented partnerships.
• Collaborate on budgets and manage them as appropriate, making modifications as needed for successful execution.
• Participate in developing, monitoring, and reporting SEAL’s annual performance metrics and Objective Key Results.
• Interface strategically with the Board and key funders as determined by executive leadership and the Executive Director.
• Lead development and implementation of SEAL’s theories of change, logic models, and evaluation frameworks aligned with its professional learning offerings.
• Oversee collection, analysis, and reporting of program impact data, including evaluation tools and internal evaluation protocols.
• Oversee program data-systems architecture and collaborate with IT to align and maintain systems, including Salesforce, for strategic-plan needs and reliable reporting.
• Lead the design and implementation of learning cycles to promote rapid, evidence-based innovation in program offerings.
• Design and implement research-to-practice projects with external partners when resources and funding are available.
• Collaborate with Fund Development and Marketing to provide data and create, write, and disseminate impact narratives, briefs, case studies, and field reports.
• Support program projects requiring research and evaluation, including literature reviews, research-base substantiation, new tools, data collection, briefs, and reports.
• Represent SEAL in the field and community, in coordination with the Executive Team and HDERO, to build relationships with researchers, policymakers, and education leaders.
• Represent SEAL at events and conferences, as appropriate, to share data and research that elevate SEAL’s impact.
• Partner with Executive and Program Leadership to build and maintain relationships with partner sites and districts and prioritize multilingual learners’ educational and developmental needs.

Benefits

• 100% coverage for employee medical, dental, vision, life and AD&D, and long- and short-term disability benefits.
• 50% coverage for dependent medical, dental, and vision benefits.
• Up to 6% 401(k) matching.
• Medical and dependent-care FSA.
• Self Care Program.
• Telecommuting Ergonomics Program.
• 20 days of PTO per year.
• Career pathways offering opportunities for additional leadership responsibilities and promotion.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Director