Managing Director, Early Corps Experience

Teach For America

12d • Onsite

About The Position

As the MD, Corps Recruitment, Onboarding and Placement at Teach for America Massachusetts (TFA MA), you’ll play a key role in leading the end-to-end experience for our newest corps members—from the moment they accept their offer to the launch of their classroom experience. You will help corps members secure placements, navigate licensure pathways, and build the confidence and readiness needed to begin their two-year commitment serving students across Massachusetts. You’ll design and manage the regional systems that power our onboarding, hiring, and certification processes, working closely with partners across the region and the national TFA corps member matriculation team to create a seamless MA corps experience. You’ll cultivate strong relationships with schools and districts to support early and successful corps member hiring, and you’ll serve as a strategic partner in building clear, accessible pathways to educator certification in Massachusetts. This role is both operational and relational. You’ll lead corps members through key milestones in their experience, ensure compliance with state and regional requirements, and be a trusted voice and problem-solver across our team. You’ll collaborate frequently with teammates through our recruitment matriculation, coaching, and policy efforts to drive forward a corps experience rooted in belonging, leadership, and impact. Currently, we have 52 unique partnerships across our 3 subregions. In this role, you’ll be expected to develop a nuanced understanding of their needs and partnership priorities and use that to help inform our approach to corps member placement. To succeed in this role, you’ll need to be an exceptional project manager, a systems thinker, and a goal-driven, collaborative leader who brings clarity and drive to complex work. You thrive in dynamic environments, communicate clearly and empathetically, and balance strategy with on-the-ground execution. Most importantly, you bring a deep belief in the power of educators and a commitment to building an equitable, inclusive experience that reflects the communities we serve.

Requirements

• At least 7 years of related professional experience
• Bachelor's degree required
• Exceptional ability to build and execute a project plan
• Exceptional ability to develop systems to track and monitor the progress of multi-pronged projects
• Excellent written and verbal communication
• Ability to laterally manage team execution towards high-quality results
• Ability to cultivate and manage strong school, district, university, and state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) relationships and mutually beneficial partnerships
• Experience in managing operations for small- and large-scale events across multiple sites
• Ability to build strong relationships with others in challenging situations

Nice To Haves

• Teach For America corps member experience
• Experience in the Massachusetts education ecosystem
• Understanding of Massachusetts educator certification and licensure requirements
• Skilled in generating ideas and implementing solutions to complex problems

Responsibilities

• Corps Member Recruitment, Matriculation, Onboarding, and Retention (30%): Serve as the “Matriculation Co-Captain” alongside our Matriculation Generalist (MDMG) and partner with the MDMG to make sure that incoming corps members are deeply connected with the MA region and corps experience/community from the time they accept their offer to arriving in MA Develop and collaboratively execute a regionally-grounded participant journey for onboarding into the MA corps that attends to all facets of participant needs (e.g., sense of belonging, acquiring housing, understanding school and district landscape and communities, making connections to TFA community members and supports, preparing to be hired) Partner with the Recruitment Team and MDMG to ensure there is a consistent and clear story about the MA corps experience, including a story specific to each of the MA subregions Provide occasional support to the Recruitment Team to execute regional recruitment events that connect prospects with our alumni, schools, and partners In partnership with the MDLDs (corps member coaches) and the SMD, Program Strategy and Impact, shape cohesive early corps member experiences—from onboarding through summer practicum—that align with the program’s learning and leadership vision and help corps members build understanding, connection, and readiness as they begin their teaching journey.
• Manage and Cultivate Pathways to Certification (30%) In partnership with the MDMG, ensure incoming corps members fully understand and complete steps for obtaining their provisional license, including the passage of certification exams (MTEL), before the start of the school year Manage and administer Sheltered English Immersion (SEI) endorsement course for our incoming corps members at summer practicum, which includes hiring summer SEI instructors and integrating SEI course time into the summer program schedule Develop and execute systems for tracking corps member progress toward meeting certification requirements and providing tiered supports, alongside the MD, Matriculation Generalist Cultivate a menu of high-quality, flexible, low-cost partnerships and pathways to Initial Certification with local university, TFA enterprise partners, and state education leaders to create options for corps members and alumni to earn certifications Stay up to date on all state-issued requirements and guidance for MA educator licensure/certification, including any new flexibilities that our corps members might be able to take advantage of to make the licensure process more integrated into their onboarding process Serve as a regional policy/practice expert on educator certification in MA, and an advocate in partnership with the national Public Partnerships team for innovation, accessibility, and flexibility regarding educator certification in MA.
• Develop and Execute Systems for Corps Placement and Talent Matching (30%) Cultivate strong partnerships with school and district talent leaders and hiring managers to enable hiring of corps members aligned to both school and district talent needs, and our strategic approach to corps member placement Design, develop, and execute systems to source vacancies/talent needs, facilitate matching of corps members to schools, and enable early hiring of corps members to promote regional matriculation goals Set clear goals and timelines for corps member hiring, and track progress to all regional stakeholders, and proactively strategize and problem-solve particular hiring challenges Maintain adequate operational systems to support hiring and maintain strong systems for communicating hiring progress and licensure status to corps members, regional staff, and school partners Annually evaluate our approach to hiring/placement using multiple data points and perspectives (corps members, school partners), and conduct regular landscape/partnership scans to understand talent needs across MA with a particular focus on our subregions. Make recommendations to the SMD, Program Strategy and Impact, and the Executive Director on the regional talent landscape and needs, and how TFA MA is positioned to meet those needs in ways that align with our regional goals and priorities
• Support Organizational & Regional Stewardship (10%) Serve as a key leader on the TFA MA Program Team and participate in the development and execution of regional programming designed to enhance the corps member experience Support, attend, and/or participate in regional and cross-team activities and campaigns, including staff meetings and events. Participate in org-wide initiatives, including corps member matriculation and selection interviews Maintain strong relationships and connections with the TFA alumni community in MA, participate in events, and represent TFA at key state and district tables and convenings

What This Job Offers

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