Managing Director, Ignite - Term

Teach For America • Philadelphia, PA

5d • $98,000 - $128,700 • Hybrid

About The Position

As Managing Director, Ignite, you will serve as the primary Teach For America relationship manager and strategic thought partner for the School District of Philadelphia and a portfolio of participating schools implementing Teach For America Ignite. This city-funded role is responsible for ensuring strong program implementation, coaching school-based leaders and Ignite fellows, and strengthening partnerships that maximize student impact for students across participating schools. Working closely with district leaders, school administrators, regional partners, and the national Ignite team, you will establish and steward strong partnerships that advance Teach For America's 2030 goal while ensuring every participating school receives both standardized and differentiated support based on its unique context. A core component of this role is coaching. You will coach Ignite site leaders and support Ignite fellows through regular observations, feedback conversations, goal setting, and ongoing development that strengthens instructional quality and program implementation. You will leverage data, relationship-building, and continuous improvement practices to help partners navigate challenges, implement sustainable solutions, and maximize impact for students. This role is ideal for someone who enjoys serving as both a strategic partner and leadership coach. You are energized by supporting educators and school leaders, comfortable influencing through relationships rather than authority, skilled at navigating complex systems, and excited to work across district, school, regional, and national stakeholders to drive meaningful outcomes for students.

Requirements

• Bachelor's degree
• 7+ years of professional experience, including experience coaching, developing, or leading adults
• Experience building partnerships with schools, districts, or education organizations
• Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed
• Willingness to travel throughout the Greater Philadelphia area and 1-2 times annually for conferences or team meetings
• Deep investment in Teach For America's mission and core values.
• Demonstrated ability to build authentic, trusting relationships with district leaders, school administrators, educators, and cross-functional partners.
• Demonstrated ability to coach and develop adults through individualized feedback, reflection, and goal setting.
• Demonstrated ability to navigate complex systems and competing priorities while maintaining a strategic perspective.
• Demonstrated ability to influence stakeholders through credibility, collaboration, and strong communication.
• Demonstrated ability to balance standardized program expectations with differentiated partner support.
• Demonstrated ability to analyze multiple data sources to identify trends, prioritize needs, and drive continuous improvement.
• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities while alternating between strategic planning and operational execution.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment and make independent decisions in complex situations.
• Demonstrated ability to operate with empathy, curiosity, humility, and a strong commitment to student success.

Nice To Haves

• 10+ years of professional experience
• Experience coaching educators, school leaders, or instructional teams
• Experience partnering with district leadership or managing external client relationships
• Demonstrated success influencing without direct authority across multiple stakeholder groups
• Experience observing instruction and providing actionable coaching and feedback
• Strong project management experience with multiple complex workstreams
• Demonstrated ability to analyze data and translate insights into strategic action

Responsibilities

• Serve as Teach For America's primary relationship manager for the School District of Philadelphia and a portfolio of participating schools implementing Ignite.
• Develop and maintain trusted partnerships with district leaders, school administrators, Ignite site leaders, and regional partners to ensure successful implementation of Ignite.
• Establish a strategic vision for each partnership that aligns district priorities, school goals, Teach For America's 2030 vision, and Ignite's program model.
• Coach Ignite site leaders through individualized coaching cycles focused on leadership development, program implementation, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
• Observe tutoring sessions and facilitate reflective coaching conversations that strengthen instructional practice and student outcomes.
• Support Ignite fellows through observations, feedback, issue resolution, and implementation of fellow policies and procedures.
• Guide site leaders through program launch, including scheduling, onboarding fellows, operational readiness, and ongoing implementation support.
• Leverage student, program, and implementation data to identify trends, monitor progress, and differentiate support across schools.
• Facilitate collaborative problem-solving with district and school partners while balancing standardized program expectations with local needs.
• Monitor overall partnership health and proactively identify opportunities to strengthen relationships, improve implementation, and expand impact.
• Coordinate collection and analysis of student engagement and academic data to evaluate program effectiveness and inform continuous improvement.
• Analyze implementation trends across the Philadelphia portfolio to identify opportunities for improvement.
• Partner with district leaders, regional teams, and the national Ignite team to develop sustainable solutions that strengthen program quality and partner experience.
• Create and refine coaching tools, implementation resources, and partner supports that can be leveraged across the Ignite network.
• Share insights and best practices that contribute to enterprise-wide learning and future program strategy.
• Be an active member in building an inclusive, collaborative, learning-focused team culture.
• Partner across regional and national teams to support strategic initiatives and special projects.
• Serve as an "all hands on deck" teammate, contributing wherever needed to ensure successful implementation of Ignite across Philadelphia and the broader national network.

Benefits

• 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.
• 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.
• Teach For America has a staff role to fit your aspirations and career goals.
• Staff positions are available across the country.
• Full-time positions, or seasonal positions with our recruiting team and summer training programs.
• 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.

What This Job Offers

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