Managing Director of Enterprise Strategy (26-27)

IDEA Public Schools•El Paso, TX

12d•Remote

About The Position

IDEA Public Schools is seeking a Managing Director of Enterprise Strategy to serve as a key thought partner and strategic leader to the Executive Team in driving progress toward our 2035 Strategic Plan and other strategic initiatives. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Enterprise Data and Strategy, this leader is responsible for translating IDEA’s 2035 Strategic Plan from vision into a living, functioning execution system—one that connects annual planning, progress monitoring, cross-functional governance, and Board-level accountability into a coherent whole. This role sits at the intersection of strategy and operations. The Managing Director will operationalize and run the systems that keep IDEA aligned, hold the enterprise performance rhythm, and ensure executive leaders have the insight they need to make timely, informed decisions. They will also directly manage the Director of Growth, providing strategic oversight of IDEA’s expansion portfolio, including the pre-K launch. The ideal candidate is a rigorous systems thinker and a skilled people leader who can hold complexity without losing clarity—someone who thrives translating ambiguity into structure, executive vision into actionable plans, and performance data into compelling narratives that drive accountability.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree required
Background in public education, nonprofit management, or large-scale organizational transformation
At least 10 years of professional experience
At least 7 years of progressive experience in organizational strategy, performance management, or operations within a complex enterprise
At least 5 years of direct people management experience, including coaching and leadership development
Demonstrated success translating strategic plans into measurable outcomes, preferably in education or mission-driven settings
Experience designing and implementing enterprise planning, portfolio management, or performance systems
Proven ability to lead through influence and partnership in matrixed or multi-state organizations
Exceptional communication and facilitation skills that bridge executive vision with actionable execution
Highly organized and analytical; skilled at synthesizing complexity into clarity and insight
Deep expertise in organizational change management, including design and leadership of complex transformation initiatives
Skilled in organizational development, systems thinking, and culture-building
Proficiency with modern business intelligence and analytics platforms to support strategy
Familiarity with frameworks such as OKRs, Balanced Scorecard, or performance improvement models
Ability to operate in a highly regulated environment, ensuring compliance with data privacy and applicable federal, state, and local laws
A steadfast commitment to IDEA’s mission and equity-centered approach to student success

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree preferred in Business, Public Administration, Education Leadership, or similar field

Responsibilities

Champion and operationalize IDEA’s enterprise strategy framework as co-designed with the VP, ensuring organizational alignment with the 2035 Strategic Plan across divisions and regions
Own the annual and quarterly strategic planning cadence: goal-setting cycles, mid-year step-backs, end-of-year reflection routines, and continuous improvement processes
Manage the progress monitoring rhythm, including executive-facing progress packages, escalation protocols for off-track priorities, and decision-support briefings that position the VP to present to senior leadership
Ensure strategic initiative milestones and deadlines are tracked, visible, and met across the enterprise—with clear accountability owners and defined decision rights
Lead multi-year strategic planning processes within the 2035 plan framework that translate long-term priorities into sequenced, executable action plans with measurable outcomes
Prepare the VP for Chief and Board-level engagements: develop briefing materials, anticipate questions, synthesize relevant data, and draft talking points and presentation decks
Represent the strategy function in cross-divisional meetings and executive forums when the VP is unavailable, exercising independent judgment and escalating appropriately
Filter and triage incoming requests, identifying what requires VP attention versus what the MD can own and resolve
Serve as a thought partner on organizational decisions, offering candid analysis and strategic perspective before recommendations go to leadership
Manage communication flow and stakeholder coordination within the strategy function, ensuring the VP’s priorities are understood and resourced across the team
Partner with the Managing Director of Data Science & Analytics to build and manage an integrated strategic progress management system that unites critical data
Oversee enterprise performance dashboards and quarterly performance reviews with the Executive Team, ensuring data is current, accessible, and actionable
In partnership with the Managing Director of Data Science & Analytics, translate complex data sets into clear, accessible intelligence for regional and executive leaders—surfacing trends, risks, and opportunities rather than just reporting activity
Serve as a thought—partner to the Director of Research & Evaluation on studies and reports that shift organizational resources and priorities
In partnership with the Managing Director of Data Science & Analytics, establish and maintain key performance indicators that monitor organizational health and measure progress toward 2035 goals and other strategic initiatives
Utilize insights to guide mid-course corrections and sustain alignment with organizational priorities throughout the year
Lead cross-functional collaboration to prioritize, sequence, and resource enterprise initiatives that accelerate student success and operational excellence
Support senior division leaders in developing clear, outcome-oriented strategies for their teams that ladder to enterprise priorities
Build systems and tools that enable teams to manage resources, monitor progress, and evaluate the impact of strategic investments
Coach direct reports and peers to build organizational strength in strategic thinking, change management, and continuous improvement
Design and lead complex change initiatives that strengthen alignment, build stakeholder ownership, and ensure sustained adoption of new systems, processes, and ways of working
Co-design with the VP and execute the annual rollout rhythm for the 2035 Strategic Plan, including large-scale staff engagement events and co-design experiences that make the strategy real for IDEA’s staff
Develop communication artifacts and engagement structures that connect all team members to IDEA’s long-term vision—translating high-level strategy into accessible, actionable language for every level of the organization
Execute within the VP’s partnership with the Senior VP of Communication and Creative Services, ensuring strategic milestones, results, and priorities are clearly cascaded across divisions and regions
Build and sustain a culture of reflection, transparency, and shared ownership by linking day-to-day work to strategic outcomes
Monitor and respond to staff understanding and engagement with strategic priorities, refining activation approaches based on feedback and learning
Manage and develop the Director of Growth, providing coaching, accountability, and strategic direction across the growth portfolio
Provide executive-level oversight of the pre-K go-live: milestone accountability, cross-functional coordination across finance, operations, and academics, and escalation management for emerging risks
Lead the strategic governance of IDEA’s regional growth portfolio, ensuring expansion decisions align with the 2035 Strategic Plan, long-term financial sustainability, and authorizer requirements
Maintain the growth framework and coordinate with the Research & Evaluation department for yearly updates and improvements to the dashboard that integrates academic, financial, and operational indicators to guide decision-making
Ensure disciplined prioritization, sequencing, and resource alignment across new and emerging regions to support sustainable, high-quality scaling
Cultivate cross-functional collaboration between Governance, Strategy, Growth, Finance, Academics, and Operations to strengthen coordination and reduce duplication