Senior Director, East Texas

Partners for Rural Impact•Diboll, TX

5d•Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Director, East Texas provides strategic and operational leadership for Partners for Rural Impact’s work across rural Deep East Texas. Reporting to the Vice President, Office of the Executive Vice President, the role works with school districts, philanthropic funders, community partners, and PRI teams to advance educational opportunity and economic mobility for children and youth. The Senior Director strengthens implementation, leverages public and private funding, supports locally identified priorities, and builds capacity for sustainable impact while complementing existing regional efforts and investments. Insights and lessons from East Texas also inform PRI’s broader national work. The position leads and refines regional initiatives; develops trusted partner relationships; monitors implementation and outcomes; supports staff and partner capacity; advises PRI leadership; represents PRI in regional and broader discussions; and oversees project, funding, compliance, and reporting responsibilities. Other duties may be assigned to support the organization’s mission. This is an in-person role based at PRI’s East Texas office in Diboll, Texas, with local, state, and occasional national travel. Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET. In-office, hybrid, and/or remote work may be possible, and some offices or departments may have evening or weekend hours due to the responsibilities of the role.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree.
At least 10 years of senior-level leadership experience, with demonstrated success in community-based initiatives, program scaling, and systems change.
Relevant experience in education, public policy, nonprofit leadership, or community development.
Deep familiarity with Texas education, philanthropic, and policy ecosystems, particularly in rural areas.
Successful track record of partnering with philanthropy to advance organizational and community goals.
Expertise in place-based strategies, cradle-to-career models, and results-based leadership and facilitation.
Ability to build trust and lead cross-sector collaborations involving funders, local leaders, and public officials.
Strong public speaking, facilitation, and storytelling skills for engaging diverse audiences.
Superior interpersonal and organizational skills.
Competence to supervise staff effectively.
Access to reliable transportation.
Successful completion of a pre-employment background check.
Ability to work in a high-energy office.
Ability to accurately communicate and exchange information with partners, stakeholders, and meeting participants.
Ability to operate standard office equipment and computer software programs.
Ability to travel independently by car and plane, locally and nationally.
Ability to work in a fast-paced setting with frequent interruptions and shifting priorities.
Regular and predictable attendance is essential.

Nice To Haves

Master’s degree or higher.

Responsibilities

Lead implementation and ongoing refinement of PRI’s strategic initiatives in Deep East Texas, aligning them with organizational priorities, funding commitments, and locally identified needs.
Build and maintain trusted relationships with school districts, local funders, and community stakeholders to support implementation.
Work with local partners to advance district-identified priorities that strengthen educational pathways, student engagement, and economic mobility for children and youth.
Identify ways to apply PRI expertise, resources, and technical assistance to strengthen local initiatives and complement existing regional efforts and investments.
Monitor the effectiveness of supported initiatives using data, partner feedback, and implementation insights to support continuous improvement.
Collaborate with PRI’s Data and Evaluation team and local partners to establish measures of progress, track outcomes, and communicate results.
Identify opportunities to build local capacity, sustain effective strategies, and apply lessons to future programming and investments.
Advise PRI leadership on emerging opportunities, implementation challenges, funding priorities, and potential areas for growth in Deep East Texas.
Supervise, coach, and develop PRI team members responsible for East Texas initiatives, and support staff and implementation partners in building delivery and sustainability capacity.
Build and maintain internal relationships across PRI to marshal organizational resources and expertise for the East Texas strategy.
Cultivate relationships with local funders, school districts, government agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations.
Maintain engagement with local partners to understand evolving needs and ensure PRI support remains responsive to community priorities.
Participate in regional collaborations and partner-led efforts, contributing PRI expertise, resources, and practical experience where appropriate.
Work with PRI leadership to document and share lessons learned, promising practices, and insights from East Texas.
Represent PRI in local, regional, state, and national discussions, sharing insights and contributing to learning about effective rural strategies.
Identify and leverage funding opportunities that complement existing investments and support PRI initiatives in Deep East Texas.
Work with funders, school districts, and other partners to align public and private resources around locally identified priorities.
Oversee management, compliance, and reporting of East Texas funding streams, ensuring accountability to funders and adherence to grant requirements.
Support funding proposals, budgets, and sustainability strategies to strengthen initiatives and expand opportunities for children and youth.
Provide leadership and oversight for PRI-supported projects, including implementation, partner engagement, grant compliance, funder communication, and accountability for results.
Guide project planning, implementation, and continuous improvement with PRI teams, school districts, and implementation partners.
Monitor project progress, address implementation challenges, and coordinate internal resources to support timely achievement of deliverables and outcomes.
Perform other duties as assigned to support the organization’s mission.