Senior Director, External Engagement

WHAT IS THE ROLE

You are the senior member of the External Engagement team responsible for the Alliance's full coalition and grasstops portfolio: building the SCOTUS coalition and congressional programming that puts charter schools in front of lawmakers, and building the capacity of state charter association leaders, school and network leaders, and the broader coalition of partners who make up the charter movement's base. Reporting to the Chief of External Engagement, you work directly with the Alliance's Legal team on coalition and litigation strategy, and you own the relationships and programming that turn state associations into high-quality advocacy organizations and keep school and network leaders engaged.

On the legal and congressional side, you build and mobilize a coalition ahead of the next U.S. Supreme Court case on religious charter schools, and you design and deliver Partner Fly-Ins, the Congress on Campus school visit program, and earmark advocacy programming. This role does not hold the Alliance's relationships with members of Congress — that responsibility sits with the Federal Government Relations team. Instead, you coordinate closely with that team to design and deliver the product: the strategy, content, and school and leader preparation behind fly-ins, Congress on Campus visits, and earmark programming, so that the relationships Federal Government Relations holds translate into well-prepared, effective engagement.

On the partner and state side, you convene and support the State Leader Council through monthly calls and three annual in-person convenings, engage CMOs and school and network leaders, and mobilize the coalition partners who make up the movement's grasstops base.

Operating across a fast-moving legal and political environment as well as a diverse landscape of state and local advocacy partners, this role requires sound judgment under pressure, the ability to build trust with legal counsel, congressionally-facing colleagues, and grassroots leaders alike, and the discipline to deliver complex, parallel programming in close partnership with teams that own adjacent pieces of the relationship.

WHAT YOU'LL DO

Lead SCOTUS Coalition Strategy

With the Legal team, build, educate, and mobilize a coalition of legal, political, policy, and school-choice stakeholders, including state association leaders and aligned organizations

Identify potential litigants, intervenors, and amici for the case and related litigation

Explain the stakes to the national charter community and provide clarity on how and when to activate

Design and Deliver Congressional Programming

Design and deliver Partner Fly-Ins (including NCSW and NSCW), coordinating with the Federal Government Relations team on member and staff engagement and with the Manager of Events & Logistics on execution

Design and deliver the Congress on Campus school visit program, including preparing schools and leaders to be effective hosts and advocates

Design and deliver earmark advocacy programming, including webinars and technical assistance, in partnership with Federal Government Relations and the federal affairs team

Develop strategy for effective partner letters (appropriations, bills, Dear Colleague letters), coordinating with Federal Government Relations on congressional targeting

Partner Across Teams

Serve as the coordination point between External Engagement and Federal Government Relations on all congressional programming

Equip partners and school leaders with the substance, positioning, and materials they need to be effective once Federal Government Relations has secured the relationship or meeting

Build State Association Capacity

Convene and connect the State Leader Council (SLC) through monthly virtual calls, including agendas, materials, and speakers

Lead three annual in-person SLC convenings (Fall, Spring, Summer)

Provide meaningful support for new CSA leaders, including leader-to-leader coaching and, in 2028, implementation cohorts

Convene CSA leaders on state-specific contingency plans, applying the legal and political coalition work you lead directly

Galvanize School and Network Leaders

Design the vision, agenda, and intention for the SLOC, CEO, and SLC receptions at NCSC, partnering with the Programs team on execution

Mobilize Coalition Partners and Parent Voice

Build and run a playbook for soliciting partner and network-leader input on proposed rules and policy changes

Leverage coalition gatherings, small groups, focus groups, and 1:1 meetings to surface on-the-ground challenges and opportunities

Generate field intelligence reports that translate what partners and parents are telling us into recommendations for policy, communications, and state associations

WHO YOU ARE

Experience

You bring 8+ years of experience in coalition politics, association management, campaign or program management, field organizing, or legal/policy advocacy — direct relationship-holding with members of Congress is not required for this role, but experience designing programming that puts advocates in front of policymakers is

You have experience building or managing a multi-stakeholder coalition around a high-stakes legal, legislative, or advocacy fight

You have experience partnering with legal counsel on public-facing advocacy strategy

You have experience designing and running a leadership development or coaching program for a network of peer organizations

You have planned and executed multi-day convenings or conferences for a professional audience

You have delivered complex programs in close partnership with teams that own different parts of the relationship or process

You bring familiarity with charter schools, K–12 education policy, state charter associations, or education reform

Skills and Approach

You build trust easily with legal counsel, coalition partners, and grassroots and grasstops leaders alike

You translate complex legal and policy stakes into clear, actionable guidance for a broad, non-legal audience

You are comfortable identifying and approaching individuals and organizations who may become plaintiffs, intervenors, or amici

You can move comfortably between institutional leaders and grassroots voices, treating both as essential parts of the same coalition

You are an excellent program designer and deliverer who thrives working alongside teams that hold the relationships your programming is built around

You are collaborative and clear about lanes — comfortable coordinating closely with Federal Government Relations rather than owning every piece yourself

You are highly organized and comfortable managing a recurring cadence of calls, convenings, and follow-up across parallel workstreams

This position requires regular travel for fly-ins, school visits, SLC convenings, coalition gatherings, and NCSC.

WHAT WE OFFER

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools offers a sector-leading salary and benefits package. We cover 100% of an employee's medical, dental, and vision premiums, and 50% for spouses and dependents, including an HRA to cover 100% of in-network medical deductibles. We also offer:

403(b) retirement account with up to a 6% match after 90 days of employment

Automatic life insurance coverage, short- and long-term disability coverage, and FSA

12 weeks of fully paid parental leave

25 PTO days annually, plus every federal holiday and a week off at year-end

Monthly reimbursement for internet and cellular service, plus a $500 home office setup stipend in your first 90 days

The anticipated starting salary range for this role is $110,000–$140,000 , commensurate with experience and qualifications.

WHO WE ARE

The National Alliance for Public Charter Schools believes that all families deserve high-quality public school options. Charter schools are independent public schools providing families with a new set of public school options. Each of these schools i