Vice President, Seed

THE ORGANIZATION

The Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF) is a leading nonprofit venture philanthropy fund dedicated to identifying the nation’s best public charter schools, investing in their expansion, and helping to increase their impact. Our “portfolio” includes 200+ charter school networks that operate 1,700+ schools and serve more than 800,000 students. We are committed to expanding the impact of schools that are closing achievement and opportunity gaps. CSGF operates with the same strategies, discipline, and focus as a venture capital firm by awarding multi-year grants and loans to talented education entrepreneurs building networks of high-quality charter schools that enroll traditionally underserved students. Our goal is to serve 1,000,000 students by 2030 and 1.4 million by 2035.

This is an exciting time to join the Charter School Growth Fund. We are launching Fund V, our most ambitious fund yet, building on our 20-year track record of success. Fund V will add 250,000 new high-quality seats while helping our portfolio become durable, bedrock institutions in their communities for decades to come. We invest in the strongest charter leaders and networks in the country, and we partner closely with them to sustain excellent outcomes as they grow. Our portfolio continues to serve student populations of roughly 90% students of color and 75% students from low-income backgrounds, and we remain committed to being proximate to the lived experiences of the students and communities we serve.

THE ORGANIZATION

The Charter School Growth Fund (CSGF) is a leading nonprofit venture philanthropy fund dedicated to identifying the nation’s best public charter schools, investing in their expansion, and helping to increase their impact. Our “portfolio” includes 200+ charter school networks that operate 1,700+ schools and serve more than 725,000 students. We are committed to expanding the impact of schools that are closing achievement and opportunity gaps. CSGF operates with the same strategies, discipline, and focus as a venture capital firm by awarding multi-year grants and loans to talented education entrepreneurs building networks of high-quality charter schools that enroll traditionally underserved students. Our goal is to serve 1,000,000 students by 2030 and 1.4 million by 2035.

This is an exciting time to join the Charter School Growth Fund. We are launching Fund V, our most ambitious fund yet, building on our 20-year track record of success. Fund V will add 250,000 new high-quality seats while helping our portfolio become durable, bedrock institutions in their communities for decades to come. We invest in the strongest charter leaders and networks in the country, and we partner closely with them to sustain excellent outcomes as they grow. Our portfolio continues to serve student populations of roughly 90% students of color and 75% students from low-income backgrounds, and we remain committed to being proximate to the lived experiences of the students and communities we serve.

THE TEAM

The Seed Team at CSGF finds early-stage charter leaders and organizations across the country — with a unique focus on BIPOC leaders, underserved student populations, untapped geographies, and diverse models — and provides them with catalytic resources for growth as they expand their impact in the communities they serve. We do this by focusing on:

Smart sourcing that produces a diverse, high-quality pipeline of early-stage charter leaders and organizations

Impactful investments in early-stage charter organizations

Strategic supports for leaders and their teams

Streamlined operations and actionable data analysis

A strong team that brings unique gifts and expertise to the work

The Seed Team culture is built on a deep belief in the potential of leaders and students — especially our BIPOC communities across the country. We see people first. We strive for excellence, equity, and efficiency. We have fun. We don't take the work personally even though it's personal for all of us. We are "gifts-forward" thinkers who work to create opportunities for leaders and each other to radiate and shine.

THE OPPORTUNITY

We are looking for a high-capacity, entrepreneurial leader to join the Seed Team as Vice President at a pivotal point in the team’s evolution. This leader will participate across Seed’s early-stage investment work, from founder and first-school selection through replication, while holding particular responsibility for supporting organizations as they move from a strong first school or small network toward sustainable multi-school growth. The VP will help CSGF make rigorous investment decisions and support portfolio leaders in building the organizational capacity and judgement required for successful growth.

This VP will bring strong investment judgement and organizational leadership: leading and participating in rigorous diligence across the Seed pipeline, developing and stewarding investments, and serving as a trusted strategic advisor to portfolio leaders. While the VP will contribute to founder and first-school selection, their portfolio work will focus primarily on organizations navigating replication and early multi-school growth. The VP will also help strengthen the frameworks, systems, and practices that enable the Seed Team to make consistent investment and portfolio decisions as the work scales.

The ideal candidate has senior K-12 leadership experience and a strong understanding of what it takes for a strong school or small network to replicate successfully. Experience leading, growing, or advising a multi-school organization is strongly preferred.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

Early-Stage Investment and Selection

Lead and contribute to rigorous diligence across founder, first-school, replication, and early-growth investments and develop investment recommendations, synthesizing academic, financial, organizational, leadership and growth evidence.

Prepare and present investment memos to CSGF's senior management and board of directors

Shape and continuously improve how Seed identifies, assesses, and selects organizations for investment, including strengthening the frameworks and judgment used across stages of growth.

Portfolio Strategy and Leadership

Serve as a relationship manager and strategic advisor to a portfolio of Seed organizations, with primary responsibility for organizations navigating replication and early multi-school growth. Help leaders navigate consequential decisions related to organizational health, growth and sustainability.

Build trusted relationships with portfolio leaders that enable candid dialogue, sound judgment, and effective partnership at consequential moments.

Identify the organizational capabilities, risks, and decisions that will determine whether portfolio members are positioned to grow successfully, and help leaders act on those insights.

Help define and evolve Seed’s portfolio strategy across stages of organizational development, including where differentiated support is warranted, where CSGF should primarily monitor progress, and where additional investment is likely to create value.

Strategy, Systems and Learning

Translate Seed’s strategy into clear frameworks, decision processes, and operating mechanisms that enable consistent decision-making and execution across sourcing, investment, and portfolio management.

Help shape Seed’s annual strategy and priorities and identify where changes in portfolio evidence or organizational context require shifts in approach.

Synthesize learning across investments and the portfolio and translate those insights into better investment judgment, portfolio strategy and team practice.

Build alignment across Seed and other CSGF teams where shared decisions, handoffs, or collaboration are necessary for portfolio impact.

Cross-Team and Organizational Leadership

Lead cross-functional initiatives where Seed strategy, investment decisions, or portfolio needs req