Location: Chicago, IL

The National Association of Charter School Authorizers (NACSA) is a Chicago-based, eleven-year old school reform organization that works to improve the quality of public educational options for the nation’s children.  Its mission is to improve public education by improving the policies and practices of the organizations responsible for approving and overseeing public charter schools across the US. 

NACSA's members include some of the largest charter school authorizers in the country and oversee more than half of the nation’s 5,000 charter schools. NACSA has a staff of 21 employees with extensive experience in the charter sector and diverse income of almost $7 million annually from dues, events fees, consulting contracts, federal grants, and private philanthropic contributions. Its membership base has grown from a few dozen to many hundreds of individuals who work daily in the charter sector. Most importantly, its resources and services are widely recognized for their high quality and usefulness, including the production of a wide variety of member services and resources, the establishment of industry standards, and for putting its words into action with a strong combination of advocacy, grant-making, training and hands-on consulting.

The Vice President of Policy and Advocacy is a member of the organization’s senior management team, responsible for developing and executing federal and state advocacy strategies that strengthen charter schools and charter school authorizing.  To that end, the VP works both with NACSA members and other partner organizations, such as the National Governors Association to advance the effectiveness of charter schools and charter school authorizers. A major challenge for this three year old position is working in as many as 41 states that currently have charter school laws, although only 31 of those states have NACSA members, and most of the work to this point has been focused in 20 states (In 2011, NACSA worked on seven bills that passed in ten different states).  Nonetheless, staying abreast of and/or leading policy initiatives in 20 states is a significant task for anyone.  Currently the Policy and Advocacy division has only one other position, plus a contract lobbyist in Washington, but the new VP will have opportunity to hire two additional people within the next year. 

Desired Competencies

• Excellent oral and written communication skills including the ability to speak to large gatherings of peers and write for a variety of outlets in a variety of styles
• Strong organizational and analytical skills including the ability to plan and execute a course of action to accomplish objectives and the use of knowledge and experience to address problems and opportunities.                  
• Good interpersonal skills and team orientation including the development of cooperative relationships with coworkers and works toward solutions that generally benefit all parties.
• Demonstrated individual initiative and flexibility including exceeding expectation, planning ahead for upcoming challenges or opportunities and managing change effectively.
• Sound judgment and decision-making abilities including the utilization of a range of inputs in a logical manner to address problems in a timely and effective fashion.
• Proven results orientation with a focus on achieving or surpassing targets and a commitment to continuous improvement.

Desired Knowledge/Experience

• At least eight years in the policy, government relations or public affairs fields
• Extensive knowledge of education policy issues and trends
• Experience in managing multiple, complex projects
• Experience in managing the work of staff and external contractors

NACSA’s headquarters is located in Chicago.  Significant travel is expected, particularly between the months of January and June when state legislatures are in session.  Compensation will be be commensurate with experience, and NACSA offers a very competitive and comprehensive benefits program. NACSA is an Equal Employment Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer.

To apply, please email cover letter, resume  and salary requirements to NACSA@TransitionGuides.com.  For other inquiries, please contact: 
David Erickson-Pearson
TransitionGuides, Inc.
1751 Elton Road, Suite 204
Silver Spring, MD  20903
dpearson@transitionguides.com
303-703-6165

To see the full position profile, CLICK HERE .