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Managing Director of External Affairs, CT

Connecticut

About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) organization supporting 39 public charter schools across New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. For more than 25 years, AF has been recognized as one of the top tuition-free public charter school networks in the country. We are committed to creating schools of academic excellence within nurturing environments — schools that prepare students to be college-ready and to pursue and succeed in whatever paths they choose in life.

The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families, many of whom will be the first in their families to graduate from college. Across our network, we employ more than 2,200 staff members — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, or People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence and Cranston, RI.

Our mission is to prepare every student to excel in college, career, and life; deepen their understanding of self and community; and lead lives of purpose. We believe in the limitless potential within our students and their power to shape a more just society. That belief drives our deep commitment to student achievement: we aim to set a high bar for learning and create warm, demanding classrooms where rigorous instruction is paired with the care, encouragement, and consistency every student deserves.

Your Impact

The Managing Director of External Affairs is a trusted partner and thought leader to the Regional Executive Director in setting the strategy, engaging and managing external stakeholders and constituents, and supporting the brand and relationships in the region. The MD of External Affairs will be a key partner in building and sustaining AF’s impact and ensuring the network becomes a visible, responsive, and values-driven partner in the communities that it serves.  

Reporting to the Regional Executive Director – Connecticut, you will lead as the region’s strategic, external, and community affairs champion.

Strategic Leadership

  • Serve as a steward for both Achievement First (AF) and the Connecticut region, ensuring local priorities advance within the framework of AF’s mission and organizational goals.
  • In partnership with AF and regional leaders, design and implement a cohesive external affairs strategy that aligns with AF’s network-wide priorities and strategic plan.
  • Act as a thought partner to the Regional Executive Director, Executive Team, and Network Support teams, offering insights and recommendations on key regional decisions.
  • Serve as a trusted liaison between Network Support and schools to foster strong collaboration.
  • Amplify the voices of school leaders and regional staff while ensuring timely communication of opportunities and challenges to AF leadership.
  • Represent the region with external stakeholders, including authorizers, board members, funders, policymakers, elected officials, community leaders, and education peers.

External and Community Affairs

  • Develop the region’s strategic vision for external and community affairs, in alignment with AF’s broader organizational strategy.
  • Partner with schools, families, and AF’s communications team to share the region’s impact and successes with external audiences.
  • Collaborate to identify storytelling moments that elevate the region’s brand internally and externally.
  • Build and maintain relationships with state education officials, local nonprofits, local universities and educator preparation programs, community-based organizations, and political allies to advance AF’s mission and strengthen support for families and students.
  • Partner with schools to engage families meaningfully in regional and network initiatives.

Board Governance

  • Together with the Regional Executive Director, Board Governance team, and CEO, oversee the planning and execution of board meetings, onboardings, retreats, and school visits.
  • Cultivate and maintain a diverse, effective board through recruitment and ongoing engagement.
  • Leverage board members’ networks to deepen connections with schools, elevate results, and advance AF’s mission.

Fundraising

  • Share responsibility for regional fundraising efforts by partnering with the Team Development and the Executive Director on strategy while leading local prospecting and relationship-building.
  • Identify and cultivate prospective funders, connectors, and community leaders to grow a robust donor pipeline in Connecticut,
  • Manage relationships with key funders and ensure seamless coordination with Team Development for solicitations and stewardship efforts.

Qualifications

Education

  • Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s or Professional degree strongly preferred.

Knowledge & Experience

  • At least 10 years of progressively responsible professional experience, including 5+ years in senior leadership roles within education, nonprofit, government, advocacy, or other mission-driven sectors.
  • Proven success in external affairs, community engagement, or public affairs, with a strong record of managing relationships with high-level stakeholders such as elected officials, boards, philanthropists, and community leaders.
  • Demonstrated ability to design and execute multi-year strategies that align local priorities with organizational goals.
  • Experience serving as a public-facing leader and spokesperson, building trust and credibility with diverse audiences.
  • Skilled at leading and collaborating across complex organizations, connecting local teams, executive leadership, and external partners.
  • Successful track record in fundraising and donor cultivation, ideally in partnership with a development team.
  • Experience with board governance, including supporting or engaging nonprofit or corporate boards, strongly preferred.

Skills & Competencies

  • Exceptional interpersonal and coalition-building skills with the ability to work effectively across lines of difference.
  • High political acumen, discretion, and the ability to navigate sensitive issues while maintaining trust and alignment.
  • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to tailor messaging to different audiences and contexts.
  • Strong project management skills, with the capacity to balance immediate priorities with long-term strategic objectives.
  • Deep commitment to Achievement First’s mission, values, and commitment to equity.
  • Spanish language proficiency strongly preferred.

 

Travel Expectations 

Candidates must reside in Connecticut or plan to relocate at their own expense prior to the start date. This is an on-site role that requires regular in-person presence at schools and/or offices across the region 3-4 days a week. Achievement First does not provide relocation assistance for this position.

 

Compensation

Achievement First sets salaries are set through a lens of equity, and based on the requisite skills, education, and experience relevant to the role.  The salary for this position is $150,331. In order to uphold our commitment to equity, Achievement First does not negotiate pay.  Additionally, Achievement First offers to all regular, full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match, and paid Family Leave.

Achievement First is an equal opportunity employer and an organization that values diversity. People from all diverse backgrounds are strongly encouraged to apply. Spanish language proficiency is a plus. You can learn more about diversity at Achievement First here: http://achievementfirst.org/about-us/diversity/

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