Vice President, Education-to-Career

About JFF  

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: By 2033, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.   

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With staff across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.    

Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.    

Equal Employment Opportunity at JFF   

Inclusion, belonging, and well-being are core to JFF’s North Star and mission, and we seek to invest in and learn from those who represent the communities we serve as it is important to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and career advancement opportunities for all.  

JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply to our open roles.  

About the position: 

JFF’s Education Practice (EdP) leads national strategies and initiatives to transform policies and practices, build capacities, and drive behavior change of existing education systems, institutions, and providers, including K-12 schools, postsecondary institutions, traditional certificate/credential providers, and adjacent organizations, in service of equitable economic advancement for workers and learners. This includes the design of, investment in, and networking of innovators of new secondary and multiple postsecondary pathways that optimize the relationship between skills, career outcomes, credentials, and labor market demand. The EdP also works to engage diverse organizations in the ecosystem that can provide and/or support student success in education and training and enable more efficient and effective attainment of further education as desired. 

We seek this Vice President to work with the Education Practice lead to grow and evolve our thriving education-to-career pathways portfolio. In this role, you will advance system changes that integrate high school, college, and career experiences—ensuring that all learning is career-connected and prepares young adults to earn credentials of value and remain agile in an increasingly dynamic labor market shaped by AI and other technological advances.  

You will build upon existing work and team efforts—such as the national Pathways to Prosperity Network and Coalition—and spearhead new initiatives to advance agile learning systems with no dead ends, scale next-generation work-based learning and educator-employer partnerships, and leverage AI. The VP will also be responsible for raising funds from corporate, foundation, and government sources, working closely and in coordination with others within the Education Practice and across the organization. The VP will lead proposal development and funder relations, manage multiple partner and client relationships, and oversee funded projects and initiatives.  In this space, you will represent JFF along with VP EdP and Chief Solutions Officer with a wide array of stakeholders in the field. Internally, you will collaborate with other members of the Education Practice to set its strategic direction.  

This is an exciting role for someone who is energized by taking bold, innovative ideas that have been developed and creating something new. The ideal candidate should be eager to step into a team experiencing a period of fresh possibility, where your leadership and strategic thinking can directly influence how we define and grow our pathways portfolio. This role is ideal for a broad, systems-level thinker who can connect education to career pathways with skills-first approaches and emerging AI innovations—and envision how AI can be thoughtfully embedded across our work. We’re looking for someone who can set a compelling vision, unite colleagues around shared goals, and represent our work credibly and elicit excitement with partners and stakeholders in the field. 

What you'll do: 

Lead bold strategy, vision and thought leadership for the Education Practice 

• Provide national thought leadership on a broad range of issues impacting learners including  K-12 and postsecondary education, skills-first approaches, credentials and adult education 
• Create, evolve and position JFF’s point of view and theory of action for transformative change within the broader ecosystem of players and design and build impactful programs, policies, and initiatives that drive equitable outcomes and address systemic barriers to opportunity 
• Sponsor and lead major projects, initiatives, and bodies of work centered on secondary-postsecondary-career integration, closely coordinating with others in the Education Practice and across JFF’s Practices and Centers 
• Represent JFF on the national stage through speaking engagements at high-profile events, op-eds, publications, and social media 

Deliver impactful results through visionary strategy development, strategic relationship management, partnership cultivation and fundraising 

• Work closely with the Education Practice Lead and team including the Chief Solutions Officer to help set the strategic direction of the Education Practice 
• Develop and execute a strategy that establishes and advances a vision for learning systems for young adults that inspires key leaders in the field to action and amplifies JFF’s point of view 
• Design, build, and curate key networks within the sector in accordance with JFF’s overall network strategy 
• Work closely with the Education Practice Lead and Chief Solutions Officer to raise funds, including proposal development, capture management from cultivation through award, and relationship management aligned to goals and priorities in JFF’s strategic and operational plans 
• Lead teams to develop content and design replicable solutions or frameworks 

Expand influence of the Education Practice and JFF’s mission by cultivating and building collaborative partnerships  

• Successfully engage and manage relationships with funders and strategic partners in the development and funding of new ideas and initiatives, with accountability for achieving annual business development goals for the Practice and contributing to shared business development goals for other Practices and Centers 
• Seek ways to integrate initiatives, foster connections and exploit synergies across JFF that leverage the broad expertise of our staff to achieve greater impact 
• Develop strong partnerships with the VP, Solutions Design & Delivery, and the directors of teams within Solutions Design & Delivery to ensure strong, consistent, high-quality execution on project work 
• In partnership with the Finance team, manage budgets and the performance of the team’s portfolio of projects and budgets 
• Contribute to strategic planning and decision making for the Solutions Group, and for the organization, working with colleagues to continuously strengthen JFF’s performance and impact 
• Model inclusive leadership and build a collaborative team amongst direct reports, staff who drive Pathways to Prosperity, and colleagues from other teams across different portfolio of projects and budgets 

Who You Are:

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work.  

• You are a field recognized leader who brings deep knowledge in and vision to systems change work and have implemented ambitious pathways, career-connected, and other transformations at the regional and state levels; It is a plus (but not required) if you have served as the leader of a non-profit organization, educational institution, or system (New hires at the VP level at JFF typically bring 20+ years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions)  
• You bring deep conviction for the work of the Education Practice, are known for elevating trends to inform your team and organization’s work and bring a deep commitment to advancing economic mobility for all through systems-level transformation
• You are familiar with national developments relating to a broad range of issues impacting learners including in K-12 and postsecondary education, skills-first approaches, credentials, adult education, the role of community-based organizations
• You can set a vision with marked influence on the field nationally including areas such as work-based learning, employer-education partnerships, and an understanding of how to leverage AI for scale and transformation 
• You are skilled at designing and carrying out strategic advising, capacity building, and program design with and for partners, and coaching others to do so; you have demonstrated success sponsoring complex projects and delivering exceptional outcomes 
• You have raised significant philanthropic, public, and corporate funding (six and seven figure gifts), and are skilled at crafting fundable strategies, proposals, and budgets 
• You excel working collaboratively with a range of decision-makers and you model a culture of empowerment and accountability for teams to deliver on commitments consistently at high quality 
• You have a proven ability to motivate, inspire colleagues and partners and produce strong outcomes 
• You are a storyteller and narrative shaper, adept at turning complex ideas into accessible, actionable frameworks that galvanize others   
• You are a strong manager of people, a player coach who can mentor and engender trust with colleagues and internal partners 
• You have a demonstrated ability to manage disparate and competing priorities with multiple timetables and deliverables, and to keep work on track and on budget 
• You have excellent written and verbal communication skills including the ability to synthesize and communicate complex issues to a variety of audiences in a variety of media and settings 
• You can translate JFF’s expertise into repeatable products and service offerings 
• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work 
• You lead with inclusion, belonging, and well-being, and foster collaborative cultures that reflect those values 
• You build positive, effective, collaborative cultures and teams wherever you work 
• You are able and willing to travel up to 25%. (The frequency will vary according to mix of site visits, conferences and external meetings)

What We Offer   

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.   

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.    

The hiring range for this role is $200,000 - $250,000 annually, in alignment to JFF’s Vice President salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire’s relevant experience and market demands.   

To Apply   

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Joel Vargas, Vice President, Education Practice, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position.  

Applications submitted by 5pmEST on Friday, January 9th will be prioritized for review. We encourage interested candidates to apply by that date in order to be considered with the first slate of candidates, early on in the hiring process. Applications submitted after that date may not be prioritized for review, depending on the strength of the pool. We will ensure that all candidates will receive updates on their candidacy before the search is closed out.    

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org.  

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.