Job description
About National Association of Charter School Authorizers
NACSA exists to advance and strengthen authorizing so students and communities, especially those historically under-resourced, thrive. For 25 years, NACSA has worked with authorizers, policymakers, and others to create and sustain this innovative, growing ecosystem that allows for more great schools and improved learning, and in doing so, reduces inequities. NACSA is unique both in our exclusive focus on charter school authorizing and in the breadth of our work in this arena.
Learn more about NACSA by visiting https://qualitycharters.org/.
About the Opportunity
NACSA is expanding its Consulting Services team to meet the growing demand from charter school authorizers and state education agencies. The Director of Consulting Services will be a key contributor on a collaborative, entrepreneurial, and mission-driven team dedicated to delivering high-quality client services, strengthening internal systems, and extending NACSA’s impact. This position will report to NACSA’s Managing Director of Consulting Services.
The Director of Consulting Services will lead small- to mid-sized client projects, contribute to business development, and help build internal systems and structures to maximize the team’s impact in the field. The Director will manage multiple projects independently, deepen client relationships, and take on work of increasing complexity over time, in close collaboration with the Managing Director and other team members.
This is an ideal role for someone who believes in the power of authorizing to drive student outcomes, deeply understands and has experience implementing quality authorizing principles and practices, and is eager to apply and share that expertise with authorizers across the country.
Areas of Leadership
Mission and Values Alignment: Deeply align with NACSA’s mission to ensure all students, particularly those from underserved communities, have access to high-quality schools. Responsible for modeling and integrating NACSA’s core values of autonomy, access, and accountability into decision-making, client engagements, and team operations
Key qualifications:
- Strong commitment to educational equity and a demonstrated passion for improving public education.
- Experience elevating and prioritizing equity and impact while balancing organizational goals and client needs.
Experience in Charter School Authorizing: Bring hands-on, practical experience in charter school authorizing to autonomously lead, design and manage small- to mid-sized client projects and deliver high-quality results. The Director will apply a deep understanding of quality authorizing practices and policies to help clients strengthen their systems, making strategic decisions about project approach, scope and deliverables with oversight from the Managing Director to improve outcomes for students and families. This role requires translating knowledge of quality authorizing and experience in diverse contexts to further actionable solutions that advance best practices in the field and contribute to NACSA’s strategic metrics for client impact.
Key qualifications:
- Direct experience in charter school authorizing and a deep understanding of NACSA’s Principles & Standards for Quality Charter School Authorizingare required.
- Evidence of hands-on leadership experience in one or more core authorizing functions (e.g., application cycles, renewals, performance management, interventions).
- Ability to independently assess client needs, design strategic solutions, apply best practices in authorizing, and to adapt strategies to specific needs and contexts.
- Strong analytical skills to assess authorizer needs and design practical, effective solutions across a range of authorizer types, sizes, and political contexts.
- Ability to connect individual project outcomes to broader organizational goals for strategic impact.
- Experience working on projects with shifting demands and timelines, requiring flexibility, resilience, and professional judgement.
Project Management: As a skilled project manager, this individual will execute complex projects, ensuring they are completed on time, within budget, and to the highest quality standards. Collaborate with team leadership on project development, timelines, and deliverables while managing multiple priorities and stakeholders effectively. On larger, more complex engagements, support the Managing Director or peer Directors as a key team member.
Key qualifications:
- Proven ability to autonomously manage projects from design through execution, demonstrating evidence of organizational skills and meeting project objectives.
- Experience managing multiple, concurrent projects with competing deadlines and priorities.
- Strong skills in managing others through influence versus direct people management, with the ability to manage up, down, and across to keep projects moving.
- Able to problem-solve when challenges arise, adjusting scope, approach, or deliverables as needed.
- Strong relationship-building skills to engage stakeholders and contribute to long-term partnerships.
- Application of professional judgement to know when to seek support and when to move forward autonomously.
Exceptional Verbal and Written Communication: Produce clear, concise, and compelling communication tailored to diverse audiences, with an emphasis on high-quality analytical writing. Create client-ready proposals, reports, and project deliverables, while also facilitating meetings and presentations that build trust, align with client goals, and advance project outcomes.
Key qualifications:
- Exceptional analytical writing skills, with a proven ability to produce clear, concise, and actionable client-ready deliverables (e.g., proposals, reports, project documentation).
- Demonstrated skill in facilitating meetings, gathering input, and adapting messaging for diverse audiences by translating complex ideas into clear, actionable insights.
- Comfort representing an organization in professional settings, including client meetings and small convenings.
- Skilled at illustrating impact and highlighting the value of an organization’s work in both internal and external contexts.
The Benefits
This is a full-time, exempt position with a remote work setup, requiring occasional travel (approximately once quarterly, with some additional travel expected throughout the year, including NACSA’s annual conference and staff retreat. The salary range for this position is $90,000 to $111,500. To maintain transparency and fairness in our compensation practices, we are unable to accommodate salary negotiations.
What sets us apart is our exceptional benefits package! We’re proud to offer a comprehensive suite of benefits designed to prioritize your well-being and work-life balance. These include [robust and affordable health insurance options, retirement contribution matching, flexible work arrangements, wellness programs, generous PTO, and professional development opportunities. We believe in supporting our team both professionally and personally, and we’re excited to offer a package that truly reflects that commitment!
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NACSA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, or current employment status.
NACSA encourages individuals of all ethnic, racial, and socioeconomic backgrounds to apply for this position. We are committed to maximizing the diversity of our organization, as we want to engage all those who can contribute to this effort.
NACSA is committed to the full inclusion of all qualified individuals. As part of this commitment, NACSA complies with federal and state disability laws to ensure that persons with disabilities are provided reasonable accommodations. NACSA is prepared to modify or adjust the job application process or the job or the work environment to make reasonable accommodations to the known physical or mental limitations of the applicant or employee to enable the applicant or employee to be considered for the position they desire, to perform the essential functions of the position in question, or to enjoy equal benefits and privileges of employment as are enjoyed by other similar situated employees without disabilities unless the accommodation will impose an undue hardship.
