Senior Associate Partner

Job description

About Bellwether

Bellwether is a national nonprofit that exists to transform education to ensure students furthest from opportunity achieve outcomes that lead to fulfilling lives and flourishing communities. We work hand in hand with education leaders and organizations to accelerate their impact, inform and influence policy and program design, and share what we learn along the way.

We are a remote-first team, and our work is national in scope, so our flexible working style allows our professionals to work where they have built their lives, which means Bellwether can hire the best person for each role, regardless of geography. This role can be based anywhere in the United States. Up to approximately 20-30% travel may be required.

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Senior Associate Partners at Bellwether have a nuanced understanding of the education sector, a keen strategic lens, strong analytical capabilities, the ability to communicate effectively orally and in writing, a strong network in the field of education, a genuine sense of curiosity, and an entrepreneurial spirit. Content expertise paired with entrepreneurialism is particularly important for Senior Associate Partners, who contribute to business development and the financial sustainability of the organization as well as the day-to-day management of projects and teams. Senior Associate Partners are members of Bellwether’s leadership and support teams, and they support the organization’s growth and success.

For this Senior Associate Partner role, we are seeking individuals with a background and strong expertise in nontraditional and out-of-school learning to join and eventually lead that portfolio within Bellwether’s focus areas , alongside affiliation with one or more additional portfolios based on expertise and interest.

About This Position

The Senior Associate Partner will sit on Bellwether’s program team, which informs the field with clear and bold insights; brings leaders together to learn, connect, and drive change; and supports mission-driven clients as they navigate tough decisions. The Senior Associate Partner will lead project teams, manage projects in collaboration with a project lead or adviser, provide direction to project analysts, serve as a team leader, and contribute to business development.

In this context, the Senior Associate Partner’s primary responsibilities and duties will be to:

• Serve as project lead and/or project manager for projects most often focused on topics related to nontraditional and out-of-school learning, including policy development and analysis, ecosystem and landscape assessment, and facilitation. Projects will include advising Bellwether clients and informing the field through published reports and commentary (e.g., blog posts, op-eds).
• Support business and client development efforts, initially serving as a co-seller with other members of the leadership team, with the expectation of growing more self-directed business development over time.
• Represent Bellwether externally (as appropriate to expertise), including but not limited to speaking at conferences, participating on panels, and engaging with members of the media beyond project-based work.
• Develop, sustain, and enhance relationships with senior executives, funders, and other leaders in the field.
• Supervise and manage members of the program team and provide coaching, professional development, and mentorship of staff members at various levels.
• Advance Bellwether’s organizational priorities and contribute to the execution of its strategic plan, including facilitating ongoing cross-organization efforts to continue growing our depth and breadth of knowledge and expertise in nontraditional and out-of-school learning.
• Cultivate a culture in which Bellwether’s team and work benefit from the open exchange of questions and ideas in the service of thoughtful, relevant analyses that advance excellent and equitable outcomes.

Qualifications

The Senior Associate Partner will cultivate and build strong senior client relationships, work effectively with team members across roles and areas of expertise, and lead iterative processes that enable joint problem-solving and inclusive decision-making with clients and teams. Specific to this role, the Senior Associate Partner will also have substantial expertise related to nontraditional and out-of-school learning.

In this context, the Senior Associate Partner’s primary qualifications include:

• A commitment to transforming education to ensure students furthest from opportunity achieve outcomes that lead to fulfilling lives and flourishing communities.
• Issue area expertise, including:
  • The policies governing student-centered learning that happens outside the traditional public school system, including local, state, and federal policies that enable school choice, unbundled learning, homeschooling, and supplemental educational experiences through afterschool programs and tutoring.
  • The players engaged in this segment of the education sector, including private schools and other learning providers (e.g., microschools, afterschool programs, tutoring programs), scholarship-granting organizations, digital wallet providers, advocacy groups, family and student navigation organizations, and funders.
  • Key issues shaping the future of nontraditional and out-of-school learning, such as questions of access, quality, responsiveness to family and community demand, and the applications of artificial intelligence (AI) and other technologies.
• At least one past role managing client engagements, including:
  • Asking probing questions to identify clients’ underlying needs beyond their stated requirements.
  • Developing a deep understanding of clients’ context and opportunities to provide appropriate analysis and recommendations.
  • Uncovering and addressing the root causes that may affect client success.
  • Bringing a solutions mindset and a bias for action to the work.
• At least one past role authoring field-facing publications and commentary, including:
  • Broad familiarity with existing research in education and specific knowledge of research as related to nontraditional and out-of-school learning.
  • Skill in structuring, drafting, and editing nuanced analyses of complex issues for multiple audiences, including policymakers, advocates, funders, and practitioners.
  • A strong understanding of research methods and attention to accurate, evidence-based analyses.
• Experience supporting business development and revenue generation, which could include building funder relationships, proposal writing, scoping, and/or budgeting.
• Experience leading teams, including demonstrated ability to:
  • Attract, build, mentor, coach, and direct a high-performing, cohesive team.
  • Leverage strong project management skills to ensure a common understanding of goals, objectives, and processes.
  • Communicate clearly and delegate authority and accountability to the team as appropriate.
  • Reinforce open communication among team members at various levels and effectively manage up, down, and laterally.
  • Give a team broad visibility inside an organization and publicly recognize the accomplishments of individuals and of the group.
  • Coach team members in various roles to support their growth and development.
• Ability to model a high degree of reflection and self-awareness, build trusted relationships across lines of difference, and seek out and engage in good faith with perspectives different from one’s own.

Successful candidates for this role must also be comfortable with and adept at working with private-sector organizations, including for-profits; able and willing to evaluate trade-offs and take risks; and proficient at communicating and collaborating in and across ideological groups on actively contested questions.

More broadly, those who thrive at Bellwether are entrepreneurial, self-directed, empirical, and curious. They welcome the opportunity to grapple honestly with competing ideas and perspectives, anchored in a commitment to civil discourse, respect for others, and facts and evidence. They maintain an open mind and willingness to adapt perspectives and mindsets in response to new or updated information, and they champion the idea that a range of perspectives is critical in the pursuit of the best possible solutions to promote equity and excellence in educational opportunities and outcomes.

Compensation

The base salary range for this role for incoming team members is $165,250 to $190,000 annually, with eligibility for an annual performance bonus targeted at $23,750 based on individual and organizational success. While the final offer amount will be determined by multiple factors — including previous experience and content knowledge — and may vary from the stated range, Bellwether is committed to transparency, and all offers align with our compensation philosophy.

Bellwether provides competitive compensation and an attractive benefits package that includes a performance bonus based on individual and firm success, health care coverage, and a 401(k) plan with matching employer contributions.

To Apply

Use your online application — a custom letter of interest and a current resume — to show us you have the skills listed here or why the skills you have are the ones we actually need. You should also use your application materials to clearly highlight ways in which your background and experience align with Bellwether’s mission, including our commitment to helping young people furthest from opportunity. Please address your letter of interest to Juliet Squire, Senior Partner and Head of Emerging Approaches. This role has a priority application deadline of February 13, 2026. While we prioritize applications received on or before that date, we will review applications as we receive them until the position is filled.

Note: Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa at this time.

Use of AI in Hiring

Our team may use artificial intelligence (AI) tools to support parts of our hiring process, such as reviewing applications, analyzing resumes, summarizing interviews, or assessing responses. These tools help our teams work efficiently, but they never replace human judgment. Every hiring decision is ultimately made by our team. If you have questions about how we process candidate data, please reach out to us.

Bellwether is committed to providing equal opportunities. It is our policy to ensure that all individuals with whom we are in contact are not discriminated against based on age, race, ethnicity, color, disability, gender identity, gender expression, political viewpoint, marital status, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or veteran status. Further, as described above, Bellwether is committed to building a diverse team and strongly encourages individuals from all backgrounds to apply.