Job description
About Catalyst:Ed
Catalyst:Ed is a national nonprofit dedicated to helping organizations build capacity and deepen their impact by connecting them to the expertise, resources, and hands-on support they need to drive transformational outcomes for students, families, and communities. As the only entity connecting organizations, providers, and knowledge at scale in the impact-driven sector, Catalyst:Ed brings expertise, experience, and the ability to execute. We ensure capacity building works by helping leaders identify and leverage the best expertise for their needs and contexts. Our team supports leaders to clarify strengths and areas of growth, create roadmaps to increase capabilities and deepen impact, identify and select vetted providers, and manage projects and payments on our platform. Catalyst:Ed intentionally does not provide any direct consulting support or technical assistance services to avoid any real or perceived conflicts of interest - and this impartiality, coupled with our strong equity stance, has helped us earn the trust of organizations and providers sector-wide. We have a track record of success in terms of results, scale, and impact: since 2020, Catalyst:Ed has served more than 1,500 organizations, and organizational leaders have indicated that 94% of projects have met goals. Founded and led by a woman of color, our commitment to equity and a deep sense of responsibility infuses all our work.
Our team is purpose-driven, innovative, and inclusive, with a supportive culture where all team members have the opportunity to grow and contribute. Catalyst:Ed is committed to being a space where diversity is valued and all team members are able to bring their full, authentic selves to work.
For more information about our mission and work, please visit catalyst-ed.org.
About the Opportunity
Catalyst:Ed seeks a dynamic, results-driven, and entrepreneurial leader to serve as our Senior Director, Services. This role is designed for an individual with a proven track record of driving high-impact initiatives at an organization, school, or systems level.
Reporting directly to the VP, Strategy & Services, the Senior Director will lead the strategic codification, implementation, and scaling of Catalyst:Ed’s capacity advising model, ensuring alignment with organizational goals and sector-wide best practices. In the current structure, the Senior Director leads a team of four, including two direct reports. The Senior Director will contribute to the team’s strategic planning and leadership, and inspire a team of capacity advisors so that together, they drive continuous improvement in service delivery and foster partnerships that amplify the impact of nonprofit, public sector, and education organizations.
The ideal candidate will use data-driven insights, organizational development expertise, and strong external partnership management skills to create partner-centered solutions that increase impact for children, youth, and families.
Areas of Leadership
Service Model Design & Operational Excellence
Lead the codification and elevation of Catalyst:Ed’s capacity advising model into a structured, scalable solution.
- Develop and refine tools, methodologies, and delivery approaches to ensure consistency and scalability across service tiers.
- Partner with the Strategy & Services team to update an evidence-based model for organizational effectiveness in the social and public sector.
- Oversee the use of diagnostics, sensemaking, and capacity-building action plans to inform meaningful, custom support for organizations.
- Monitor the strategic use of consulting wallets to ensure resources are aligned with partner needs and intended outcomes.
Team Leadership & Culture Building
Foster a cohesive, inclusive, and high-performing team environment.
- Stewarding the organization’s outcomes-driven culture, lead the team in setting and modeling a shared vision of collective and individual excellence, performance, and accountability
- Lead and coach a team of capacity advisors through the organization’s continued evolution, growth, and transition, reinforcing a learning-driven and collaborative team culture.
- Build trust, shared purpose, and team alignment during a period of change and growth.
- Guide team members in understanding strengths, development goals, and stretch opportunities aligned to both their aspirations and organizational needs.
Strategic Integration & Cross-Team Alignment
Ensure service delivery aligns with broader organizational strategy and partner needs.
- Collaborate cross-functionally (e.g., Growth, Product, Tech) to align capacity-building initiatives with Catalyst:Ed’s long-term objectives.
- Serve as a thought partner to executive leadership and contribute to strategic conversations that shape organizational direction.
- Identify themes and metrics in collaboration with the Senior Director, Strategy & Impact, to assess partner outcomes and sector impact.
Equity-Driven Systems Leadership
Embed equity into service design, internal systems, and leadership practices.
- Codify equity principles into the team’s operational structures, capacity-building tools, and advisory work.
- Promote inclusive practices within the team and externally with partners and providers.
Stakeholder Engagement & External Representation
Represent Catalyst:Ed with clarity, credibility, and strategic insight.
- Guide a select portfolio of partner organizations through the capacity advising model with rigor and thoughtfulness.
- Cultivate and manage strategic relationships with nonprofit, public sector, education, intermediary, and funding partners.
- Represent Catalyst:Ed at field-facing events, conferences, and convenings to raise visibility and influence sector conversations.
Key Qualifications
- 10+ years in organizational development, capacity building, nonprofit strategy, or related work.
- Demonstrated success managing high-performing teams during periods of growth or transition.
- A track record of balancing thought partnership with follow-through and execution, bringing big-picture insight alongside operational rigor.
- Experience translating strategy into clear tools and scalable models, with a focus on sustainable implementation.
- Strong data fluency, able to leverage qualitative and quantitative insights to drive decisions and service refinement.
- Deep understanding of equity-centered leadership with experience embedding DEI into tools, systems, and operations.
- Strong project execution and follow-through, with the ability to balance long-term vision and near-term delivery.
- Background in adult learning, professional development, or intermediary capacity-building work.
- Experience with entrepreneurial or scaling nonprofits, especially those serving education or social impact sectors.
- Proven ability to represent an organization’s work to external audiences, including funders and strategic partners, with clarity, credibility, and depth.
Salary, Benefits & Location
- Compensation: This is a full-time, salaried position with full benefits and retirement. Compensation is commensurate with experience. Salary range: $152,000-$173,000. Benefits include medical and dental insurance coverage, 403(b) with up to 5% match on base salary, and a generous leave policy
- Preferred start date: Late October/early November 2025
- Location: Catalyst:Ed works nationally. We are a remote team with an office in New Orleans. Team members can work from a U.S-based location of their choosing.
- Travel Requirements: Occasional travel, approximately 1-2 times per quarter, is required for attendance at in-person team meetings, convenings, and events.
- Physical Demands and Working Environment: The bullet points below are representative of the physical demands and working environment that must be met by a team member to successfully perform the essential functions of this role. Reasonable accommodations may be made for individuals with disabilities to perform essential job functions.
- Standard/remote office setting; proximity to office equipment that includes electronic devices.
- Multiple people-facing meetings and interactions a day using Zoom or other video call software
- Must remain at a workstation for at least 50% of the time; will need to use equipment that includes electronic devices.
Catalyst:Ed has a strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion. We encourage candidates of all backgrounds to apply, particularly folks who identify as people of color, first generation, low income, or LGBTQIA+.
