Senior Director

The Leadership Academy (TLA) believes leadership is the lever that transforms schools. We partner with superintendents, district leaders, principals, and teacher leaders through immersive professional learning and coaching, so every student has the school they deserve. Our mission. Harnessing leadership as a lever for change, we partner with education leaders through professional learning and coaching to transform schools and accelerate learning for all students. Our vision. A future where every school creates limitless possibilities for every student.

Reporting to the Executive Director, Business Development & Finance, the Senior Director, District Partnerships leads a portfolio of complex K–12 district and education-agency opportunities from first conversation through signed contract. This is a hands-on role for an experienced business-development professional who writes persuasive proposals, develops pricing, and navigates public-sector procurement with confidence.

The Senior Director knows how districts buy professional services and how HR, academic, school, and procurement leaders each shape a decision. Working within the strategy set by the Executive Director, they own decisions within their portfolio, serve as the team’s go-to resource on proposal strategy, pricing, and contracting, and build working fluency in NYC Public Schools procurement to support our work in New York City.

• Proposal and Procurement Leadership Leads assigned opportunities from early cultivation and scoping through proposal development, procurement, negotiation, and contract execution.
• Evaluates RFPs and other opportunities for strategic alignment, organizational capacity, financial viability, and likelihood of success.
• Develops persuasive, client-specific proposals that clearly articulate TLA’s approach, deliverables, assumptions, and expected impact.
• Shapes proposal strategy based on an understanding of the district’s context, decision makers, procurement requirements, and evaluation criteria.
• Develops project pricing and budgets and negotiates contract terms in partnership with Finance and other internal colleagues.
• Anticipates and addresses the documentation, approvals, timelines, and compliance requirements associated with complex district procurement processes.
• Builds and sustains productive relationships with district and education-agency clients and partners.
• Business Development Strategy Contributes market and client insight to TLA’s business-development strategy and helps translate that strategy into action.
• Maintains a current understanding of the K–12 district marketplace, including funding conditions, purchasing patterns, decision-making structures, and procurement practices.
• Develops working fluency in NYC Public Schools procurement and vendor practices; prior NYC procurement experience is strongly preferred.
• Partners with the Executive Director and other Business Development colleagues to identify, assess, and prioritize complex and multi-year opportunities.
• Serves as an internal resource on proposal strategy, pricing, procurement, and contracting, sharing expertise that strengthens the team’s collective practice.
• Contributes to targeted pipeline-building efforts for regional and national offerings.
• Cross-Functional Collaboration Collaborates across the organization to ensure opportunities reflect TLA’s priorities and capabilities and are positioned for successful delivery.
• Works with Client Services and content colleagues to develop scopes that reflect current offerings, approaches, and organizational capacity.
• Partners with Staffing to align proposed scopes with available expertise and talent.
• Partners with Finance to develop accurate pricing, revenue-recognition schedules, invoice plans, and contract terms.
• Maintains accurate and current, prospect, proposal, and client information in TLA’s business-development systems.

Required:

• Bachelor’s degree.
• At least five years of progressively responsible experience selling professional services, programs, or solutions to K–12 school districts or education agencies.
• Demonstrated ownership of complex district sales and procurement processes.
• Experience developing and leading complex RFP responses, from initial opportunity assessment and proposal strategy through submission, negotiation, and contract execution.
• Demonstrated ability to understand the priorities of different district buyers and tailor positioning, proposals, and engagement strategies accordingly.
• Experience developing project pricing and budgets and contributing to contract negotiations.
• Knowledge of district operating environments, funding considerations, decision-making structures, and the work of school and system leaders.
• Exceptional proposal, business-writing, verbal communication, and relationship-management skills.
• Ability to produce polished, accurate, client-ready proposals and supporting materials.
• Sound judgment and the ability to make and own decisions while collaborating effectively across functions.
• Ability to manage multiple complex opportunities and deadlines simultaneously.
• Proficiency with business-development, project-management, and AI-enabled tools.
• Preferred Master’s Degree or above. Experience working for a nonprofit or for-profit organization that serves K–12 districts (strongly preferred).
• Experience with NYC Public Schools procurement and vendor practices.

Benefits highlights:

Medical, dental, and vision coverage, including an employer HSA contribution

Paid time off and organization-wide holidays

Paid family leave, with bonding leave topped up to 100% of pay

Compensation & Benefits:

HIRING RANGE $110,000 to $120,000 annual base salary

This range reflects TLA’s good-faith estimate of the base salary we expect to offer for this role. Where a candidate lands within the range depends on their experience, skills, and internal equity.

Equal Opportunity The Leadership Academy is an equal opportunity employer. We value the perspectives, identities, and experiences that each person brings, and we make employment decisions without regard to race, color, religion, creed, national origin, ancestry, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, age, disability, marital or partnership status, military or veteran status, caregiver status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law.