Senior Director for Educational Equity

March 2023

MDC, a nonprofit in Durham, N.C., focused on improving economic mobility and advancing equity in the South, seeks a Senior Program Director to lead work to advance educational equity in the South. MDC enjoys support from national and regional partners in private philanthropy, business, and government. Our vision is a South where all people thrive.

MDC defines educational equity as the work to ensure that every child or young person receives what they need to develop to their full academic and social potential. We currently advance this agenda for children 0-5 as well as young people with learning differences, in K-12. The Senior Director will be responsible for shaping and building MDC’s broader agenda to advance educational opportunity and equity for children and youth throughout the South, in early childhood education and development, K-12 educational equity, and in access to and completion of a post-secondary credential. All of MDC’s educational equity work is nested in MDC’s commitment to economic mobility.

The Senior Director will also provide senior leadership to three current significant initiatives:

• Great Expectations: an ambitious early childhood initiative of the Kate B. Reynolds Charitable Trust focused on ensuring children in Forsyth County enter kindergarten ready to learn and leave set for success in school and life–regardless of their race, location, or economic status.
• Home-based Child Care (HBCC): a two-pronged initiative to: (1) advance a HBCC Community of Practice and (2) replicate Leading from Home, a leadership program to build voice and advocacy among home-based child care providers
• Learning for Equity: a Network for Solutions (LENS): a learning and action network supported by the Oak Foundation, to advance learning and hands-on work regarding the intersection of learning differences and education equity. LENS network members form connections, share experiences, and explore collaborations that will contribute to positive changes for K-12 students with learning differences who are impacted by educational inequities due to racism and/or poverty.

In the recent past, MDC has led other significant initiatives to advance post-secondary access and completion with support from multiple national and regional funders.

This position will work closely with MDC’s Director of Learning and Impact and Director of Communications to ensure that we track learnings, measure progress, and share our experiences with external audiences. The Senior Director is a member of MDC’s Leadership Team and thus helps inform and guide MDC’s overall mission. This position may also be engaged in other related MDC projects.

Primary Responsibilities and Expectations

• Expand the programmatic and geographic reach and sharpen the focus of MDC’s education agenda. This will involve visioning and strategic planning with MDC team members, followed by partnership development and fundraising.
• In close partnership with MDC senior leadership and project teams, guide and support the three strategies described above in a way that centers equity, innovation, growth, and impact.
• Lead the fundraising strategy to support this body of work, building partnerships with multiple state, regional and national foundations and governmental agencies.
• Supervise staff and ensure strong, healthy project teams.
• Build productive partnerships with community leaders, academics, nonprofits, philanthropy, government, and leaders in the field.
• Working closely with MDC’s Director of Learning and Impact and Director of Communications, identify knowledge and insights that should be shared with wider audiences; help shape written and other materials for dissemination.
• Serve as a member of MDC’s Leadership Team.

Qualifications

The Senior Program Director should have at least 10-15 years of relevant experience, including work directly in the education sector. This position may be remote, but candidates are expected to reside within MDC’ programmatic coverage area. In addition, candidates must have:

• A deep understanding of, and commitment to, equity and applied experience in infusing equity within schools and/or post-secondary institutions and/or education-focused nonprofits
• Experience shaping and/or leading significant education initiatives
• Currency and reputational standing in the field; recognizing that the field of education serving young people 0-16 is deep and wide, an expectation that the candidate has worked across multiple aspects of the education field
• An entrepreneurial orientation to creatively shaping new partnerships and initiatives
• Excellent management and team leadership skills that fit with MDC’s culture of team-based project staffing and inclusive decision-making
• A results-driven orientation, with the capacity to forecast, plan, and deliver in a timely fashion
• Ability to build and maintain partnerships with a broad range of strategic partners, including a range of nonprofits (organizing, advocacy, community development), educational institutions (districts, community colleges), state-level education policymakers, and philanthropy
• Significant experience in acquiring funding through successful program design generated internally and/or in response to funder opportunities
• Ability to communicate and work effectively with people of diverse backgrounds and experiences, including communities where English is spoken as an additional language
• Deep commitment to and understanding of equity generally and racial equity specifically
• Strong self-awareness and empathy, with the capacity to build authentic relationships
• An understanding of the American South
• Superb plain-language writing skills
• Strong communication skills, including clear and compelling oral presentation skills as well as facility in engaging in difficult conversations

Compensation and Location

The salary range for this position is $115-125K, depending on experience. MDC offers an excellent benefits package. This position will report to Calvin Allen, MDC Vice President for Partnerships and Programs. This is a full-time exempt position and is eligible for a full package of benefits including health, dental, and vision insurance; short-term and long-term disability; life insurance; vacation, sick, and personal leave; and paid retirement account contributions.

MDC staff work in a hybrid manner, though regular office space is available in our Durham, NC location. MDC is open to staff who do not live in the Durham/RTP area, but they must be able to attend monthly staff meetings, periodic in-person team meetings and/or retreats, and other periodic full-staff gatherings. Dedicated to its employee health and safety, MDC will continue to make decisions about in-person meetings in accordance with all applicable laws and is based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities.

All MDC employees whose duties require that they work indoors with others, excluding work done exclusively from the employee’s home, must be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless a reasonable accommodation is approved.

About MDC

Founded in 1967, MDC is a nonprofit organization that equips Southern leaders, institutions, and communities to improve economic mobility and advance equity, particularly racial and gender equity. Our lead strategies are:

• Framing an equity agenda through our State of the South series
• Systems change through initiatives that center on early childhood education and development; talent development (including early childhood development, workforce development, post-secondary access); and family economic security (including access to supports and benefits for families; reducing the impact of student debt).
• Equity-centered leadership through initiatives to shape philanthropic practice in the South and efforts to equip Southern leaders to lead with collaborative, human-centered principles and strategies.

To Apply

Please send an application package electronically through JazzHR. Application materials should include: (1) cover letter addressed to MDC Senior Director Hiring Committee, (2) resume, (3) contact information for three references, and (4) a writing sample, in four separate PDFs. Applications without a cover letter will not be considered. Deadline for applications is 5:00 PM Eastern Time, on Monday, April 24th. The desired start date for this position is early June, 2023.

MDC is an equal opportunity employer. As an organization committed to diversity and equity, it is our policy to provide an equal employment opportunity to all individuals without regard to age, color, race, religion, national origin, disability, military/veteran status, sex, gender, gender expression, sexual orientation or status in any other group, protected by federal or local law or for any other reason. This position is not eligible for H-1B visa sponsorship. We encourage applications from people of color, women, the LGBTQ+ community, individuals with disabilities, and members of other underrepresented groups. Further, MDC values candidates with lived experience relevant to our mission. Reasonable accommodations are available on request.

For more information about MDC, go to www.mdcinc.org and www.stateofthesouth.org.

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