Job Title: Managing Director, Ignite (Term)
TEAM: TFA Philadelphia
REPORTS TO: Executive Director
LOCATION: Must be based in Greater Philadelphia
PRIORITY APPLICATION DEADLINE: Thursday, July 16th by 11:59 PM EST. Resumes will be reviewed on a rolling basis.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: This is a full-time term role designed to support key organizational priorities through June 30, 2027. This role has a defined end date and is not intended to convert to a permanent position.
WHAT YOU’LL DO
As Managing Director, Ignite, you will serve as the primary Teach For America relationship manager and strategic thought partner for the School District of Philadelphia and a portfolio of participating schools implementing Teach For America Ignite. This city-funded role is responsible for ensuring strong program implementation, coaching school-based leaders and Ignite fellows, and strengthening partnerships that maximize student impact for students across participating schools.
Working closely with district leaders, school administrators, regional partners, and the national Ignite team, you will establish and steward strong partnerships that advance Teach For America's 2030 goal while ensuring every participating school receives both standardized and differentiated support based on its unique context. A core component of this role is coaching. You will coach Ignite site leaders and support Ignite fellows through regular observations, feedback conversations, goal setting, and ongoing development that strengthens instructional quality and program implementation. You will leverage data, relationship-building, and continuous improvement practices to help partners navigate challenges, implement sustainable solutions, and maximize impact for students.
This role is ideal for someone who enjoys serving as both a strategic partner and leadership coach. You are energized by supporting educators and school leaders, comfortable influencing through relationships rather than authority, skilled at navigating complex systems, and excited to work across district, school, regional, and national stakeholders to drive meaningful outcomes for students.
WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR
(70%) Drive District Partnership Success, Coaching, & Program Impact
Serve as Teach For America's primary relationship manager for the School District of Philadelphia and a portfolio of participating schools implementing Ignite.
Develop and maintain trusted partnerships with district leaders, school administrators, Ignite site leaders, and regional partners to ensure successful implementation of Ignite.
Establish a strategic vision for each partnership that aligns district priorities, school goals, Teach For America's 2030 vision, and Ignite's program model.
Coach Ignite site leaders through individualized coaching cycles focused on leadership development, program implementation, problem-solving, and continuous improvement.
Observe tutoring sessions and facilitate reflective coaching conversations that strengthen instructional practice and student outcomes.
Support Ignite fellows through observations, feedback, issue resolution, and implementation of fellow policies and procedures.
Guide site leaders through program launch, including scheduling, onboarding fellows, operational readiness, and ongoing implementation support.
Leverage student, program, and implementation data to identify trends, monitor progress, and differentiate support across schools.
Facilitate collaborative problem-solving with district and school partners while balancing standardized program expectations with local needs.
Monitor overall partnership health and proactively identify opportunities to strengthen relationships, improve implementation, and expand impact.
Coordinate collection and analysis of student engagement and academic data to evaluate program effectiveness and inform continuous improvement.
(20%) Strategy, Learning & Continuous Improvement
Analyze implementation trends across the Philadelphia portfolio to identify opportunities for improvement.
Partner with district leaders, regional teams, and the national Ignite team to develop sustainable solutions that strengthen program quality and partner experience.
Create and refine coaching tools, implementation resources, and partner supports that can be leveraged across the Ignite network.
Share insights and best practices that contribute to enterprise-wide learning and future program strategy.
(10%) Contribute to Team
Be an active member in building an inclusive, collaborative, learning-focused team culture.
Partner across regional and national teams to support strategic initiatives and special projects.
Serve as an "all hands on deck" teammate, contributing wherever needed to ensure successful implementation of Ignite across Philadelphia and the broader national network.
A WEEK IN THE LIFE
No two weeks in this role look exactly the same. You may spend one day meeting with district leaders to review program outcomes and discuss strategic priorities, another day visiting schools to observe tutoring sessions and coach Ignite site leaders, and another collaborating with regional and national partners to prepare for program launch or address implementation challenges.
Throughout the year, you'll balance relationship management, leadership coaching, program operations, and data analysis while ensuring every participating school receives the support needed to provide high-quality tutoring experiences that improve student outcomes.
YOUR EXPERIENCE
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree
7+ years of professional experience, including experience coaching, developing, or leading adults
Experience building partnerships with schools, districts, or education organizations
Willingness to work occasional evenings and weekends as needed
Willingness to travel throughout the Greater Philadelphia area and 1-2 times annually for conferences or team meetings
Preferred Qualifications
10+ years of professional experience
Experience coaching educators, school leaders, or instructional teams
Experience partnering with district leadership or managing external client relationships
Demonstrated success influencing without direct authority across multiple stakeholder groups
Experience observing instruction and providing actionable coaching and feedback
Strong project management experience with multiple complex workstreams
Demonstrated ability to analyze data and translate insights into strategic action
Skills & Orientations:
Deep investment in Teach For America's mission and core values.
Demonstrated ability to:
Build authentic, trusting relationships with district leaders, school administrators, educators, and cross-functional partners.
Coach and develop adults through individualized feedback, reflection, and goal setting.
Navigate complex systems and competing priorities while maintaining a strategic perspective.
Influence stakeholders through credibility, collaboration, and strong communication.
Balance standardized program expectations with differentiated partner support.
Analyze multiple data sources to identify trends, prioritize needs, and drive continuous improvement.
Manage multiple priorities while alternating between strategic planning and operational execution.
Exercise sound judgment and make independent decisions in complex situations.
Operate with empathy, curiosity, humility, and a strong commitment to student success.
THE TEAM
Since 2003, we have brought more than 2,000 new teachers to Greater Philadelphia, with two-thirds of our most recent group of alumni choosing to stay local and remain in the classroom beyond their two-year commitment. As a collective, our alumni lead and fuel the efforts of change throughout the city: more than 400 of our alumni remain as teachers in Philadelphia classrooms, nearly 10% of all Philadelphia principals are TFA alumni, and 70 alumni serve in mid and senior systems level leadership roles in district and charter systems. Despite the progress that we have begun to see, we know there is much more potential waiting to be unlocked. This is where you come in. The nearly 200,000 students in Philadelphia public schools are the ones who will write our city’s future and it is on us—alongside our city’s thousands of other dedicated educators—to help prepare them for this task. We must help students build the knowledge, skills, and leadership traits and develop the social and cultural consciousness that will allow them to realize their full potential and become our city’s next generation of leaders.
YOUR COMPENSATION
The applicable salary range for each U.S.-based role is based on where the employee works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers according to a cost of labor index in that geographic area. Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, location, business needs, or market demands. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. The expected salary range for this role are set forth below. These ranges may be modified in the future.
