Senior Director, AI Strategy & System Alignme bei Communities Foundation of Texas

About Communities Foundation of Texas  

The mission of Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT) is to improve the lives of all people in our community by investing in their health, wealth, living, and learning. CFT works to accomplish this by growing community giving, expanding community impact, and advancing community equity. With a vision of building thriving communities for all, CFT works locally and across the state with many individuals, families, companies, foundations, and nonprofits through a variety of charitable funds and strategic grantmaking initiatives. CFT professionally manages more than 1,300 charitable funds and has awarded more than $2.5 billion in grants since its founding in 1953.    

Educate Texas (EDTX), an initiative of Communities Foundation of Texas (CFT), exists to help solve the most significant challenges facing public education. Our vision is for all Texans to have the education they need to earn a thriving, living wage, pursue a purposeful career, and realize their dreams for themselves, their families, and their communities. 

Your Role 

Educate Texas is seeking a visionary and strategic leader to serve as the Senior Director of AI Strategy & Systems Alignment. This role will lead the development and execution of Educate Texas’s AI initiative, driving statewide impact across K-12 and community college systems. The Senior Director will shape strategic direction, build and manage a high-performing team, secure funding, implement the initiative, and ensure alignment with broader Educate Texas programs. This is a unique opportunity to position Texas as a national leader in thoughtful and effective AI integration in education for all our students. This position is based in Dallas. The successful candidate must reside locally or be willing to relocate. Travel is expected both in/out of state.  

What You’ll Do 

Strategic Leadership 

• Launch and iterate the strategic vision for the AI initiative in alignment with Educate Texas’s new Strategic Plan (which is currently being finalized)
• Collaborate in building out a budget and workplan that supports this work and ensures its alignment within Educate Texas and its viability and relevance outside the organization.
• Finalize and lead the implementation roadmap, including foundational efforts and scaling strategies.

• Collaborate with other Senior Directors to identify opportunities to integrate AI into existing Educate Texas programs and priorities.

Team Building & Management 

• Hire, develop and manage a small team to support program execution.
• Cultivate a collaborative, mission-driven culture focused on innovation and impact.

Fundraising & Partnership Development 

• Support and engage in fundraising efforts to secure long-term funding for this work.se.
• Work closely with the Strategic Partnerships team and Senior Directors to build and maintain strong partnerships with universities, districts, policymakers, and funders.
• Collaborate with internal and external partners on a communications strategy that elevates the work and importance of the AI initative and complements the broader work of Educate Texas.
• Represent Educate Texas in national and state-level convenings and coalitions.

Program Design & Execution 

• Oversee work to seed AI-enabled initiatives with districts and community colleges that can serve as examples to others 
• Guide the development of Texas-specific AI guidance and professional learning frameworks.
• Promote ethical, equitable, and effective use of AI in education.
• Manage the DFW and other regional networks.
• Develop and implement processes and systems for encouraging collaboration and communication within regional networks.

Communications & Advocacy and External Engagement 

• Position Educate Texas as a trusted voice in AI education through media, conferences, and publications.
• Collaborate with policy teams to influence state and federal AI education policy.
• Cultivate and manage the AI Advisory Board; identify new members as needed and consider the development of other supportive networks.
• Identify partners, initiatives, funding opportunities, and convenings that EDTX should be engaged with.

Experience You Bring 

Leadership & Sector Expertise 

• Minimum of 10 years in senior leadership in education, innovation, or technology leadership, with a proven track record of driving strategic initiatives and leading high-performing teams.
• Deep understanding of K–12 and/or community college systems, ideally within the Texas education landscape.
• Demonstrated commitment to serving the full breadth of Texas’ student population.
• Deep expertise and leadership in artificial intelligence, educational technology, or digital transformation, with a clear vision for responsible and equitable implementation in education.
• Bachelor’s Degree required, and post-graduate studies and/or degree strongly preferred

Strategic Planning & Systems Thinking 

• Ability to see the big picture, anticipate future trends, and translate complex challenges into actionable strategies.
• Skilled in developing and executing multi-year plans that align with organizational goals and drive measurable impact.
• Experienced in leading organizational change, building adaptive systems, and fostering a culture of continuous improvement.

Partnership Development & Resource Mobilization 

• Proven success in securing large-scale philanthropic and corporate funding opportunities.
• Skilled in cultivating strategic partnerships and engaging diverse stakeholders across sectors.

• Operates with a consultative mindset, co-creating solutions with internal and external partners. 

Communication, Learning & Results Orientation 

• Communicates complex ideas clearly and persuasively across varied audiences. 
• Uses data to inform decisions and improve outcomes.
• Takes initiative, navigates ambiguity, and continuously seeks learning and growth. 

What Success Looks Like 

The Senior Director will be successful when they demonstrate both strategic impact and leadership behaviors that align with Educate Texas’s mission and values. The senior director is expected to refine and further develop these elements.  

Within the First 6–12 Months 

• Finalization of the strategic plan for the first three years of the AI Collaborative, including a clear roadmap and foundational priorities.
• Completion of initial case studies and implementation with Lighthouse Initiatives in districts (early adopters and/or strategic partners).
• Management of a broadly representative and expert advisory group to guide initiative development.
• Cultivation of additional funding commitments totaling $1–3M from philanthropic and corporate partners. (in partnership with the Strategic Partnerships team).
• Development of a Texas-specific AI Education Policy Framework in collaboration with key stakeholders.
• Engagement of 200+ senior education leaders and 25+ districts in early-stage initiative activities.
• Establish communication systems and performance tracking tools to monitor progress and share learnings.

Leadership Behaviors 

• Models inclusive, collaborative leadership that builds trust across diverse teams and sectors.
• Operates with a consultative mindset, co-creating solutions and incorporating feedback from educators, funders, and policymakers.
• Demonstrates initiative, ownership, and adaptability in navigating ambiguity and driving work forward.
• Communicates complex ideas clearly and persuasively, positioning Educate Texas as a trusted voice in AI education.

• Embodies CFT’s core competencies: Collaboration, Impact and Problem Solving, Integrity and Accountability, Learning, and Internal and External Service.

Disclaimer: The above sections contain representative examples of job duties that might be performed by employees assigned to this classification. CFT is a dynamic organization, and the environment can be fluid. Roles and responsibilities may be altered to accommodate changing conditions and objectives as well as to tap into the skills and experience of its employees. Accordingly, employees may be asked to perform duties that are outside the specific work that is listed. This is not an exhaustive list of all responsibilities, duties and/or skills required of all employees within this class. 

Accommodations: Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions of the position.