Managing Director of Community Engagement & Advocacy chez YES Prep Public Schools

Job Description

POSITION: Managing Director of Community Engagement & Advocacy

REPORTS TO: Chief External Officer

POSITION TYPE: 12-month

START DATE: Immediate

COMPENSATION: $99,291- $121,632, Home Office grade 10

At YES Prep, work for a mission that impacts the life trajectory of students and their families. YES Prep creates pathways to extraordinary opportunity through best-in-class development, competitive compensation and benefits, and recognition for your impact. Grow as an authentic leader and be part of a high-performing, team-oriented culture. 

Some quick stats about us:

• 21,000+ Students
• 2,400 Team Members
• 16 Secondary Campuses
• 11 Elementary Campuses
• 92% Students Who Qualify for Free/Reduced-Price Lunch
• 96% Hispanic & African-American Students
• 90% Students Who Are Accepted to a 4-Year University
• 88% First-Generation College Students
• Ranked in the Top 100 High Schools in the Nation, U.S. News & World Report

We serve the students of Houston, Texas, the 4th largest city across the United States. There are over 20 public-school districts and other great public charter school options  within Houston’s city limits serving our increasing population. We are a rapidly growing organization, committed to creating life-changing opportunities for over 23,000 students by 2025.

THE OPPORTUNITY

YES Prep needs a dynamic Managing Director of Community Engagement and Advocacy with a robust set of experiences, to make our mission a reality. As a YES Prep employee, you will achieve jaw-dropping results, create pathways to opportunity for our students, and build transformative relationships.

To put it simply, you will have the opportunity to design and lead the strategies that strengthen YES Prep’s connection to the communities we serve and expand our reach into new neighborhoods. This role is pivotal in positioning community and family engagement as key drivers of school growth, academic excellence, and long-term sustainability.

THE ROLE

When you join the YES Prep team, some of the work and responsibilities will include:

Community Engagement for School Growth: Develop grassroots engagement strategies that strengthen existing community relationships and build new partnerships to support YES Prep’s growth.

• Designing and implementing grassroots engagement strategies in neighborhoods where YES Prep is established and where new schools are opening, ensuring community support aligns with school growth priorities;
• Building and strengthening relationships with local government officials, management districts, civic organizations, law enforcement storefronts, non-profits, and other community stakeholders;
• Creating and maintaining a community relations matrix to document contacts, partnerships, and established connections in each neighborhood;
• Developing and leading a family engagement strategy that elevates families as agents of influence and change, fostering their role in shaping both growth and academic excellence;
• Serving as the key point of contact for neighborhood leaders and local officials during times of school growth and/or crisis.

Strategic Grant Management: Driving Compliance, Innovation, and Impact in Community and Family Engagement.

• Managing and overseeing Title I grant compliance, ensuring funds are appropriately allocated and families have meaningful representation in decision-making spaces related to school growth;
• Seeking and managing innovative grant opportunities that strengthen community partnerships, family engagement initiatives, and advocacy efforts to elevate the YES Prep student experience;
• Leading the planning, reporting, and compliance of community and family engagement grants to maximize their strategic impact;

Comprehensive Advocacy Strategy: Advancing YES Prep’s Mission at the Local and State Level.

• Developing and executing a comprehensive advocacy strategy to ensure YES Prep’s needs are represented at the local and state levels;
• Identifying policy and legal issues that impact YES Prep and advocate for mission-centered solutions;
• Building and maintaining a strong network of education advocates, policymakers, civic leaders, and organizations to support YES Prep’s policy agenda;
• Collaborating with organizations such as the Texas Public Charter Schools Association, the Texas Legislature, and the Texas Education Agency to shape and advance policy positions.

Family and Community Advocacy: Empowering Families as Champions of YES Prep’s Mission

• Partnering with Family Associations (Secondary and Elementary) to educate families on advocacy initiatives, solicit their support, and empower them to be visible champions of YES Prep’s mission;
• Providing advocacy training to parents, families, and community members to expand grassroots capacity;
• Collaborating with the Managing Director of Communications and Marketing to design and implement communication plans that engage the broader community in advocacy efforts;
• Supporting schools in engaging students, parents, and staff in advocacy work and in building awareness of the political and civic landscape that impacts charter schools.

Community Partnerships to Drive Student Recruitment and Enrollment Success

• Collaborating with the Managing Director of Student Recruitment and Enrollment to ensure 100% of seats are filled at the start of each school year;
• Driving civic relationship strategies in new or growing communities to generate neighborhood support, particularly for schools facing enrollment challenges;
• Cultivating strong partnerships with local council members and elected officials as advocates for YES Prep schools.

THE PERSON

We seek staff with a multitude of backgrounds, talents, interests, and ideas. Certain traits consistently shine through our most successful employees: passion for the mission, drive for results, care for students, and resilience. Other traits needed and desired for this role are:

THE MUST HAVES

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited four-year educational institution.
• Minimum of 10 years of experience leading community engagement work in Houston. Proven track record in community engagement, relationship-building, and grassroots mobilization, particularly in diverse urban communities.
• Demonstrated success as a team leader.
• Experience working with local government officials, civic organizations, nonprofits, and community-based stakeholders to drive shared goals.
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement family engagement strategies that position families as partners and advocates in education.
• Strong knowledge of grant management to support projects that strengthen family and community engagement.
• Excellent networking and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trust and credibility across a broad spectrum of stakeholders.
• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep.
• Openness to giving and receiving frequent feedback.
• Ability to maintain emotional control under stress.
• Ability to work urgently in a fast-paced and results-oriented environment.
• Ability to juggle multiple tasks and initiatives simultaneously.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively as part of a team.
• A dedication to learning, growth, and ongoing professional development.

THE MUST HAVE BELIEFS 

• Belief in and commitment to the mission and core values of YES Prep Public Schools 
• Desire to disrupt systemic status quos in education 
• Willingness to go above and beyond to disrupt said status quos 
• Passion to develop resiliency through a relentless pursuit of jaw-dropping results 
• Conviction that high expectations + high accountability = high performance and high growth 

THE NICE TO HAVES

• Master’s Degree from an accredited institution
• Experience working in a school district, non-profit organization, or private organization who was deeply committed to talent work

THE PERKS

• Compensation – This position is an exempt, salaried position; offers commensurate with experience.

• Health and Supplemental Insurance – A $0 monthly medical option or a $24 monthly option that includes $50 YES Prep Paid Health Savings Account contribution, in addition to a variety of supplemental benefits including Dental, Vision, Disability, Life, etc. Employees must work 20+ hours a week to be eligible for a full spectrum of benefits, and 10 hours a week minimum for medical benefits.

• Retirement Plans – Participation in Teacher Retirement System of Texas and an optional 457b Retirement Plan.

• Paid Time Off – Employees working 20+ hours a week receive 15 days of Paid Time Off in addition to the system closures during the Academic Calendar.

• Paid Leave Programming – In the event you need to be out due to medical needs (including maternity and paternity leave), YES Prep offers paid leave, paid out at 100%, based on eligibility and tenure.

• Professional Development - YES Prep values longevity and performance over time. We invest in developing leaders through high-quality programs, effective coaching, and ongoing professional development.

• Award Winning Culture – The strong cultures of our campuses and Home Office are just one of many reasons we were named Houston’s Best Place To Work in 2018, 2019, and 2021. We won the  2012 Broad Prize for Excellence in Urban Education    and were a 2016 finalist as well.

YES Prep is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate against any employee or applicant on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender expression, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.