Senior Director of Innovation

What We Do

At Leading Educators (LE), we know that excellent teaching is the most important driver of student success. The moment a student steps foot in the classroom, their opportunity to learn depends on how prepared their teacher is to translate complex content knowledge, standards, and their knowledge of that student into lessons that help them learn deeply and apply their thinking to the real world.

That’s a big lift, and it often happens alone. As a national nonprofit, we partner with school systems to overcome persistent instructional challenges, foster intentional collaboration and adult learning by design, and ignite new possibilities through systemic solutions at the intersection of teaching, talent, and technology.

We work shoulder-to-shoulder with educators at every level of the education system to strengthen their instructional and leadership practices, bring a vision for excellent instruction to life with consistency, and ensure every student reaches their full potential.

Through direct support, strategic advising, innovation pilots, and best-in-class research, we help educators work toward a future where every student is ready to thrive. Learn more about our work at leadingeducators.org.

Internal and External Candidate Application Deadline: Sunday, September 22nd. 

Position

At Leading Educators, we're reimagining the future of education through strategic innovation. We're seeking a visionary Senior Director of Innovation who can transform groundbreaking ideas into tangible, scalable solutions that empower educators and students nationwide.
This isn’t just a role—it’s an opportunity to be a co-architect of the future of education with educators and school systems. As Senior Director of Innovation, you’ll partner closely with teachers, leaders, and other key stakeholders to design and test cutting-edge initiatives that address critical challenges in teaching and learning. Your work will sit at the intersection of design thinking, strategic planning, and meaningful educational impact, helping schools not only adapt to change but also shape it. In this role, you’ll lead cross-functional teams, translate insights into action, and pilot innovations that can scale into lasting improvements across the field.

Do you have expertise in…

• Human-centered design methodologies and service design principles
• Strategic project and portfolio management in complex, dynamic environments
• Facilitation of cross-functional teams and collaborative leadership
• Emerging trends and innovations in K-12 education technology and pedagogical approaches

Do you enjoy…

• Creating structures to make innovation rigorous, repeatable, and scalable in ambiguous and high-change environments
• Turning big questions into bold and implementable experiments with educators
• Cultivating learning cultures that embrace experimentation and adaptive thinking
• Building relationships across diverse stakeholder groups

If you've answered affirmatively to these questions and meet the following prerequisites, we urge you to seize this opportunity. This role calls for the following:

• 10+ years of experience in innovation, design strategy, education transformation, or related fields
• Proven track record of leading cross-functional project teams
• Advanced skills in strategic decision-making and portfolio management
• Demonstrated ability to design and implement pilot projects from conception to execution
• Strong understanding of K-12 education sector dynamics and emerging trends
• Exceptional communication and stakeholder management skills
• Comfort working in remote environments with national travel requirements
• Advanced proficiency in design research and prototyping methodologies
• Ability to balance organizational priorities with experimental approaches

Travel Requirements

• This is a remote position requires moderate travel
  
  • National travel for org retreats, programming, job related travel, or professional development 
• Outside of the above mentioned travel, this person will work from a home office that must be located anywhere within the U.S. 

Why Work at Leading Educators? 

Imagine being part of an organization where your ideas and perspectives are highly valued. At Leading Educators, we believe in fostering individual strengths, encouraging personal growth, and embracing innovative ideas. If you thrive in a remote working environment, with the added excitement of travel, we're the perfect fit for you. By joining us, you become part of a powerful community of peers nationwide. Regardless of your location, you possess the power to make a significant impact on both students and teachers who rely on us daily. Join Leading Educators and become an integral part of driving progress in education. 

Learn About Our Mission & Values:

Mission: Leading Educators partners with school systems to sustain the teaching, leadership, and conditions for every student to succeed in school and in life.

Values:

• Build on strengths: We affirm and begin with the unique and collective talents, experiences, and wisdom of ourselves and others.
• Continuously learn: We develop ourselves and others. We apply new learning and deepened self-awareness to our relationships and practices.
• Prioritize people: We build trust and reflect on the impact of different perspectives and experiences.
• Champion success for all: We re-imagine structures, habits, and mindsets to ensure every learner has access to evidence-based learning opportunities.

Compensation & Benefits

• Compensation:
  •  If hired for this position, the base salary range is $127,487 to $172,483 per year. Most new hires enter the range at a specific point based on their qualifications and the role level. For this position, the standard starting salary is $149,985, which is based on meeting the minimum requirement of 10  years of relevant experience.
  • If you have more than 10 years of directly relevant experience, your starting salary may be adjusted higher within the range, up to a maximum starting salary of $159,627. This approach ensures that candidates with additional experience beyond the minimum are recognized in the initial salary offer.
• Benefits:
  •  100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees. Additional premium costs are covered 60% by Leading Educators for partners and dependents on medical, dental, and vision plans. 4% matching 401k plan, Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare and commuter expenses, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Benefits are valued at or above $9,000 for employees.
• Time Off: 
  • First three years of employment, full time staff accrue 22 days a year. 
  • Five additional days are accrued after the third and sixth year of employment.
  • Leading Educators also offer 16 additional paid days off for various holidays, including three floating holidays staff may use at their discretion.

Equal Opportunity Employment 

Leading Educators is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

Apply: https://leadingeducators.org/careers/opportunities