Senior Director of Science of Reading Strategy and Design

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 External Candidate Application Deadline: 3/13/2026

Position

You understand that literacy instruction is not one-size-fits-all, but the principles that make it work are grounded in science. As the Senior Director of Science of Reading Strategy and Design, you'll be a strategic partner in shaping Leading Educators' literacy vision—working in close partnership with the Managing Director to define what excellent, research-based literacy services look like across the organization and ensuring they can be delivered with consistency and impact at scale.

This is a strategic leadership role that sits at the intersection of research, service design, and organizational excellence. You won't be managing district partnerships or implementation teams; instead, you'll focus on the critical work of translating the Managing Director's priorities into concrete service models, quality standards, and clear implementation expectations that can be replicated and sustained across contexts. You'll clarify what Leading Educators offers, how it's structured, what quality looks like, and how internal teams are equipped to deliver it with rigor.

You'll be a thought leader and strategic influencer—authoring research-informed briefs, representing Leading Educators in national conversations, and continuously monitoring developments in literacy research, policy, and implementation science to ensure our offerings remain on the cutting edge. Working in close partnership with colleagues across Program Learning, Growth, Development, AI Strategy, Research and Data, and Marketing, you'll ensure that our Science of Reading strategy is coherent, evidence-based, and positioned for long-term growth.

Do you have expertise in…

• The Science of Reading in depth—including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and the implementation science that makes literacy instruction stick in real schools and districts?
• Designing and refining literacy service models at scale, with proven ability to translate research into practical tools, frameworks, and structures that work across different district contexts?
• Synthesizing research and drawing strategic conclusions from policy, implementation data, and field trends to inform organizational direction and service evolution?
• Leading across complex organizations through influence and strategic alignment, ensuring coherence between literacy strategy and other organizational priorities?

Do you enjoy…

• Translating research into action, taking complex reading science and turning it into clear, accessible guidance documents, quality standards, and service descriptions that teams can actually use?
• Building organizational coherence, clarifying decision rights, documenting agreements, and ensuring that literacy strategy is aligned and reinforced across Program, Growth, Development, and Marketing?
• Thinking systemically about innovation, monitoring developments in curriculum, assessment, implementation science, and AI-supported instruction to identify gaps and new opportunities for Leading Educators?
• Applying AI strategically, selecting and optimizing AI tools to strengthen research synthesis, content development, and strategic decision-making while maintaining rigorous professional judgment?

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:

• Minimum of 10 or more years of experience in literacy education, curriculum design, or instructional leadership
• Deep expertise in the Science of Reading, including phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, comprehension, and implementation science
• Proven experience designing or refining literacy service models at scale, with demonstrated ability to translate research into practical tools and structures
• Strong understanding of district-level literacy implementation challenges and the ability to anticipate barriers to adoption and sustainability
• Demonstrated ability to develop written publications, briefs, or strategic documents for senior leaders that are clear, compelling, and actionable
• Proven capacity to analyze policy, research, and implementation data and draw clear strategic conclusions that inform organizational direction
• Experience working across teams in complex organizations, with demonstrated ability to influence leaders without formal authority
• Strong written communication skills with meticulous attention to clarity and precision
• AI Fluency at the Expert level—demonstrating deep understanding of how AI can be applied strategically within your function, selecting and optimizing AI tools, guiding others in effective use, and understanding tradeoffs, risks, and system implications
• Ability to travel moderately for organizational retreats, programming, partnership meetings, and professional development; must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States

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. 

Questions? We’re here to help.

If you have questions about this role or about our hiring process at any point, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at talent@leadingeducators.org. This inbox is monitored regularly, and we aim to respond within two business days. To ensure your question receives a thoughtful and timely response, we kindly ask that you refrain from emailing individual staff members or members of our HR team directly. The best way to connect with us is always through talent@leadingeducators.org.

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.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hiring

• We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools throughout our hiring process, from the moment a candidate applies through the offer stage, to support administrative tasks and the initial review of candidate materials. These tools help us organize, analyze, and surface relevant information efficiently, but they do not make hiring decisions.

• All candidate materials—including applications, resumes, assessments, and interview feedback—are reviewed and evaluated by people. All hiring decisions, including interview selection, advancement, and offers of employment, are made by humans.

• We use AI solely as a support tool to assist with early-stage reviews and process efficiency. We do not use AI in ways that discriminate based on protected characteristics, nor do we use ZIP codes or similar data to target or exclude protected groups. Our hiring practices are designed to be fair, consistent, and aligned with equal employment opportunity standards.

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 8 years of relevant experience.
  • If you have more than 8 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

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