Careers
State Partnerships Director
🔑 About the Role
TAN is seeking a State Partnerships Director to lead and expand our network of school district partnerships and strategic partnerships with stakeholders. This role is pivotal in deepening relationships with current partners, securing commitments from new districts, and aligning apprenticeship opportunities with workforce and funding strategies. The ideal candidate is a strategic thinker and communicator who understands both K–12 systems and the broader workforce development landscape.
This is a highly relational, external-facing leadership role with internal strategic responsibilities.
🧩 Ideal Candidate
You are someone who:
- Is passionate about education, economic mobility, and workforce development
- Thrives in building and sustaining professional relationships
- Understands how school systems operate (bonus: familiarity with NJ education landscape)
- Has a track record of managing senior-level external partnerships or strategic initiatives
- Thinks in systems, sees around corners, and gets things done
🎯 Key Responsibilities
District Engagement & Growth
- Serve as TAN’s lead point of contact with district leaders, school boards, and HR teams.
- Strengthen and sustain partnerships with existing districts to ensure multi-year apprenticeship participation.
- Cultivate new school district partnerships, with a goal of 3–5 new partners per year.
- Facilitate onboarding and implementation planning aligned to each district’s hiring and certification needs.
Strategic Revenue Development
- Collaborate with TAN’s leadership team to design cost-sharing models and identify budget pathways (e.g., ESSER, Title funds, HR).
- Co-develop and support grant proposals in partnership with districts or external funders.
- Surface workforce-aligned funding streams and public incentive opportunities (e.g., NJ DOL apprenticeship reimbursements).
Workforce & Pipeline Innovation
- Identify opportunities to expand pre-apprenticeships into youth programs (age 16-24), paraprofessional-to-teacher pipelines, or career changer tracks.
- Partner with school districts to align apprenticeship programs with their long-term staffing and equity goals.
Cross-Functional Collaboration
- Create and maintain systems of accurate, up-to-date records of partner engagement, opportunities, and outcomes.
- Coordinate with internal recruitment, program, and policy teams to ensure partner needs are reflected in TAN services.
- Represent TAN at events, conferences, and policy convenings to elevate our work and influence practice.
📈 Success in Year 1
- 80% of current partners commit to supporting at least 5 apprentices annually
- 3+ new school district partners onboarded, supporting a minimum of 15 new apprentices
- 1+ innovative workforce-aligned initiative launched (e.g., youth apprenticeship, career changer pilot)
✅ Qualifications
- 5+ years of experience in K–12 education, workforce development, nonprofit leadership, or strategic partnerships
- Strong understanding of school budgets, grant funding, and employer engagement
- Exceptional communication, planning, and project management skills
- Experience working with school district leaders, HR departments, or boards of education is highly preferred
- Demonstrated ability to drive measurable growth or expansion outcomes
💼 Benefits
- Competitive salary and benefits package
- Remote work flexibility
- Opportunities for leadership and professional growth in a start up environment
- Mission-driven, collaborative team culture