Principal Associate Consultant

ERS is a national non-profit that partners with district, school, and state leaders to transform how they use resources (people, time, technology, and money) so that every school prepares every child for tomorrow, no matter their race or income. We are a highly regarded and well-established organization with fifteen years of field leadership and maintain a strong entrepreneurial spirit that embraces teamwork and innovation.

Education Resource Strategies seeks to hire a results-oriented Principal Associate with experience in strategic consulting, data driven decision-making, and quantitative analysis. If you want to join a team of talented and committed professionals within a fast-paced and collaborative culture, this is the place for you. This role would be an exciting career step for someone who wants to build strategy and management consulting skills and apply them to redesigning school systems to better serve students with the greatest needs, making an impact on improving K-12 Education in the nation at this critical moment.

Responsibilities:

Principal Associates will bring proven project management skills and the strong ability to interpret data to drive strategic recommendations in order to partner with education leaders to help them effectively reallocate resources.

Managing two projects at a time, the Principal Associate will be responsible for leading the analysis process, including supervising one or two Analysts. Managing projects at ERS involves working together with a team on intensive data collection and summarizing conclusions from the data including interpreting analysis in light of the broader community or educational context (considering local history and equity dynamics unique to the community we are serving) and developing client presentations and reports. Depending on the size and complexity of the project the Principal Associate may also be responsible for managing the day-to-day project needs, reporting to and taking strategic direction from ERS leadership (Directors and Partners). ERS’s inclusive and collaborative approach to project teams ensures that Principal Associates will have the unique opportunity to develop strong relationships with and serve as a thought partner to district leaders. The Principal Associate plays a critical role in leveraging strategies and solutions to drive transformational change in public education.

Case and Team Management

o Actively participate as a member of ERS project teams; supervising one or more Analysts

o Leading well defined sections of project work, including:

• Contributing to the design of the analysis, and owning pieces of work from start to finish
• Overseeing data processing and analytics
• Building understanding of community, educational, and equity context
• Drawing implications and conclusions from analyses, and owning narrative creation
• Planning, executing, and communicating results with limited supervision
• Producing client ready documents and presentations
• Developing and managing the project work plan

o Participation in client meetings and presentations

o Develop strong relationships with and serve as a thought partner to district leaders

o Effectively manage the formal and informal professional development of team members through skill planning, coaching, and performance feedback

Firm Contribution

• Contribute to the firm's knowledge management strategy by developing client decision-making tools, products, and papers for publication and dissemination
• Lead the professional development of junior staff members. Participate in the performance review process calibrating team member growth, strengths, and development opportunities across level
• Serve in various ad-hoc leadership capacities (e.g., ERS retreat, ERS lunch facilitation, practice area participation, recruiting)
• Continuously build an understanding of the diversity, inclusion, and equity dynamics affecting ERS’ work internally and externally; support and lead the process to bring in multiple perspectives to develop and enhance equity in our work.
• Travel 1 to 2 times per-month (on-hold due to COVID-19 but likely to resume in some capacity once safe to do so)

Qualifications:

• 3-5 years of experience in strategic consulting, quantitative analysis or other comparable management field with a strong emphasis on strategy and analytics
• Critical thinking skills; proven quantitative, strategic, and analytic capability
• Significant experience in both process and project management; high degree of organization, and attention to detail in order to meet deadlines, often within very tight timeframes
• Highly developed verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to synthesize complex material and effectively communicate ERS’ mission and impact to our target audience
• Strong knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite: Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Word required; Microsoft Access preferred
• Broad understanding of and willingness to stay abreast of new research in the education sector
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively as part of a growing, mission-driven team
• Demonstrated passion for and commitment to ERS’ mission and values exemplified through work experience, leadership opportunities, or community involvement; experience in education reform a plus, but a passion for improving urban education systems and interest in deepening ones understanding of the community and equity context impacting education systems and student experience is required.
• Bachelor’s degree required; graduate degree (MBA, MPP, MPA, M.Ed.), preferred

About Education Resource Strategies

Every school. Every child. Ready for tomorrow.

No two children are alike. Parents and teachers understand this intuitively. And they respond by working to provide the right combination of supports at the right time to meet each child’s unique needs so they can achieve their biggest dreams. Yet many schools and school systems don’t follow this example. They are set up as if all students need the same things. Worse yet, students with higher needs and students of color are often less likely than their peers to have access to the high-quality learning experiences that research tells us are necessary to prepare them for college and career.

But schools and school systems can meet students’ differing needs—and many do every day.

Education Resource Strategies is a national nonprofit that partners with district, school, and state leaders to deeply understand students’ most pressing needs and mobilize the right amount and combination of resources (people, time and money) in response, so that every student can receive a high-quality education that unlocks their power to live a life of their choosing.

We believe that schools must look very different from the rigid class sizes, fixed time blocks, and standardized teacher roles that define school today. Most schools will only get there if school systems leverage data to understand resource use and redesign their central office to provide schools with the combination of accountability, support, and flexibility they need.

Since 2004, ERS has worked hand-in-hand with the leaders of over 100 school systems and several states through data (analysis & benchmarking), design (strategy, resource trade-offs & consensus building) and implementation (planning & monitoring). And our work continues to grow and evolve: Right now, schools are facing unprecedented challenges as they work hard to support their students during the COVID-19 pandemic – especially those students with the highest needs. And as an organization, we still have so much to learn about the continuing impact of systemic racism and oppression throughout our country and institutions, and we are working every day to become a more equitable organization that works to create a more just society. In all our work, we focus on the larger picture—how resources work together to create high-performing systems. Our non-profit status enables a different kind of partnership with districts and states: one where we participate in the transformation struggle, create insights together, and share lessons with others.

Please visit our website to learn more about Our Work, Our Impact, Our Team, and Our Core Values.

Benefits of Working at ERS

• Opportunity for impact: ERS works with some of the largest, most influential and innovative districts in the country to truly transform their practices. Your work will change the lives of thousands of students.
• Entrepreneurial spirit: As a small organization, we are continuously improving, and we encourage innovative ideas, honest feedback, and constant learning.
• Collaborative work environment: We do most of our work in teams. We bring our collective wisdom and expertise to everything we do, often tapping the expertise and leadership of colleagues across the organization.
• Healthy work/life balance: We support every member of the ERS team in integrating meaningful work and professional growth with a healthy personal life throughout their career.

Contact Us

Interested in joining the ERS team? Please submit your resume and thoughtful cover letter to our Careers Page.

ERS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, ancestry, pregnancy, or military service.

We value diverse teams and the unique talents each member brings. In that light, we encourage candidates that have life experiences similar to those of the children, teachers, and leaders in the districts we serve to apply. The value we place on diverse teams is mirrored by our commitments to foster and sustain an inclusive culture. We regularly evaluate our organization's processes and policies through the lens of equity and inclusion, and we provide opportunities for individual and organizational learning about equity, inclusion, and diversity.