Director of Education

LOCATION: Based in Oregon. Hybrid work environment, if based in Portland. Remote work with regular travel, if based outside of the Portland metro area.

REPORTS TO: Executive Director

START DATE: Spring to Summer 2026.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Rolling applications with strong preference to applicants who apply by Monday, March 16th.

Civics Learning Project (CLP) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to civics education by equipping Oregon students with the knowledge, essential skills, and motivation to participate in our democracy. For more than 40 years, we have provided evidence-based, experiential programs that bring both teachers and students together with civic leaders, attorneys, judges, and policymakers to equip K-12 students with hands-on experience demonstrating how our legal system and government work. We are a dedicated, passionate, collaborative, and caring team of civic-minded individuals, working with an amazing network of more than 700 volunteers across Oregon to extend our reach and impact to a growing number of teachers and students.

CLP is seeking a Director of Education to join our team at a pivotal moment in the organization’s growth. As civics education becomes increasingly recognized as essential to a thriving democracy, CLP adopted an ambitious strategic plan to deepen our impact and engagement with students, teachers, and communities across the state. This new position is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and experienced education leader to help shape the future of CLP (and Oregon itself) as we are poised for substantial growth.

The Director of Education will be a key member of the Leadership Team responsible for creating, implementing, and evaluating innovative student programs and teacher trainings to transformOregon’s approach to civics education. This position will lead the creation of educational pilot programs and fulfilling the requirements of Oregon’s Civic Education Act of 2021, which will include developing materials and professional development trainings for civics education in Oregon’s schools.

Our ideal candidate for Director of Education will bring prior experience with managing people, classroom teaching, and curriculum development. They will be skilled at experiential, project-based and place-based learning as well as developing and facilitating teacher trainings. An ideal candidate will already have strong ties to Oregon’s education and/or civic landscape—especially schools and school districts—and will know how to motivate teachers to develop an active, engaged classroom demonstrating how students are connected to and can positively impact their communities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Innovation

• Program Innovation: Create new CLP pilot programs that support civics teachers across the state of Oregon, and will include curriculum development, curation of existing curriculum, professional learning, and teacher collaboration opportunities. Rollout of pilot programs will be co-led with the Director of Civic Engagement.
• Integrative Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to maximize and measure the impact of K-12 civics programs by connecting teacher professional development directly to student outcomes.
• Best Practices Implementation: Serve as CLP’s chief educational strategist, integrating national civic education trends and state frameworks into CLP’s unique Oregon contexts. Identify opportunities to test new ideas and build programming that equip students and teachers with the skills to navigate a changing political landscape.
• Organizational Alignment: Collaborate with the Executive Director and Leadership Team to ensure K-12 engagement and program delivery align with the long-term strategic plan, including the development of community-shaped, regional pilot projects. Develop and manage the annual educational budget in alignment with strategic priorities.

Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Strategic Alliances: Establish and sustain high-level partnerships with school districts, Educational Service Districts (ESDs), the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), and statewide and national social studies organizations. Leverage these partnerships to stay on the cutting edge of civics education by identifying and distributing resources and materials developed by other organizations.
• Leadership & Advocacy: Serve as the primary educational liaison for CLP, representing the organization at conferences and workshops to advocate for impactful, experiential civics education.
• Funding Collaboration: Partner with the development team to identify new and sustainable funding opportunities and contribute expertise to grant writing and reporting.

Staff and Program Management & Development

• Statewide Execution: Align CLP’s programs and professional development with Oregon’s Civic Education Act of 2021 requirements and state social sciences standards. Oversee the successful delivery and scaling of CLP programs, including Court Tours, Community Action Projects, Law Day, Street Law, Mock Trial, and We the People.
• Professional Development: Establish and implement an annual calendar of teacher trainings and student events designed to foster more effective and meaningful civics education in the classroom.
• Team Leadership: Supervise a program manager, competition coordinator, and shared event specialist. Provide programmatic supervision for regional program managers in partnership with the Director of Community Engagement. Support and retain a high-performing team by providing frequent feedback, professional development, and annual performance reviews.
• Evaluation: Lead the collection and analysis of program data to drive continuous improvement, prove impact to stakeholders, and inform the scaling of regional pilots.

QUALIFICATIONS

Minimum Requirements*

• Teaching Experience: 8+ years of Social Studies classroom teaching experience (or equivalent), with an emphasis on civics, government, Oregon, Tribal, or U.S. History, at the high school or middle school level.
• Leadership Experience: Minimum of 5 years in educational leadership, nonprofit management, and/or government role.
• Communication: Exceptional ability to translate complex civic and legal concepts into compelling, classroom-ready narratives for educators and students, including the development of written curriculum and lesson plans.
• Pedagogical Expertise: Expert knowledge of interactive teaching strategies and best practices in experiential, project-based learning.
• Project Management: Demonstrated ability to plan and implement complex projects, including oversight of timelines, budgets, and reporting.
• Creativity and Grit: Entrepreneurial spirit and comfort in building from scratch, demonstrating resilience, and a willingness to take on tasks large and small to achieve goals.
• Statewide Support: Ability to travel throughout Oregon (estimated 15-20%) to support regional pilots and engage with stakeholders.

Preferred Qualifications:

• 10+ years of classroom teaching experience.
• Prior experience with CLP programs or professional experience in the legal or policymaking sectors.
• Skilled in developing and utilizing digital learning tools and instructional technologies.

Don’t meet every single requirement? Studies have shown that women and people of color are less likely to apply to jobs unless they meet every single qualification. At CLP we are dedicated to building a diverse, inclusive, and authentic workplace, so if you’re excited about this role but your past experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to apply anyway. You may be the candidate we’re looking for!

TERMS OF EMPLOYMENT & COMPENSATION

• Salary Range: $90,000 – $105,000 per year (commensurate with experience).
• Status: Full-time (40 hours/week), exempt.
• Environment: Hybrid or remote work schedule (typically M-F, 8am–5pm) with occasional evening/weekend commitments for events.
• Benefits: Competitive benefits package including full medical, dental, and vision insurance for the employee; long-term disability and life insurance; and a 403(b) retirement plan with 3% employer contribution after six months of continuous employment.
• Requirements: Contingent upon background check, employment eligibility, valid driver’s license, and auto insurance.

Civics Learning Project adheres to a non-discrimination policy with respect to employment, educational programs, and activities. Civics Learning Project does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, creed, religion, sex, national origin, age, handicap or disability, sexual orientation, or marital status and has a firm commitment to promote the letter and spirit of all equal opportunity and civil rights laws.

TO APPLY

Please submit:

• A cover letter that reflects how your interests and experience qualify you for the Director of Education position;
• A resume that clearly details experience relevant to this position; and
• Three professional references, at least one (preferably two) of which must be from a former or current supervisor.

Send via email to employment@civicslearning.org as a PDF with “Director of Education” in the subject line. All inquiries will be handled confidentially. The position is open until filled.

Competitive benefits package including full medical, dental, and vision insurance for the employee; long-term disability and life insurance; and a 403(b) retirement plan with 3% employer contribution after six months of continuous employment.