Managing Director of Enterprise Strategy (26-27)

Managing Director of Enterprise Strategy

Mission:

IDEA Public Schools is seeking a Managing Director of Enterprise Strategy to serve as a key thought partner and strategic leader to the Executive Team in driving progress toward our 2035 Strategic Plan and other strategic initiatives. Reporting directly to the Vice President of Enterprise Data and Strategy, this leader is responsible for translating IDEA’s 2035 Strategic Plan from vision into a living, functioning execution system—one that connects annual planning, progress monitoring, cross-functional governance, and Board-level accountability into a coherent whole.

This role sits at the intersection of strategy and operations. The Managing Director will operationalize and run the systems that keep IDEA aligned, hold the enterprise performance rhythm, and ensure executive leaders have the insight they need to make timely, informed decisions. They will also directly manage the Director of Growth, providing strategic oversight of IDEA’s expansion portfolio, including the pre-K launch.

The ideal candidate is a rigorous systems thinker and a skilled people leader who can hold complexity without losing clarity—someone who thrives translating ambiguity into structure, executive vision into actionable plans, and performance data into compelling narratives that drive accountability.

Supervisory Responsibilities:

The Managing Director of Enterprise Strategy will manage the Director of Growth and may manage more staff in the future. They will also deeply collaborate and influence senior leaders and subject-matter experts across the organization.

Location:

This is a full-time remote position based in Texas, with preference given to candidates who live in Austin, El Paso, Houston, Permian Basin (Midland/Odessa), Rio Grande Valley, San Antonio, and Tarrant County (Fort Worth), or who are willing to relocate.

Travel Expectations:

While this is a remote position, there will be in-person meetings across various regions. Candidates must be willing to travel up to 15-20% of the time during key implementation phases and go-live support periods.

What You’ll Do – Accountabilities

Essential Duties:

Enterprise Strategy, Performance, and Alignment:

· Champion and operationalize IDEA’s enterprise strategy framework as co-designed with the VP, ensuring organizational alignment with the 2035 Strategic Plan across divisions and regions

· Own the annual and quarterly strategic planning cadence: goal-setting cycles, mid-year step-backs, end-of-year reflection routines, and continuous improvement processes

· Manage the progress monitoring rhythm, including executive-facing progress packages, escalation protocols for off-track priorities, and decision-support briefings that position the VP to present to senior leadership

· Ensure strategic initiative milestones and deadlines are tracked, visible, and met across the enterprise—with clear accountability owners and defined decision rights

· Lead multi-year strategic planning processes within the 2035 plan framework that translate long-term priorities into sequenced, executable action plans with measurable outcomes

Key Partnership with VP of Enterprise Data and Strategy

· Prepare the VP for Chief and Board-level engagements: develop briefing materials, anticipate questions, synthesize relevant data, and draft talking points and presentation decks

· Represent the strategy function in cross-divisional meetings and executive forums when the VP is unavailable, exercising independent judgment and escalating appropriately

· Filter and triage incoming requests, identifying what requires VP attention versus what the MD can own and resolve

· Serve as a thought partner on organizational decisions, offering candid analysis and strategic perspective before recommendations go to leadership

· Manage communication flow and stakeholder coordination within the strategy function, ensuring the VP’s priorities are understood and resourced across the team

Lead Data-Driven Decision Support for Executive Leadership

· Partner with the Managing Director of Data Science & Analytics to build and manage an integrated strategic progress management system that unites critical data

· Oversee enterprise performance dashboards and quarterly performance reviews with the Executive Team, ensuring data is current, accessible, and actionable

· In partnership with the Managing Director of Data Science & Analytics, translate complex data sets into clear, accessible intelligence for regional and executive leaders—surfacing trends, risks, and opportunities rather than just reporting activity

· Serve as a thought—partner to the Director of Research & Evaluation on studies and reports that shift organizational resources and priorities

· In partnership with the Managing Director of Data Science & Analytics, establish and maintain key performance indicators that monitor organizational health and measure progress toward 2035 goals and other strategic initiatives

· Utilize insights to guide mid-course corrections and sustain alignment with organizational priorities throughout the year

Drive Cross-Functional Alignment and Organizational Capacity Building

· Lead cross-functional collaboration to prioritize, sequence, and resource enterprise initiatives that accelerate student success and operational excellence

· Support senior division leaders in developing clear, outcome-oriented strategies for their teams that ladder to enterprise priorities

· Build systems and tools that enable teams to manage resources, monitor progress, and evaluate the impact of strategic investments

· Coach direct reports and peers to build organizational strength in strategic thinking, change management, and continuous improvement

· Design and lead complex change initiatives that strengthen alignment, build stakeholder ownership, and ensure sustained adoption of new systems, processes, and ways of working

Lead Strategic Plan Activation and Staff Engagement

· Co-design with the VP and execute the annual rollout rhythm for the 2035 Strategic Plan, including large-scale staff engagement events and co-design experiences that make the strategy real for IDEA’s staff

· Develop communication artifacts and engagement structures that connect all team members to IDEA’s long-term vision—translating high-level strategy into accessible, actionable language for every level of the organization

· Execute within the VP’s partnership with the Senior VP of Communication and Creative Services, ensuring strategic milestones, results, and priorities are clearly cascaded across divisions and regions

· Build and sustain a culture of reflection, transparency, and shared ownership by linking day-to-day work to strategic outcomes

· Monitor and respond to staff understanding and engagement with strategic priorities, refining activation approaches based on feedback and learning

Oversee the Enterprise Growth Portfolio and Pre-K Launch

· Manage and develop the Director of Growth, providing coaching, accountability, and strategic direction across the growth portfolio

· Provide executive-level oversight of the pre-K go-live: milestone accountability, cross-functional coordination across finance, operations, and academics, and escalation management for emerging risks

· Lead the strategic governance of IDEA’s regional growth portfolio, ensuring expansion decisions align with the 2035 Strategic Plan, long-term financial sustainability, and authorizer requirements

· Maintain the growth framework and coordinate with the Research & Evaluation department for yearly updates and improvements to the dashboard that integrates academic, financial, and operational indicators to guide decision-making

· Ensure disciplined prioritization, sequencing, and resource alignment across new and emerging regions to support sustainable, high-quality scaling

· Cultivate cross-functional collaboration between Governance, Strategy, Growth, Finance, Academics, and Operations to strengthen coordination and reduce duplication

Additional Duties and Responsibilities:

None

Knowledge and Skills – Competencies

• Make Strategic Decisions: This team member embodies IDEA’s mission and values in decision-making, balancing bold vision with ethical and operational rigor. They establish governance frameworks that ensure consistency and accountability organization-wide, while applying systems thinking to break down silos and drive data-informed continuous improvement.

• Manage Work and Teams: This team member designs scalable systems that anticipate future organizational needs, driving sustainable impact through cross-functional collaboration and strategic problem-solving. They foster a culture of ownership and accountability, lead change with clarity and purpose, and balance hands-on leadership with empowering others to build capacity and achieve long-term success.

• Grow Self and Others: This team member embeds development priorities into strategic planning, ensuring organization-wide systems and resources support continuous learning. They build and empower senior leadership teams to drive performance, innovation, and inclusivity, while executing a comprehensive talent strategy that spans the full employee lifecycle and cultivates a culture of lifelong growth.

• Build a Culture of Trust: This team member builds trust and drives positive engagement across multiple groups, as reflected in strong feedback and survey results. They proactively address concerns, model transparency and authenticity, and foster collaboration through open, honest communication and shared ownership.

• Communicate Deliberately: This team member communicates a clear and compelling vision that aligns team efforts with organizational goals. They proactively identify and address communication gaps across workstreams, implementing solutions to enhance coordination, while anticipating and resolving stakeholder concerns before they surface.

Additional Skills:

· Proven ability to lead through influence and partnership in matrixed or multi-state organizations

· Exceptional communication and facilitation skills that bridge executive vision with actionable execution

· Highly organized and analytical; skilled at synthesizing complexity into clarity and insight

· Deep expertise in organizational change management, including design and leadership of complex transformation initiatives

· Skilled in organizational development, systems thinking, and culture-building

· Proficiency with modern business intelligence and analytics platforms to support strategy

· Familiarity with frameworks such as OKRs, Balanced Scorecard, or performance improvement models

· Ability to operate in a highly regulated environment, ensuring compliance with data privacy and applicable federal, state, and local laws

· A steadfast commitment to IDEA’s mission and equity-centered approach to student success

Required Education and Experience:

· Bachelor’s degree required

· Background in public education, nonprofit management, or large-scale organizational transformation

· At least 10 years of professional experience

· At least 7 years of progressive experience in organizational strategy, performance management, or operations within a complex enterprise

· At least 5 years of direct people management experience, including coaching and leadership development

· Demonstrated success translating strategic plans into measurable outcomes, preferably in education or mission-driven settings

· Experience designing and implementing enterprise planning, portfolio management, or performance systems

Preferred Education and Experience:

· Master’s degree preferred in Business, Public Administration, Education Leadership, or similar field

Physical Requirements:

· This is a sedentary position.

· The ability to sit at a computer terminal for an extended period.

· The employee may be regularly required to stand, sit, talk, hear, reach, stoop, kneel, and use hands and fingers to operate a computer, telephone, and keyboard.

What We Offer:

Compensation & Benefits:

Salaries for people entering this role typically fall between $131,.000 and $158,500, commensurate with relevant experience and qualifications and in alignment with internal equity. This role is also eligible for performance pay based on organizational performance and goal attainment.

Additionally, we offer medical, dental, and vision plans, disability, life insurance, parenting benefits, flexible spending account options, generous vacation time, referral bonuses, professional development, and a 403(b) plan. You can find more information about our benefits at https://ideapublicschools.org/careers/benefits/.

* IDEA may offer a relocation stipend to defray the cost of moving for this role, if applicable.

Application process:

Submit your application online through Jobvite. Please note that applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis until the position is filled. Applicants are encouraged to apply as early as possible.

Learn more about IDEA

At IDEA the Staff Experience Team uses our Core Values to promote human connection and a culture of integrity, respect, and belonging for all Team and Family members. Learn more about our Commitment to Core Values here: https://ideapublicschools.org/our-story/#core-values