About School Boards for Academic Excellence

School Boards for Academic Excellence (SBAE) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization dedicated to transforming the American education system by training and supporting school board members dedicated to enacting the reforms needed to restore academic excellence.

SBAE consists of a nationwide network of 55 state-based partner organizations, operating in 42 states, and approximately 5,600 school board members who oversee the education of more than 13 million students. With SBAE’s support, these school board members are driving a tidal wave of reforms that are restoring excellence as the hallmark of our nation’s education system. But we are just getting started – with 83,000 school board members nationwide, overseeing a system that serves 49 million students, and $1 trillion in annual tax revenue, SBAE is primed for substantial growth.

We are looking for a relationship-driven professional with a passion for education reform to serve as the primary success partner for our highest-capacity Network Partner organizations. This position will provide intensive, white-glove support to state-level organizations, ensuring they have the resources, strategic guidance, collaboration focused on best practices, and hands-on assistance needed to maximize their impact supporting school board members in their states.

About the Role

SBAE’s new Director of Network Support will work closely with the Executive Vice President to manage relationships with a portfolio of Network Partner organizations. The right candidate will be a proactive problem-solver who thrives on helping others succeed, building deep trust-based relationships, driving for collaboration, providing “just-in-time” delivery for the network, and working with structured autonomy to achieve measurable outcomes.

It is essential to be passionately dedicated to academic excellence and to the strategic and moral importance of the American education system. The Director of Network Support will be a skilled relationship manager with a demonstrated ability to juggle multiple stakeholders, operate independently, and provide high-touch support that drives partner capacity and impact with a relentless focus on stronger educational outcomes and fiscal responsibility for the school boards and districts it serves.

SBAE is currently a virtual organization, but is considering opening a physical office in Jacksonville, FL in the future. The Director of Network Support must be able to travel and seamlessly engage virtually as needed to support Network Partners at conferences, events, and strategic planning sessions. Candidates willing to work from Jacksonville, FL in the future will be preferred. The position will report to the Executive Vice President.

Key Responsibilities

  • Managing Network Partner Relationships: The Director of Network Support will serve as the primary relationship owner for a portfolio of SBAE’s Network Partner organizations. He or she will conduct weekly check-in calls with assigned partners to understand their needs, surface challenges, provide strategic guidance, understand and support emerging best practices, and ensure they have the resources needed to succeed. This role requires building deep, trust-based relationships with state organization leaders, being highly responsive to partner requests, and serving as their advocate within SBAE to translate partner needs into organizational action with local school boards and districts.
  • Providing Strategic Support: The Director of Network Support will lead strategic planning sessions (SWOT analyses) with Network Partners to identify opportunities, address weaknesses, and co-develop action plans for growth and impact. He or she will coordinate intensive support through biweekly calls, customized resource development, and state-specific deployment of model policies, talking points, legal resources, and peer expertise to help them navigate complex policy implementation challenges.
  • Supporting Events and Training: The Director of Network Support will help Network Partners plan and execute co-branded conferences, trainings, and legislative briefings, both in person and virtually. He or she will host webinars for Network Partners and school board members on governance best practices, policy implementation, and educational excellence. This position will represent SBAE at state partner events, building relationships and demonstrating SBAE’s commitment to partner success.
  • Maintaining Data and Documentation: The Director of Network Support will log reform wins, policy adoptions, and partner milestones in SBAE’s CRM system (Salesforce). He or she will maintain accurate partner profiles, track engagement history, and contribute partner stories and testimonials for organizational impact reporting. This role will ensure data integrity and provide insights on partner needs and trends to inform SBAE’s strategic priorities.

Required Qualifications:

  • 3-5+ years of professional experience in one or more of the following:
    • Campaign organizing or field operations (political or issue advocacy campaigns)
    • Account management or client success roles in mission-driven organizations
    • Program management or partnership coordination at advocacy, policy, or nonprofit organizations
    • Coalition building or stakeholder management in complex environments
  • Exposure to education, policy, or advocacy work with an understanding of the importance and local nature of school board governance, in line with SBAE’s mission
    • Direct experience in education reform preferred, but demonstrated interest and quick learning ability equally valued – what we care about is that you understand how policy change happens and can speak credibly to partners about their work)
    • Proven ability to manage multiple high-stakes relationships simultaneously with a high degree of responsiveness and accountability
  • Experience with CRM systems (Salesforce preferred) and maintaining detailed records and documentation
  • Demonstrated success operating with high autonomy and structured freedom – comfortable working independently as part of a virtual team while maintaining clear communication and follow-through, with ability to juggle competing priorities and deliver high-quality work consistently
  • Strong bias for action and problem-solving with an infectious “can-do” attitude, not getting discouraged by personalities, magnitude of work, or political opposition, and willingness to tackle the day-to-day challenges of a growing organization with enthusiasm and resilience
  • Willingness to travel approximately 20%
  • Bachelor’s degree required

Preferred Qualifications

  • Prior work leading or supporting state-level organizations or networks
  • Experience in political campaigns (field organizing, campaign management) or grassroots advocacy, with a mindset of non-partisanship
  • Knowledge of K-12 education governance, school board dynamics, and district leadership teams
  • Familiarity with Mailchimp or other email marketing platforms
  • Background in grant research or nonprofit development
  • Experience with grassroots organizing, coalition management, or multi-stakeholder coordination
  • Appreciation for donor stewardship and detail-oriented gratitude practices
  • Familiarity with state legislative or policy implementation processes

Compensation and Benefits

  • Competitive salary ($75,000 – $95,000 commensurate with experience) with comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance options (employer-subsidized premiums starting from your first day), plus employer-paid life insurance equal to 50% of annual salary
  • Retirement savings with 401(k) plan including up to 2% employer match
  • Paid time off with 10 vacation days in year one (increasing to 20 days with tenure)
  • Flexible benefits including FSA accounts, voluntary disability insurance, and professional development opportunities in a mission-driven, remote-friendly environment

To Apply

Qualified candidates should submit the following application materials (in order) in one PDF document:

  • Cover letter including:
    • An introductory paragraph describing three distinct reasons you are drawn to School Boards for Academic Excellence’s mission
    • Salary requirements
  • Resume
  • List of references

Applications should be submitted to Talent Market via this link: talentmarket.org/apply-for-your-dream-job/

Questions can be directed to Bailey Drouant, Project Manager at Talent Market, who is managing the search process: [email protected].

There is no application deadline for this position. Applications are accepted on a rolling basis. This job will remain posted on our site until it is filled.

While we thank all applicants in advance for their interest in this position, we are only able to contact those to whom we can offer an interview. Only direct applications will be considered. No phone calls, please.

Talent Market is a nonprofit dedicated to promoting liberty by helping free-market nonprofits identify talent for critical roles. We provide consulting and recruiting services at no cost to 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations that clearly and directly focus on advancing the principles of economic freedom, free enterprise, free trade, free speech, property rights, rule of law and limited regulation.