Director of Academics (California)

Impact the Moment

Could your creative thinking build the future? The K-12 Education Director, Academic Pilot and Sales Engagement role at McGraw Hill make a difference for learners and educators across the world. Our team needs individuals with new ideas who connect with people in innovative ways.

How can you make an Impact?

The K–12 Education Director, Academic Pilot and Sales Engagement, leads strategic pilot initiatives that showcase McGraw Hill’s commitment to improving learning outcomes through evidence-based instructional solutions. This role manages a team of academic coaches and a pilot manager to ensure pilots are executed with fidelity, educator support is exceptional, and insights directly inform product improvement and sales enablement across the School Group.

This is a remote position that requires up to 70% of travel. This role is open to applicants authorized to work for any employer within the United States. The ideal candidate should reside in California and be within 1 hour of a major airport.

What you will be doing:

• Lead and scale K–12 academic pilot programs, collaborating with districts to set goals, measure impact, and generate data-driven insights that support product improvement and adoption decisions.
• Manage and mentor academic coaches and pilot managers, fostering a high-performing, collaborative team culture with strong professional development, feedback, and alignment practices.
• Partner with sales teams to connect pilot outcomes to revenue strategies, serving as a product and pedagogy expert while translating results into compelling, evidence-based narratives.
• Collaborate cross-functionally with Product, Marketing, Implementation, and Research teams to ensure pilot insights inform development, messaging, and overall go-to-market strategy.
• Drive strategic planning and reporting by analyzing pilot metrics, developing scalable frameworks for district partnerships, and staying informed on K–12 trends and policies.
• Oversee professional learning and educator support, ensuring effective training, ongoing instructional coaching, and continuous feedback to enhance product use and student outcomes.

We’re looking for someone with

• Bachelor’s degree required, Master’s degree or higher in Education, Educational Leadership, Curriculum & Instruction, or a related field preferred.
• 5–7 years in K–12 leadership roles (e.g., principal, curriculum director, instructional coach) with deep knowledge of teaching practices, plus 3–5 years leading curriculum, technology rollouts, or pilot programs and 2–4 years managing cross-functional projects, timelines, and deliverables.
• 3–5 years in education-focused sales, account management, or partnership development, with proven ability to build relationships with district leaders and educators.
• Strong data-driven mindset with the ability to align outcomes to ROI, plus excellent communication and presentation skills for high-stakes engagements.
• Experience with EdTech or publishers, scaling pilot programs, instructional technology integration, CRM/LMS tools (e.g., Salesforce), professional development delivery, and long-term K–12 partnership growth.
• Must be able to lift at least 50 pounds and walk long distances throughout the day.

Why work for us?

The work you do at McGraw Hill will be work that matters. We are collectively designing content that will build the future of education. Play your part and experience a sense of fulfillment that will inspire you to even greater heights.

The pay range for this position is between $98,000-$150,000 annually, however, base pay offered may vary depending on job-related knowledge, skills, experience, and location.  Additionally, a full range of medical and/or other benefits may be provided, depending on the position offered. Click here to learn more about our benefit offerings. 

McGraw Hill recruiters always use a “@mheducation.com” email address and/or from our Applicant Tracking System, iCIMS. Any variation of this email domain should be considered suspicious. Additionally, McGraw Hill recruiters and authorized representatives will never request sensitive information in email.