FIT (Asendium), Director II

Position: FIT: Director II 

Position Location: Flexible  

About JFF 

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: By 2033, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.  

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 200 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what’s possible.   

We’re on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $70 million, and we’re funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works—for everyone.  

Equal Employment Opportunity at JFF  

Inclusion, belonging, and well-being are core to JFF’s North Star and mission, and we seek to invest in and learn from those who represent the communities we serve as it is important to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and career advancement opportunities for all. 

JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we hire based on qualifications, and experience, and we are committed to fair opportunity for all qualified candidates – including those without a 4-year degree or formally incarnated individuals. 

About the Position 

JFF is seeking a Director II to lead implementation and learning for the recently funded Accelerating Completion of Mathematics and English (ACME) project. This role is ideal for a leader who thrives at the intersection of postsecondary systems change, state policy, institutional transformation, and field-building. The Director will help advance a 30-month, multi-state initiative focused on scaling evidence-based reforms—including corequisite support, aligned mathematics pathways, guided self-placement, and shared measures—to help more learners succeed in gateway, transferable mathematics and English courses.   

The Director will support state leadership teams and institutions through technical assistance, coaching, community-of-practice facilitation, and implementation learning. The Director will also help disseminate ACME’s lessons and promising practices through JFF’s ELEVATE Postsecondary Network, a national network that brings together state and institutional leaders to advance innovation, scale solutions, and transform education-to-employment pathways.   

In addition, we expect that the Director will participate in additional ELEVATE-related projects as assigned, for example, the recently funded Educational Plans at the Center of Holistic Advising (EPCHA) project.  

What You'll Do  

Lead State and Institutional Implementation of Mathematics and English Reform 

• Serve as the project team lead for ACME. 

• Develop and manage ACME workstreams that align with JFF’s mission, project goals, and state-level priorities. 

• Support state leadership teams in establishing policy and/or goals, shared metrics, reporting expectations, and conditions for sustainable implementation. 

• Advise and co-design with public open-access institutions, faculty, and staff as they align placement practices, course structures, mathematics pathways, and corequisite supports with state expectations. 

• Apply an equity-centered approach by ensuring that implementation decisions respond to the experiences of learners disproportionately affected by traditional developmental education. 

• Anticipate implementation challenges, propose creative solutions, and use partner feedback and project data to improve delivery over time. 

• Establish clear communication plans, decision points, roles, and follow-through processes across interconnected workstreams. 

1. Track milestones, risks, partner commitments, and emerging learning; escalate issues proactively and recommend adjustments that protect quality and impact. 

1. Foster collaborative, respectful, and inclusive ways of working across internal and external teams, listening actively and creating space for diverse perspectives. 

1. Support funder stewardship, reporting, proposal development, and identification of opportunities to extend ACME learning and impact beyond the grant period. 

Build Learning and Influence in Alignment with ELEVATE 

• Convene and facilitate the ACME cross-state Community of Practice to support shared learning, collaborative problem-solving, and peer exchange. 

• Translate implementation experience into clear narratives, presentations, products, and recommendations that are useful to state and institutional leaders. 

• Connect ACME partners to the broader ELEVATE Postsecondary Network, creating opportunities to share innovations, challenges, and lessons learned across states and institutions. 

• Build trusted relationships across diverse stakeholder groups and adapt communication, facilitation, and engagement strategies to different audiences. 

• Contribute to ELEVATE convenings, learning forums, and dissemination activities that advance national dialogue on postsecondary transformation and pathways to economic opportunity. 

Serve on ELEVATE-Related Projects as Assigned 

1. Participate as team member in ELEVATE projects when assigned to the project team, for example EPCHA. 

1. Contribute within assigned projects, such as EPCHA, to the design of CoP, technical assistance, and coordination across all partners. 

Advance Business Development and Proposal Strategy 

• Partner with the Associate Vice President (AVP) to develop proposals, concept notes, and funder materials, translating project work into compelling narratives. 

• Support funder cultivation by contributing insights, storytelling, and briefings. 

Who You Are  

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work. 

• You bring demonstrated experience leading or contributing to postsecondary or education-focused initiatives involving project management, technical assistance, facilitation, stakeholder engagement, and translating implementation learning into useful products or recommendations (New hires at the Director I level at JFF typically bring 8+ years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions). 

• You possess high energy and passion for JFF’s mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF’s core values to all areas of your work    

• You are energized by stewarding JFF’s inclusion, belonging, and well-being values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing and celebrating the differences that each individual brings to JFF  

• You value building positive and collaborative relationships with others, including people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own 

• You are able and willing to travel up to 20%.   

• You model inclusive leadership, working effectively with colleagues from a diverse range of backgrounds, and ensuring that decisions, teams and processes respect individual differences 

• You build positive, effective, and collaborative work cultures and take pride in developing people and promoting learning opportunities to support staff members’ growth  

• You communicate with groups and individuals effectively and model how to build effective relationships with colleagues and teams across the organization as well as external stakeholders 

• You develop relationships to foster teamwork and define workstreams and projects that align with team and project goals 

• You are attuned to those around you, to the cultural context of the organization, and express emotions in an honest, mindful way that promotes psychological safety 

• You have a demonstrated ability to implement process improvements and deploy systems to increase effectiveness, innovation and quality  

• You bring experience leading projects and execute initiatives in a way that aligns with your organization’s strategic goals and priorities  

• You demonstrate good judgement and clear analytical thinking when gathering data and useful information to inform decisions 

• You leverage professional development and other learning opportunities to stay current with advances in your field, deepen your subject matter expertise, and support the learning of your team  

• You set ambitious and achievable goals to deliver high-quality outputs and results while empowering, inspiring and holding self and others accountable for delivering on commitments consistently 

• You establish communication plans and present your views clearly, with a compelling narrative or analysis 

• You are an active listener who seeks to fully understand and evaluate situations while giving others the opportunity to explore possible solutions 

What We Offer  

At JFF, we’re fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.  

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.   

The salary for this role is 110,000 for 75% of time.

To Apply  

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Greg DeSantis, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position. 

At JFF, we’re also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process. If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org. 

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.