Principal Director, Leadership, Engagement, and Operations

Principal Director, Leadership, Engagement, and Operations (Director III) Join to apply for the Principal Director, Leadership, Engagement, and Operations (Director III) role at Texas Education Agency. MISSION: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public‑school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems. Core Values We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in the pursuit of our main purpose, to improve outcomes for students. We are People‑Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain the most committed talent, representing the diversity of Texas, each contributing to our common vision for students. We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on success and failure, and try new approaches in the pursuit of excellence for our students. We are Servant Leaders: Above all else, we are public servants working to improve opportunities for students and provide support to those who serve them. New hires, re‑hires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees in their same classification. Offers will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications and will thoughtfully consider internal pay equity for agency staff who perform similar duties and have similar qualifications. The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates who exceed the requirements and qualifications for the role. The maximum salary range is reserved for candidates that far exceed the required and preferred qualifications for the role. This is a 10‑day posting, which will close on December 4, 11:59 pm. Position Overview The Principal Director, Leadership, Engagement & Operations oversees a ~15 member team to manage the strategy and execution of several key areas to ensure the success of the Leadership and Instructional Foundations for Texas (LIFT) program. The director plays a key strategic role, collaborating with other division leadership and across the agency to build overall program strategy, create systems to monitor fidelity and calibrate in‑field, and prioritize areas for ongoing improvement to programming. The director oversees both the coaching and data analytics teams. The coaching team supports approximately 50 approved providers, both Education Service Centers (ESCS) and external vendors, who provide direct support to districts, actively driving a strategy to grow approved provider capacity for strong technical assistance. They also oversee a data analytics team that establishes a data‑driven performance management and long‑term research and evaluation plan, and coordinates with other key internal and external partners for delivery on this plan. The director also oversees the district engagement team and operations team. The district engagement team interfaces with districts throughout the Learning Acceleration Support Opportunities (LASO) and program support process, conveys field feedback back to the broader team to drive strategic shifts, and manages fidelity of implementation tracking and an aligned field visit strategy. The operations team manages vendor contracts, invoicing, and project management for the full division. As a leader on a newly integrated team, the director bears significant responsibility in driving a collaborative, solutions‑oriented culture and approach, including proactively designing the “best of” multiple approaches coming together, and facilitating decision‑making and development spaces that incorporate multiple voices and perspective across the LIFT team and with LIFT leadership. The director also leads cross‑agency collaboration with multiple teams and offices, incorporating content and perspectives on support for students with disabilities, emergent bilingual students, the division of School Improvement, and leadership coaching from District Strategic Leadership. Flexible work location within the state of Texas may be considered for qualified candidates. Please note that a resume, tailored cover letter, and short‑answer responses are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check. Essential Functions Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned. Approved Provider Coaching and Development Delivery: Collaborate with leadership team to set overall program vision, structure, and strategy, both for the district experience and the ESC/vendor delivery experience. In partnership with team, set aligned vision for field coaching roles (LIFT Lead, District Coach, Campus Coach) and oversee site visit strategy and calibration approach to ensure strong delivery of technical assistance for school systems. Use data insights to improve program implementation through coaching and district engagement, and partner with LIFT content teammates to continuously improve the quality of training, implementation support, and coaching for ESCs and vendors. District Implementation Support Delivery: In partnership with team, set aligned vision for district communications, application process, support, and fidelity of implementation (FOI) tracking. Collaborate with cross‑agency and cross‑team partners (e.g., field service function) to ensure coherent, aligned delivery. Oversee planning and execution of district implementation supports, including upfront program/LASO communications, district check‑ins, district fidelity of implementation and data tracking, innovator strategy to identify and magnify bright spots, field visit coordination and observation data tracking, and supporting feedback loops into ESC/vendor coaching and/or content development workstreams. Operations and Project Management: In partnership with directors, set vendor and contract strategy and ensure alignment of all contract and budget details. Oversee the development and execution of a high‑functioning cross‑workstream project plan, annual planning cycle for budget and contract work, ongoing project management tools, and ongoing project management structures that effectively flag/escalate issues and keep work on track. Ensure operations team works well across other teams accessing contract work, proactively plans with accounts payable and grants teams to manage well, creates and leverages key reports, to monitor invoices against assumptions, and any other key supporting functions to streamline the LIFT team’s functioning. Progress Monitoring and Research and Evaluation for Continuous Improvement: Oversee continuous improvement vision, including short‑cycle performance management and longer‑term research and evaluation. Oversee development of aligned plan for continuous improvement of the LIFT program, and execution against that plan, including ongoing performance management with feedback loops into content development, coaching and development, and district support functions, as well as longer term research and evaluation. Team Management and Supervision: Manage and coach teammates effectively toward program outcomes and individual development goals and needs; manage multiple teams and team managers; foster a positive, productive, and collaborative team culture. Qualifications Minimum Qualifications Education: Graduation from an accredited four‑year college or university. Experience: At least seven (7) years of experience in an education‑related field. Supervisory experience required. Substitutions: An advanced degree may substitute for two years of required experience. Other Qualifications Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military. Experience in a leadership role with responsibility for team performance and outcomes. Ability to innovate within by designing and implementing new initiatives that scale across districts and schools, obtaining buy‑in internally and externally. Willingness to fill a need, solve a problem, anticipate risk, and demonstrate initiative that strategically advances efforts while supporting change management. Track record of success in rolling out, monitoring, and sustaining effective use of HQIM with aligned instructional leadership approaches at the campus, district or state level. Skill in managing projects toward outcomes, recognizing the need to prototype and iterate along the way and expecting the ultimate design to look different than the original idea. Adherence to accountability best practices to ensure compliance with state and federal regulations while meeting program goals. Ability to prioritize work, operate effectively with minimal supervision, take appropriate initiative, effectively manage people through layers, collaborate, and exercise independent judgment. Development of effective working relationships with diverse individuals and groups including district administrators, teachers, ESC personnel, education experts, publishers, other agency leaders and all other relevant stakeholders. A track record of establishing and leading a strong team culture of transparency, collaboration, and continuous improvement. Success leveraging different strategies and interpersonal skills to move the work forward, demonstrating flexibility and adaptability when presented with a change of course and deadline. A desire to self‑reflect, give/receive feedback and continuously improve. Equal Opportunity Employer. We hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the military employment preference. To review the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to each job classification series in the State’s Position Classification Plan (provided by the State Auditor’s Office), please access the Military Crosswalk (occupational specialty code) Guide and click on the military “occupational category” that corresponds with the state classification in this job posting title. This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre‑employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency. No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. Please add "capps.recruiting@cpa.texas.gov" and "@tea.texas.gov" to your safe senders list to ensure you receive email notifications from our talent acquisition team and/or hiring division regarding your candidacy. #J-18808-Ljbffr