Director, Policy & Communications — New York

About Us

Our nation’s education system is leaving millions of students—including an overwhelming number of students of color and low-income students—unprepared for college, career, and life. Research shows that classroom teachers are the single most important in-school factor in improving student achievement, and we believe a truly thriving teaching profession requires educator voice and leadership. We work to build durable teacher power, especially with those who have been historically excluded from decision-making, to shape the systems and policies that define education. 

Founded by public school teachers, Educators for Excellence is a growing movement of nearly 40,000 educators working together to build a high-quality, diverse teaching profession with the resources and conditions necessary to help every student thrive. Together, we research and develop educator-informed solutions, build teacher power, and advocate for policy change at the district, state, and national levels.

What We Do

Our work is grounded in the belief that the teaching profession is one of the most vital forces shaping our shared future - and that educators must be at the center of shaping the policies and systems that define public education. We focus on developing teacher leadership and power to drive issue advocacy campaigns that shape policy, contracts, and the national conversation. 

To achieve our vision for transforming the teaching profession, we advance and support the implementation of a focused set of policy solutions backed by research and educators. Our agenda focuses on achieving a high-quality, diverse workforce through:

• Building strong and sustainable career pathways.
• Creating coherent systems of instructional support.
• Funding public schools fully and equitably.

By building durable teacher power, teachers unite as a collective force to drive lasting change and advance an equitable, sustainable public education system where every student has the opportunity to learn, grow, and succeed.

The Opportunity

Educators for Excellence–New York is seeking a Director, Policy & Communications to lead the chapter’s external communications strategy while providing policy expertise that strengthens our advocacy campaigns.

This is, first and foremost, a communications leadership role. The Director will shape how E4E-NY communicates about its priorities, educators, campaigns, and policy agenda across earned media, digital platforms, public events, executive communications, and advocacy materials.

The Director will also serve as a policy thought partner to the Executive Director and chapter leadership team. They will help the organization understand emerging education policy developments, translate research and policy proposals into clear positions and messages, and ensure that E4E’s public communications are substantively sound.

The ideal candidate is equally comfortable developing a media strategy, writing an op-ed, preparing an educator for an interview, interpreting a policy proposal, and translating technical education policy into language that families, educators, policymakers, and reporters can understand.

Scope of the Role

Communications Strategy & Leadership — Approximately 70%

Campaign Communications and Narrative Strategy

• Own and execute the communications strategy for E4E-New York’s advocacy and policy campaigns.
• Develop campaign message architecture, narrative frameworks, communications plans, audience strategies, and editorial calendars tied to measurable campaign objectives.
• Translate complex education policy and research into compelling, accessible narratives for educators, families, policymakers, media, and the public.
• Ensure communications strategies are integrated into campaign planning from the beginning rather than added after advocacy strategies have been developed.
• Identify opportunities to elevate educator stories and experiences as evidence supporting E4E-NY’s policy agenda.
• Maintain consistency of message across earned media, digital communications, advocacy materials, public testimony, events, and executive communications.
• Build rapid-response plans and messaging for major policy announcements, breaking education news, legislative developments, and other high-profile moments.

Media Relations and Public Affairs

• Develop and maintain strong relationships with education reporters, editorial boards, columnists, producers, and other relevant media stakeholders.
• Proactively identify opportunities to position E4E-New York and its educator members in public conversations about education.
• Pitch educators, organizational leaders, research, campaign developments, and policy perspectives to media outlets.
• Write and oversee press releases, media advisories, statements, op-eds, letters to the editor, talking points, briefing documents, and other external communications.
• Prepare the Executive Director, staff, and educator leaders for media interviews and other public-facing opportunities.
• Build and maintain a diverse bench of educator spokespeople who can effectively communicate E4E’s campaign priorities.
• Monitor education media coverage and advise chapter leadership on emerging narratives, reputational issues, opportunities, and risks.
• Serve as a senior communications advisor to the Executive Director during high-profile or sensitive moments.

Digital, Content, and Executive Communications

• Lead the chapter’s content strategy across email, social media, web, newsletters, advocacy communications, and other digital channels.
• Partner with national digital and communications teams to ensure New York priorities and educator voices are represented in organizational communications.
• Develop content that moves audiences beyond awareness toward meaningful engagement and action.
• Draft and edit communications on behalf of the Executive Director, including public statements, speeches, presentations, talking points, opinion pieces, and stakeholder communications.
• Establish and maintain a chapter-wide editorial and communications calendar aligned with campaign milestones.
• Use audience and performance data to evaluate communications effectiveness and improve future strategies.
• Ensure public-facing materials meet high standards for accuracy, clarity, accessibility, message discipline, and brand consistency.

Communications Capacity Building

• Coach organizers, policy staff, and educator leaders on messaging, storytelling, public speaking, and media engagement.
• Develop communications templates, protocols, processes, and tools that allow the chapter to move quickly while maintaining quality.
• Establish clear review and approval processes for external communications.
• Partner with organizing staff to ensure communications authentically reflect educator experiences rather than simply speaking on behalf of educators.

Policy Strategy & Analysis — Approximately 30%

Policy Development and Analysis

• Serve as a policy thought partner to the Executive Director and chapter leadership team on New York City and New York State education issues.
• Monitor significant education policy, legislative, regulatory, budget, and implementation developments related to E4E-New York’s advocacy priorities.
• Analyze proposed policies and legislation and clearly articulate their potential implications for educators and students.
• Conduct and synthesize research to inform chapter policy positions, advocacy strategies, and communications.
• Develop policy memos, issue briefs, fact sheets, talking points, policy summaries, and other materials that translate technical issues into actionable information.
• Work with national policy staff and external experts to ensure chapter policy positions are research-informed and substantively sound.
• Maintain sufficient depth across E4E’s advocacy agenda to respond quickly to emerging policy developments.

Policy Communications and Public Affairs

• Translate E4E-New York’s policy priorities into clear public messages without sacrificing policy accuracy or nuance.
• Draft or support the development of legislative testimony, public comments, coalition letters, hearing materials, policy presentations, and executive remarks.
• Prepare the Executive Director, educator advocates, and other organizational representatives for meetings, hearings, panels, and public events.
• Partner with campaign and organizing teams to identify the evidence, educator experiences, and policy arguments most likely to advance campaign objectives.
• Support conversations with policymakers, coalition partners, researchers, advocates, and other external stakeholders when policy expertise is required.

What Success Looks Like

• E4E-NY has a clear and recognizable public narrative around its priority campaigns
• Communications are consistently connected to campaign goals rather than measured solely by the volume of coverage or content produced.
• Educator voices are regularly and authentically represented in media, digital communications, testimony, and public events.
• E4E-NY is a reliable resource for reporters and stakeholders seeking educator perspectives on major New York education issues.
• The Executive Director and educator spokespeople are well prepared for public-facing opportunities.
• Campaign teams have clear message architecture and communications plans tied to major advocacy milestones.
• Complex policy proposals can be quickly translated into accurate, understandable public communications.
• Communications performance is assessed through defined indicators such as earned media quality, message penetration, educator spokesperson engagement, audience growth and engagement, supporter action, and campaign conversion.

Qualifications

Experience

• Approximately 7+ years of progressively responsible experience in communications, public affairs, advocacy, journalism, policy communications, political communications, nonprofit communications, education policy, or a related field.
• Significant experience developing and executing communications strategies tied to advocacy, policy, organizing, or systems-change goals.
• Demonstrated success securing earned media and building productive relationships with reporters and other media stakeholders.
• Exceptional writing and editing skills, including experience producing op-eds, press materials, speeches, talking points, digital content, and executive communications.
• Experience translating complex policy or technical information into clear and compelling communications for nontechnical audiences.
• Working knowledge of public policy analysis and the legislative or regulatory process.
• Experience working in education policy, K–12 education, government, advocacy, organizing, or another relevant policy environment strongly preferred.
• Experience advising senior executives or organizational leaders on communications strategy strongly preferred.
• Familiarity with the New York City and New York State education environment preferred.

Skills and Competencies

• Strategic communications judgment: Knows not only how to write a message, but when, where, how, and through whom it should be delivered.
• Exceptional writing: Can move comfortably between a policy memo, reporter pitch, op-ed, social post, executive talking points, and educator story without losing authenticity.
• Policy fluency: Can quickly understand complex policy questions, identify what matters, and translate them accurately for different audiences.
• Narrative strategy: Understands how communications can shape public understanding and advance advocacy objectives.
• Media sophistication: Understands earned media strategy, news cycles, reporter relationships, spokesperson preparation, and rapid response.
• Political and organizational judgment: Can operate effectively in complex, fast-moving environments while protecting organizational credibility.
• Collaboration: Works effectively across organizing, policy, communications, development, and executive leadership functions.
• Project management: Can manage multiple deadlines, campaigns, stakeholders, and workstreams without losing strategic focus.
• Data orientation: Uses communications and engagement data to assess performance and adjust strategy.
• Commitment to educator voice: Understands that E4E’s most credible messengers are often the educators closest to the issues.

Working Relationships

• Executive Director: Executive communications, strategic counsel, policy interpretation, media strategy, and public positioning.
• Campaign and Organizing Teams: Campaign strategy, educator storytelling, messaging, advocacy moments, spokesperson development, and supporter activation.
• National Communications Team: Media strategy, digital communications, brand alignment, major organizational moments, and communications infrastructure.
• National Policy and Advocacy Teams: Research, policy analysis, advocacy agenda alignment, and issue expertise.
• Educator Leaders: Story development, media preparation, testimony, advocacy communications, and public leadership.

Benefits & Applying

Educators for Excellence (E4E) believes in providing employees with benefits to support self-care, wellness, and financial stability. We value the whole person and provide benefits such as paid time off, health insurance plans, competitive salaries that include pre-tax benefits, and cell phone reimbursements. See more information about our benefits here.

E4E is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate based on race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion or religious creed, mental or physical disability, medical condition, genetic information, sex (including pregnancy, childbirth and related medical conditions), sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, age, marital status, military or veteran status, citizenship, or other characteristics protected by state or federal law or local ordinance. E4E has a zero tolerance for discrimination, racism, xenophobia, or misogyny in any form in our workplace. We strive to create a workplace where everyone feels a strong sense of belonging.

Compensation Policy 

Educators for Excellence (E4E) is committed to valuing team members holistically. We do not engage in salary negotiations; our first offer is always our best offer.

Salary bands (based on geographic location):

• $105,000 - $150,000 for High Urban locations (NYC & San Francisco)

Within this range, our competitive, non-negotiable salary offer will be based on a candidate’s relevant experience and credentials, role-related competencies assessed through our robust hiring process, and geographic location. 

COVID-19 Vaccination Policy: All new employees are required to comply with E4E’s mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy, which requires all staff to be fully vaccinated before the start of employment. An employee will be considered fully vaccinated two weeks after receiving the requisite number of doses of a COVID-19 vaccine. Employees may request an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to a medical reason or a sincerely held religious belief.

E4E abides by each state’s requirements and acknowledges that they may change over time. If you advance to an interview, you will have the opportunity to ask questions about this job requirement.

Accommodations: We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible interview experience and will ensure that all candidates are provided with reasonable accommodations that allow them to participate in the interview process. To request an accommodation, please email [email protected]

EEOC questionnaire: We place a particular focus on recruiting staff members who share the backgrounds of the communities we serve. We encourage all applicants to complete our EEOC questionnaire as part of your application process (these questions will be included in your initial application). Completing the questionnaire will help ensure our People & Equity team is attracting a diverse pool of qualified candidates for each of our open positions. Please note that this information is not included with your application, and our hiring managers do not have access to race and other identifying information at any point in the interviewing or hiring process, including after a hire is made.

E4E uses E-Verify when completing all new hire paperwork. For more information, visit here.