[Hiring] Principal Consultant @Education First Consulting

Role Description

Education First is seeking an experienced leader to join the Accelerate Academic Coherence consulting team as a Principal Consultant. The Principal Consultant is expected to bring expertise gained by serving currently or recently as a national funder, or as a close advisor to philanthropy with strong relationships, to advance high-quality, coherent instructional, assessment, and accountability systems.

• Shape and set strategy, cultivate strong partnerships, and lead individual client engagements.
• Apply understanding of philanthropy and current issues in the field (e.g., technology and AI) to craft bodies of work and projects.
• Bring in new relationships with funders and sell projects.
• Lead services and projects that deliver immediate and long-term results.
• Contribute to thought leadership that extends the firm’s national reputation.
• Support executives in philanthropy, school systems, state education agencies, and nonprofits.
• Develop and use tools and strategies to assess client needs and solve problems.
• Support and coach funders in developing investment strategies and plans.
• Support system leaders to operationalize Education First’s commitment to coherence.
• Serve as project director on a variety of client engagements.
• Travel to meet with clients approximately 20-30% of the time.
• Oversee successful projects, ensuring project deliverables meet excellence standards.
• Coordinate regularly with the project manager and client to ensure project success.
• Contribute to project operations through creating materials and active involvement in all project tasks.
• Advance the firm’s business development, thought leadership, and field impact.
• Create and deliver content for the firm's website, policy papers, newsletters, and public speaking engagements.
• Mentor, guide, and manage team members.
• Support inclusive project teams that empower all team members to grow.

Qualifications

• Extensive experience working within or alongside philanthropy to design and advocate for successful education policies.
• Recent experience as an engaged funder or in AI.
• Ability to convert a deep network of education leaders and content expertise to new work and impact.
• Demonstrated urgency in accomplishing complex work and implementing change.
• National view of the U.S. K12 education system and its connections with other systems.
• Commitment to a more equitable education system, including examining privilege and structural barriers.
• Strong project management and system-level strategy experience.
• Ability to lead through ambiguity and create clear structures for high-quality results.
• Ability to provide and receive feedback with ease.
• Lead by influence, establishing open lines of communication.

Requirements

• Experience with consulting, providing technical assistance, or leading strategy development.
• Master’s degree or equivalent experience in public policy, public administration, business, education, Juris Doctor, or related fields preferred.

Benefits

• 100% remote, U.S. based team.
• Sales bonus opportunities.
• Firmwide in-person engagements once a year.
• Telework subsidy.
• Professional development stipend.
• Foundational Bonding and Parental Leave.
• 20 PTO days, 11 holidays, and two firmwide shutdown weeks.
• Medical, dental, vision, and life insurance.
• 401(k) match.

Compensation

The starting salary for this position is $175,000 annually. Employees living in cities with higher cost of living may receive a location-based supplement equivalent to 1-5% of the base salary. Principal Consultants’ annual sales bonuses have a wide range, with an average of $32,000.