The Foundation
We are the largest nonprofit fighting poverty, disease, and inequity around the world. Founded on a simple premise: people everywhere, regardless of identity or circumstances, should have the chance to live healthy, productive lives. We believe our employees should reflect the rich diversity of the global populations we aim to serve. We provide an exceptional benefits package to employees and their families which include comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with no premiums, generous paid time off, paid family leave, foundation-paid retirement contribution, regional holidays, and opportunities to engage in several employee communities. As a workplace, we’re committed to creating an environment for you to thrive both personally and professionally.
The TeamThe Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation’s U.S. Program (USP) works to ensure all students in the US have access to educational opportunities, from Pre-K to postsecondary, that enable them to develop the knowledge, skills, and agency needed thrive as adults and contribute to their communities. Our goal is to make sure more students are on track to obtain a postsecondary credential with labor market value such that race/ethnicity and income are no longer predictors of student success.
Within USP, the Pathways strategy works to support all students – particularly Black, Latino, and Indigenous students and students from low-income backgrounds – to access the learning opportunities, mentorship, and navigation supports to transition successfully from high school to postsecondary education, and then acquire credentials of value and gain professional skills, agency, and social capital needed to thrive in the workforce.
Our culture shapes our choices about what we do and how we do it. We believe that energized people, working well together, fueled by great leadership in an inclusive environment can do extraordinary things. We expect foundation employees to intentionally embody our core values: optimism, collaboration, rigor, innovation, and inclusion.
**POSTING CLOSE DATE: Wednesday, September 18th**
Your Role
The Director, Pathways (U.S. Program), will be responsible for visioning and executing the Pathways program strategy and leading the Pathways team. They will report to the Director, Postsecondary Pathways and Success (whose role includes oversight for the Pathways Strategy and leadership of the Postsecondary Success Strategy and Team)
The role is tasked with supporting students in their transition from high school to college and career; to ensure that Black, Latino, and students from low-income backgrounds have the skills, agency, social capital, and credentials of value to launch a career that will put them on the path to economic mobility.
This will include funding the development of innovative solutions, supporting regions that are integrating these solutions to create measurably improved student experiences, and fostering a national community of practitioners, researchers, and advocates to share their learning with each other and across the country.
You will work in close coordination with other program and functional strategies in USP (K12 Education, Postsecondary Education, Washington State Initiative, Data Team) as well as with the foundation’s North America Team (which focuses on policy and advocacy) to drive greater coherence, accountability, and implementation towards our goal of impact, with clear metrics.
What You’ll Do
1. Strategic Leadership and Vision
Refine and implement a strategic vision for educational pathways that improve student transitions from K-12 to postsecondary and the workforce
Work closely with US Program directors and strategy leads, North America Team leadership, and appropriate foundation leadership (CEO, Board) to co-develop tactics that are within approved strategies and are aligned with strategy objectives
Align pathways strategies with broader division goals to ensure cohesive progress towards educational equity and success
Stay current on emerging trends, research, and innovations in the pathways space, continually improve and adapt the work in service of impact
2. Team Leadership and Development
Lead a team to implement and execute on the pathways strategy, and on developing and strengthening cross-divisional initiatives in the pathways space
Foster a collaborative and innovative team culture that values diverse perspectives, encourages continuous learning, and is focused on measurable impact
Develop team talent for performance both in role and in future opportunities
3. Solution Development and Implementation
Lead a team tasked with the development and scaling of innovative (often technology and data-enabled) solutions that support accelerated course sequences, dual enrollment, academic advising and credit mobility
Collaborate with educational institutions, community organizations, and policy makers to test and refine solutions and their role in integrated pathways experiences
4. Field-building and cross sector collaboration
Serve as a member of the US Program Leadership Team, providing thought partnership to peers working on other strategies and working to strengthen and execute on divisional priorities
Foster strong partnerships with key actors in the pathways field to help foster a community of organizations working to create integrated pathways
Engage with stakeholders to build capacity, share resources, and and advocate for approaches that support the creation of sustained pathways that lead to equitable student outcomes
Represent the pathways strategy and the foundation at conferences, meetings, and public events to share insights, build networks, and enhance the visibility of pathways initiatives
5. Performance Measurement and Improvement
Lead the team in establishing clear metrics and performance indicators to measure the impact of pathways initiatives (ranging from tech-enabled solutions, to place-based implementation)
Utilize foundation-funded research and evaluation as well as broader sector data to continually assess and improve the strategic approach, making adjustments as necessary to achieve the desired outcomes and impact
Your Experience
An Advanced degree or equivalent demonstrated experience.
Experience in a relevant field (i.e., K-12 and Postsecondary education) and significant accomplishments in driving improvements in complex public education systems.
Expertise in identifying and addressing barriers to educational access and learning, researching effective instructional or advising practices, developing educational technology, and how to scale these up.
Expertise and skill in building programs and teams, fostering innovation, measuring progress and impact and delivering results with an ability to focus on strong implementation while driving innovation into the work
Strong diversity, equity, and inclusion knowledge, including identifying, recognizing, and valuing different perspectives, skills, and talents in service of the foundation's mission.
Knowledge of how different communities and stakeholders engage with data in their improvement practices and translating that into public goods we can support to facilitate that
Knowledge of/ability to effectively engage in the wider systems/landscapes and complexity in education, including policy, innovation/markets, and research & development.
Experience driving impact in improving educational outcomes for all students, particularly for Black, Latinx, Indigenous, and low-income students.
Ability to travel for this role is 30%+, including partner meetings, internal meetings, and representing the Foundation at conferences.
*Must be able to legally work in the country where this position is located without visa sponsorship.
The salary range for this role is $322,000 to $499,100 USD. We recognize high-wage market differences in Seattle and Washington D.C., where our offices are located. The range for this role in these locations is $350,700 to $543,600 USD. As a mission-driven organization, we strive to balance competitive pay with our mission. New hires salaries are typically between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint. Actual placement in the range will depend on a candidate’s job-related skills, experience, and expertise, as evaluated during the interview process.
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Hiring Requirements
As part of our standard hiring process for new employees, employment will be contingent upon successful completion of a background check.
Candidate Accommodations
If you require assistance due to a disability in the application or recruitment process, please submit a request here.
Inclusion Statement
We are dedicated to the belief that all lives have equal value. We strive for a global and cultural workplace that supports ever greater diversity, equity, and inclusion — of voices, ideas, and approaches — and we support this diversity through all our employment practices.
All applicants and employees who are drawn to serve our mission will enjoy equality of opportunity and fair treatment without regard to race, color, age, religion, pregnancy, sex, sexual orientation, disability, gender identity, gender expression, national origin, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, and prior protected activity.