State Director of Public Affairs

The Opportunity Educators for Excellence (E4E) is seeking a State Director of Public Affairs to serve as the senior political and strategic lead for our policy campaigns in Minnesota. As a member of E4E’s national leadership team, this role is responsible for setting the political strategy, policy positioning, and developing and managing the relationships necessary to advance E4E’s national issue agenda at the state and local levels. The State Director of Public Affairs will be the public‑facing leader of E4E’s operations in Minnesota, engaging policymakers, state officials, coalition partners, local officials, funders, and the media to win educator‑driven issue advocacy campaigns. Responsibilities Set Political Strategy and Campaign Vision and Direction Analyze the state and/or local political landscape to identify opportunities, assess constraints, and advise on viable pathways for teacher‑led policy change aligned with E4E’s national policy agenda. Define the strategy and contextualized theory of change for state‑level or local issue advocacy campaigns, in partnership with the National Director of State Campaigns. Right‑size campaigns based on political conditions, organizational capacity, and coalition alignment and/or capacity. Lead assessment and recommendations on legislative pathways, timing, and decision‑making that lead to success. Anchor Campaigns in Educator Voice Partner with the National Director of State Campaigns to develop strong teacher leader fellowships that meaningfully shape and drive issue advocacy campaigns in Minnesota. Ensure educator voice and priorities shape issue advocacy campaign strategies and vision. Support and develop issue advocacy skills and competencies in teacher leader fellowships, ensuring a strong bench of campaign surrogates who can partner with the State Director of Public Affairs to lead issue advocacy campaigns. Serve as the External Spokesperson of E4E in Minnesota Represent E4E publicly with policymakers, state officials, media, local elected officials, and other key stakeholders and decision‑makers. Build and maintain deep relationships with legislators, administration officials, coalition partners, and opinion leaders. Serve as a spokesperson, shaping and delivering messages that reflect political realities while advancing E4E goals. Position E4E as a credible, leading voice in shaping education policy across the state. Build and Lead Strategic Coalitions and Government Affairs Build, lead, and sustain strategic coalitions aligned to campaign priorities and E4E’s issue agenda, leveraging existing relationships and cultivating new partnerships necessary to advance and win campaigns. Develop and manage strong relationships with elected officials, policymakers, and other state and/or local stakeholders who influence or shape policy decisions. Navigate complex political dynamics and opposition to maintain coalition alignment, build political capital, and advance viable pathways to campaign success. Manage external lobbyists and government affairs partners, ensuring their work is strategically aligned to campaign goals and broader advocacy priorities. Drive Political Communications and Positioning Inform messaging strategy, in collaboration with campaign communications staff, that ensures political context, alignment with our teacher leaders, and opposition. Partner with SVP Campaigns and Public Affairs to ensure campaign messaging is strategic, disciplined, and effective. Drive E4E’s public narrative and positioning in Minnesota, particularly in high‑stakes or politically sensitive moments, through earned, owned, and paid media collaboration with campaign communications staff. Contribute to Fundraising Strategy and Support Funder Relationships In partnership with the national team, help represent local work with funders, foundations, and individual donors who are aligned with E4E policy campaign priorities. Provide the national development team with campaign insights and strategy that support donor relationships and new prospects. Advise on alignment between fundraising strategies, donor management, and campaign priorities. Ensure timely execution of grant deliverables and support clear, effective communications for internal and external fundraising efforts. Experience 10+ years of professional experience, including at least 5 years in education policy. Proven track record designing and leading issue advocacy campaigns, ideally at the state level or a large urban local government. Deep experience operating in fast‑paced, complex, highly political environments. Additional electoral campaign experience preferred. Bachelor’s degree required. Transportation & Travel Work often out of the office (or home office), with approximately 20% travel. Time will be divided between office meetings with staff within the organization and self‑directed execution of tasks. Must be able to work occasional weekends and evenings for programmatic events and other priorities. Must be willing to travel to meet with staff across the country. Benefits 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. Equal Opportunity Employer 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 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 Salary band: $132,000 - $188,000. 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. 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. E‑Verify E4E uses E‑Verify when completing all new hire paperwork. For more information, visit here. #J-18808-Ljbffr