Job Description

Manager, District Partnerships

About Good Reason Houston

Good Reason Houston exists to ensure that every child, in every neighborhood of Houston, has access to a world-class public education and the opportunity to thrive in the Houston of tomorrow. From a child’s first day of Pre-K to their first day on the job, we work to make sure every student is prepared for success in school, career, and life.

Anchored in a cradle-to-career vision, Good Reason Houston is driven by a bold North Star Goal: to double the rate of public school graduates earning a living wage by 2040, positioning economic mobility as the ultimate measure of student success. Achieving this goal requires collaboration across sectors, and Good Reason Houston serves as Houston’s regional education backbone, uniting public school systems, higher education institutions, employers, and civic leaders around a shared vision for student success.

Good Reason Houston builds awareness of, advocates for, and advises school systems on measures aimed to improve the quality of education available to all. Today the organization partners with 25 public school systems that collectively serve 700,000 students across 900 public schools in the Houston region. We seek to cultivate a shared regional vision for educational quality, to build the capacity for change required within districts and the greater Houston community, and to foster collective ownership to support student-level results for kids across our city. 

For more information, please visit .   

About the Role

Good Reason Houston’s Manager, District Partnerships reports to the Director, District Partnerships and plays a critical role in maintaining relationships with district leadership (from central office leaders to school leaders), resulting in improved decision making and driving improved system and school performance.  They will be responsible for contributing their functional expertise to Good Reason Houston’s business model and delivering the services directly to districts. They will be expected to capture learnings from district practice and interventions to inform Good Reason Houston’s overall perspective on what it will take to transform education.

This role requires an individual that is able to build strong relationships, understand the needs of others, and provide exceptional service delivery and customer service. 

Primary Responsibilities 

District Partner Support  

• Deliver direct services to district clients through strategic advising, planning, and implementation, data analytics, and/or facilitation (could include school-level supports, such as campus instructional monitoring and planning)
• Lead the creation of materials for high-stakes meetings with district executive leaders and school leaders
• Become an expert in certain service or product offerings as determined by Chief of District Partnerships, to include data analytics, strategic planning, and system-wide transformation at minimum
• Provide strong customer service to contracted district partners
• Manage vendors, consultants, funders, peer organizations and other third parties providing supports to district clients 
• Build and maintain customized progress monitoring tools to assist districts in tracking school quality progress 
• Cultivate, maintain relationships with, and independently manage senior level district staff to drive reflection and progress

Thought Leadership  

• Inform Good Reason Houston’s perspective on key education topics and strengthen broader community understanding of education transformation
• Provide input on Good Reason Houston’s priority education topics
• Regularly contribute to the creation of materials or reports 

Business & Partnerships Development 

• Internalize Good Reason Houston’s service offerings and business model, including Texas Education Agency (TEA) service offerings: 
  • Good Reason Houston’s role as a System of Great Schools (SGS) Executive Advisor
  • Good Reason Houston’s role as a School Action Fund (SAF) Technical Assistance Provider
• Produce strong, compelling proposals scopes of work designed to secure business aligned to Good Reason Houston’s overall mission
• Contribute perspective to identify ways to deliver services better and more efficiently
• Develop systems to monitor and report on project progress, impact, and partner relationships

Perform other duties as assigned by Managing Director of District Partnerships.

 

Qualifications and Key Attributes

Experience 

• Bachelor’s degree required, relevant advanced degree, preferred
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in education, or education-based consulting, highly preferred
• Experience managing multiple projects simultaneously and the ability to manage and motivate stakeholders to accomplish project goals and milestones
• Experience generating revenue through direct sales, preferred
• Proven experience developing and maintaining institutional partnerships and/or district relationships

Skills 

• Experience building and maintaining relationships with organizational partners and leadership  including superintendents, principals, district executive leaders, peer organizations, and funders 
• Ability to synthesize and visualize complex data sets and strategies
• Excellent organizational skills and project management expertise, with a demonstrated commitment to developing high-quality work products while navigating ambiguity and evolving context 
• Flexible in changing environments and needs

• Strong written and verbal communication skills, with ability to synthesize and accurately present relevant information to various audiences

Working at Good Reason Houston

Our Team

Our core values reflect the principles that ground and guide our work. They serve as the foundation for how we show up, internally with our colleagues and externally with our partners and communities. These values shape how we make decisions, collaborate across teams, and navigate challenges. They are the throughline that connects our culture to our impact.

CURIOUS

We are curious— we ask, listen, and learn with humility to grow our understanding and improve how we work in service of students.

CONNECTORS

We are connectors—we build meaningful, authentic relationships that create momentum for lasting change with and for Houston students, families, and communities.

ROOTED

We are rooted— we show up with purpose and persistence, grounded in our mission and in deep commitment to Houston.

FORWARD-THINKING

We are forward-thinkers–we champion an optimistic vision for Houston’s future and tackle complex challenges with boldness, creativity, and strategic action. 

STUDENT-CENTERED

We are students-centered—removing barriers, expanding opportunity, and shaping systems to improve outcomes for students with the greatest needs.

Good Reason Houston staff are expected to support this organizational culture by promoting and adhering to these team traits to maintain an open and cohesive work environment & relationships.

Good Reason Houston offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience in a similar position. The starting salary range for this position is $80,000 annually. New hires are offered a salary depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. Benefits offered include 401(k) (automatic 3% employer contribution), life, medical, dental and vision insurance packages. Each employee accrues 35 paid time off days per calendar year in addition to the 19 paid holidays per year. Good Reason Houston is an office-based organization, but allows for virtual work on Mondays and Fridays.

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