Job Description

Position Overview

At the Texas Education Agency's Office of Governance (OG), we are driven by a powerful mission: to proactively support school systems, keep students safe, and uphold Texas education law with integrity, objectivity, and excellence. Our core workstreams Field Support and Compliance & Investigations focus on strengthening governance, fostering a culture of accountability, and promoting continuous improvement across Texas schools. By working closely with school systems and agency teams, we help ensure every Texas public school student has access to a safe, highquality education.

This Senior Advisor will engage with school systems, school system leaders, and school board trustees across the state as a strategic partner, providing guidance and targeted supports with the ultimate goal of improving student outcomes. A primary responsibility of this role is engaging with and presenting to governing teams related to identifying, adopting, and implementing bestpractice approaches to school board governance and overall school system design. This position requires proactive touchpoints with a wide variety of external stakeholders, policy makers, and partners while also serving as a resource to the field in response to challenges that may arise.

In service of improving student outcomes, the Senior Advisor will closely coordinate and collaborate with senior leaders across the agency and in the field to establish exemplary governance systems, inform strategic alignment and direction, provide leadership to priority initiatives and pilot programs to drive the work.

Reporting to the Associate Commissioner of Field Support, with regular interaction with the Deputy Commissioner of Governance and the Commissioner of Education, and in coordination with TEA's Governmental Relations and Communications teams, this position helps create, shape, and support the agency's strategic vision over stakeholder engagement, system performance, and strategy development in collaboration with the Office of Governance's leadership team, agency staff, legislators, districts, and other stakeholders resulting in the achievement of ambitious outcomes for student statewide.

Flexible work location in Texas may be considered for qualified candidates.

Please note that a resume, cover letter, and short answer responses are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered. Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check.

Essential Functions
Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.

1. School Board Governance Advisory and Consultative Supports: serve as a thought partner and strategic resource for school board members, governing teams, and school system leaders by providing guidance on governance best practices, strategic leadership, and district planning; support school systems in identifying challenges, evaluating options, and implementing researchbased bestpractice approaches that strengthen school governance and school system design

2. Stakeholder Engagement and Relationship Management: develop and implement stakeholderengagement strategies that build and sustain strong relationships in support of agency priorities and governance initiatives; coordinate with TEA's Governmental Relations and Communications and Stakeholder engagement teams to serve as a liaison to school board members, school district leadership, Education Service Centers (ESCs), and other key stakeholders representing the agency on governance matters and proactively fostering partnerships; gather, synthesize, and communicate stakeholder perspectives, emerging trends, and fieldbased insights to inform agency decisionmaking, resource development, and strengthen alignment between agency priorities and school system needs

3. Governance Training and Board Development: collaborate with internal subjectmatter experts to develop and deliver governance trainings and resources that develop capacity in the field, promote governance best practices and agency priorities, and reflect current laws to strengthen Texas school systems; serve as a subject matter expert on school board development, obtaining and maintaining certifications and/or authorizations required to provide specific statewide trainings, and representing the agency at conferences and other stakeholder events

4. Governance Policy and Strategic Initiatives: serve as a liaison to state policy makers related to school board governance matters and collaborate on governance policy and strategic initiatives with TEA's Division of SBOE Support, Division of Government Relations, and Division of Communications and Stakeholder Engagement; coordinate crossfunctional efforts on matters related to school board governance, trustee development, and statutory training requirements, and advance other governance initiatives; provide subject matter expertise, facilitate collaboration among internal and external stakeholders, and support the development, communication, and execution of governancerelated priorities that strengthen local board effectiveness

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications

Education: Graduation from an accredited fouryear college or university
Experience: At least eight (8) years of experience in educational leadership, governance, or organizational strategy, with progressively responsible experience including advising senior leaders, facilitating stakeholder engagement, and leading complex crossfunctional initiatives. A minimum of five (5) years must include direct experience related to school board governance

Other Qualifications

• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military
• Exceptional strategic, systems, and analytical thinking skills with demonstrated success leading complex initiatives and translating vision into actionable plans and measurable results in a fast paced dynamic environment
• Deep understanding of public education systems, including the roles, responsibilities, and challenges of superintendents, school boards, and educational service centers and the ability to connect governance practices, organizational performance, and student outcomes
• Demonstrated ability to influence without formal authority and facilitate productive discussions among diverse stakeholders to achieve alignment and advance goals
• Demonstrated ability to quickly establish trust, build credibility, and sustain productive relationships with a broad array of stakeholders, including trustees, superintendents, executive leaders, policymakers, and community partners; a broad network of existing relationships within Texas public education strongly preferred
• Working knowledge of governance research, effective board development practices, and continuous improvement principles
• Exceptional communication and presentation skills, including the ability translate complex concepts into clear, actionable guidance for varied audiences
• Ability to gather, synthesize, and communicate stakeholder perspectives and emerging trends to inform decisionmaking, resource development, and agency priorities
• Working knowledge of the Texas Education Code, Texas Administrative Code and statutory requirements governing school districts, trustees, and local governance practices

New hires, rehires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees within the same classification. Offers are based on the candidate's experience and qualifications and consider internal pay equity across employees performing similar work.

The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates whose qualifications exceed the role's requirements. The maximum of the range is typically reserved for candidates who significantly exceed the required and preferred qualifications.

Benefits

TEA employees receive a comprehensive benefits package through the State of Texas and the Employee Retirement System of Texas (ERS), supporting health, financial security, and worklife balance.
Benefits include:

• Retirement through ERS and employerpaid health insurance for eligible employees
• Optional dental, vision, and dependent coverage
• Paid state holidays, vacation leave, sick leave, and longevity pay
• Wellness programs, employee assistance programs, and professional development opportunities
• Eligibility for the federal Public Service Loan Forgiveness (PSLF) program

To learn more about benefits available to State of Texas employees, please review the State of Texas Employee Benefits brochure and visit the TEA Compensation and Benefits page .

Military/Veteran Information

Applicants eligible for Military Employment Preference will be considered in accordance with applicable state and federal laws and regulations.

To explore how military experience may align with this role, applicants may review Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes within the State's Position Classification Plan. Please refer to the Military Crosswalk and select the occupational category that most closely corresponds with the classification listed in this job posting.

Additional Information

To learn more about working at TEA, including hiring timelines, process details, and candidate resources, please visit the Careers at TEA page .

Due to the high volume of applications, we are unable to accept phone calls or respond to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for an interview will be contacted.

To help ensure you receive updates regarding your application, please add [email protected] and @tea.texas.gov to your safe sender's list.

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