Chief Member Advocacy and Engagement Officer

About California Charter Schools Association 

California Charter Schools Association’s (CCSA) vision is to build great public schools of joy and rigor that prepare all California students for success in college, career, and life. We accomplish this by meeting the needs of parents and educators for great public-school options, supporting and advocating for high-quality non-profit charter schools, and sharing their success across California’s public schools. A 501(c)(3) organization, CCSA embraces its history of being a charter school membership and advocacy organization advancing educational access and opportunity as a social justice and civil rights issue through public charter schools that are free, public, and open to all.

The Opportunity 

We are seeking a relationship-driven, strategic leader to join the CCSA team and serve as Chief Member Advocacy and Engagement Officer (CMAEO). This leader will play a critical role in building sustainable authorizer ecosystems and enhancing member engagement to protect the freedom of school choice across California. They will set the strategy for advocacy initiatives based on direct feedback from our members, and align communications to garner political support for favorable legislation, better funding, and improved access to resources and facilities. The CMAEO will oversee three teams: Local Advocacy, Communications, and Membership. They will manage and work alongside a team of regional leads to support campaign efforts at the local and state level. 

Reporting to the President and CEO, the CMAEO will play a pivotal role on the Executive Team to spearhead the next phase of the organization's multi-year strategic plan. The ideal candidate will have a proven track record in political advocacy, building staff capacity, member engagement and retention, making data-driven decisions, implementing efficient systems, and fostering a culture of collaboration and innovation. They will elevate the voice of members and harness multimedia platforms to tell the charter story. They will also lead effective regionalized collective action strategies to support fair and collaborative charter school authorization. Given CCSA's dual status as a 501(c)(3) and 501(c)(4) organization, the CMAEO will extend their support to CCSA Advocates, assisting with campaign efforts at the local and state level to advance advocacy actions on behalf of the charter movement.

What Does Success Look Like

In alignment with the organization’s strategic plan, the Chief Membership Advocacy and Engagement Officer will lead the Member Advocacy and Engagement team to accomplish the following:

• Maintain and increase membership market share with a high member satisfaction rate on our annual member survey;
• Effectively execute regional supports to increase member value and secure local strength;
• Deliver renewal supports leading to successful renewals for member schools; 
• Ensure vendor membership program produces or exceeds expected revenue targets

Core Responsibilities

Team Leadership & Capacity Building 

• Provide leadership and direction to the Local Advocacy, Communications, and Membership teams, fostering a shared vision and culture of collaboration, innovation, and excellence
• Inspire and energize the team by encouraging a sense of adaptability and resilience, steering team members to embrace innovation and results-driven performance
• Foster a team culture that is equity-driven, relies on effective systems thinking, shared accountability, and continuous improvement, and thrives at setting and achieving ambitious goals
• Provide coaching, mentorship, and professional development opportunities to enhance the teams' skills and capabilities in reaching membership retention and revenue goals
• Ensure team members are developed, feel valued, and impactfully contribute to the organization’s mission

Community Activation & Advocacy   

• Build relationships with key stakeholders including regional policymakers, community leaders, and advocacy organizations to amplify the voice of charter schools in local communities and statewide
• Drive local advocacy initiatives to ensure that charter schools have a voice in policy discussions and decisions at the community level and their collective voice is well-organized and effective
• Ensure CCSA understands our members’ and stakeholders’ concerns and priorities and that membership, communications, and advocacy efforts are responsive to their feedback, input, and collective needs
• Serve as a thought leader on charter school advocacy and education policy, contributing insights and expertise to public discourse and shaping the narrative around charter schools and educational equity
• Represent CCSA at conferences, forums, and other public events, sharing best practices and advocating for policies that support the growth and success of charter schools

Strategy & Implementation 

• Develop and implement a forward-thinking statewide strategy for regionalized advocacy campaigns and supports, communications, and membership engagement that align with CCSA’s mission and goals
• Lead CCSA’s efforts to advocate for policies and initiatives that support charter schools and advance educational equity and opportunity for all students and apply successful frameworks to each regional environment to advance healthy and effective authorizing environments
• Lead teams to responsive actions that solve immediate policy or political problems to build long-term strength and capacity for collective action, reinforcing the force of the collective and the need to stay anchored in the vision and unified with each other
• Build infrastructure, communications, and resources to engage parent, teacher, and alumni stakeholders

Membership Engagement & Sustainability

• Lead teams and initiatives to foster a sense of belonging and ownership among members, empowering them to be advocates for charter school issues in their local communities
• Along with the membership team, seek opportunities for cross-functional local and statewide collaboration and partnership to maximize the impact of CCSA’s work and initiatives
• Deepen member engagement to amplify statewide impact by elevating their voices and increasing value
• Increase member engagement rates on CCSA’s digital platforms every year
• Establish key performance indicators (KPIs) and metrics to evaluate the effectiveness of membership, responsibility for reaching membership market share and revenue goals, communications, and local advocacy efforts, and use data-driven insights to inform decision-making and strategy refinement

Communications & Public Relations

• Lead the team to develop successful communication strategies, campaigns, and messaging frameworks that attract new members and retain current members
• Partner with the membership communications team to shape and implement member engagement and strategic communications campaigns with a DEI lens to ensure a full and diverse representation of CCSA’s membership value and the charter public school community
• Model and set a positive tone for strong communication internally and externally to members, partners, and the public, while bringing stakeholders along at all levels of the organization
• Work alongside the team to amplify local charter school stories in media markets across the state to highlight the significant and positive impact charter schools have in their communities 

Skills, Knowledge, and Qualifications

• 12+ years of aligned experience in policy, advocacy, community building, and/or systems leadership, with at least 5 years of experience managing and developing inclusive high-performing teams
• Strong belief in and advocacy for public charter schools’ ability to prepare all students for success
• Deep understanding of the intersections of policy, race, gender, religion, and social justice issues
• Proven track record of leadership in advocacy for policy change and organizing key constituencies, membership advocacy engagement, strategic communications, and education advocacy 
• Excellent communication skills, with the ability to effectively engage with diverse stakeholders and communicate complex ideas to a wide audience
• Experience leading high-impact, complex organizations impacting several stakeholders, in the K-12, policy or aligned sectors, charter policy familiarity is highly preferred
• Demonstrated ability to lead and inspire teams to achieve, fostering a culture of collaboration and maintaining strategic direction across layered teams 
• Some travel is expected within the state to coach and support local advocacy team members in key regional actions, for annual retreats, conferences, and training; required travel is not expected to exceed 40 percent of the time

Application and Hiring Process

We are excited to review your application! To apply, please submit a resume to resumes@leveledtalent.com. Applications will be considered on a rolling basis, so it is in the candidate’s best interest to apply as soon as possible. Only applicants who submit their resumes through our search partner Leveled Talent will be considered. 

Our interview processes are holistic and value diversity. We are constantly reviewing our hiring criteria to ensure it is centered on equity and inclusion. Bilingual and BIPOC candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. 

Compensation, Benefits & Location  

The starting annual salary range for this role is $174,000 to $212,500, based on relevant experience. The selected candidate will be offered a starting salary based on years of aligned experience and any specialized training or certifications. Our organization is deeply committed to equity and thus has a no-negotiation policy. CCSA offers a comprehensive benefits package including medical, dental, and vision coverage, 401k eligibility, and generous paid time off. This is a full-time, exempt position with the flexibility to work remotely from anywhere in the state of California. CCSA provides a laptop, cell phone, and stipends for home office expenses or for coworking/shared workspace membership fees.