Senior Director - Partner Engagement & Institutional Relationships, Europe

About the Role

Teach For All is seeking a dynamic and strategic leader to support a diverse group of network and prospective partner organizations in the Europe region and to lead regional work on public sector partnerships. As a Senior Director - Partner Engagement & Institutional Relationships, Europe, you will steward Teach For All’s engagement with a group of partner organizations in the Europe region, working to build and deepen relationships and collaboration in pursuing educational equity in Europe. In this role you will act as a strategic advisor to partner organizations, diagnosing needs and opportunities, consulting on strategic challenges, and mobilizing network resources to drive collective impact

In this position, you will also play a critical role in strengthening partner organizations’public sector partnerships through targeted support around institutional relations strategy development and execution in key countries in Europe. You will work closely with global team members to build more active partner connections and collaboration with their governments (Ministries of Education at national, regional or local levels; regional and local authorities; Universities and research institutions), by developing specific partner support initiatives, contributing to Erasmus+ projects, and designing learning experiences and ad-hoc resources when needed. The ideal candidate for this position will have a proven ability to work effectively across diverse contexts and cultures, navigating ambiguity with ease, and will have experience making sound strategic decisions that drive impact in complex and changing environments.

This role provides an exceptional opportunity for an individual with superior leadership, strategic, interpersonal, and programmatic skills to increase the impact of our mission and shape the education landscape in the region. The strongest candidates will have a proven ability to set a clear vision, build culture and relationships, influence outcomes through others, and make strategic decisions that drive meaningful impact. A strong commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion is essential.

The ideal candidate will have a deep familiarity of living and working in Europe, must reside and be authorized to work in the region, speak English and ideally one additional regional language. The Director- Partner Engagement & Institutional Relationships, Europe will report to the Head of Partner Engagement & Program - Europe and work closely with the Head of Region, Europe on external positioning and advocacy.

Outcomes

• Regional partner organizations are highly engaged with each other and the network and are dedicated to our mission and values, and to contributing to progress towards Teach For All’s vision and intended outcomes, as measured by the annual network survey.
• Partner organizations in the region are better supported to develop and implement new, innovative and forward looking public sector partnerships that enable them to scale their programmes and increase their impact in the education system.
• There is growth in aggregate progress across the region, as demonstrated by relevant measures for the intended outcomes:

• Our network is expanding in the region.
• Collective leadership is strengthening within the communities and countries of network partners.
• Students in our classrooms are developing holistically as leaders who can shape a better future.
• Our network staff members, teachers, and alumni are a deeply interconnected, learning regional and global community.
• Insights from our network inform the regional understanding of what will drive progress for marginalized children.
• Strengthened relationships with regional program stakeholders in the region generating new opportunities for impact and influence. Support the growing impact of alumni in the region as leaders in schools and the education ecosystem.

Key responsibilities:

Partner Support (40%)

• As a “portfolio lead,” serve as the primary day-to-day relationship holder with a portfolio of current and prospective partner organization CEOs, cultivating relationships to build positive, long-term partnerships as a means to achieving shared and mutually beneficial goals and outcomes.
• Co-create and manage the implementation of an annual partnership plan with each organization in the Network Engagement Director’s portfolio, identifying how Teach For All will support them and how they will contribute back to the network on an ongoing basis. This plan will include the strategic engagement of other colleagues, teams and resources from across Teach For All.
• Share insights, ask thoughtful questions, and provide support to partner and prospective partner organization CEOs and their leadership teams, to build their capacity, advance strategic clarity and impact, and foster learning and sharing across the network, in line with Teach For All’s shared global vision and priorities.

Public Sector Support (50 %)

• Work directly with CEOs and Head of Institutional Relationships in each partner organization to develop strong public sector strategies and action plans to identify new champions in government and identify new ways of partnering with the public sector to increase their ability to scale their programmes and increase their impact by leveraging regional, national and multinational opportunities
• Leveraging deep understanding of the educational landscape, develop and execute on strategies that build external champions and elevate awareness of our programmatic work in Ministries of Education and Ministries of Labour and Social Welfare, Regional and Local governments, and Universities across the region.
• Continue to build more capacity across the region, in both partner organizations and Teach For All to develop and manage stronger public sector relationships in pursuit of sustainability and scale of our work in Europe
• Facilitate meaningful learning experiences for partner organizations in the region, virtual and in-person when possible, such as immersive experiences and peer-to-peer visits for network partner organizations and emerging social entrepreneurs, fostering collaboration, culture, and connection in line with our broader network vision and values.
• Lead initiatives and strategies on region wide and global priorities to contribute to progress against our network intended outcomes.
• Co-build public sector partnership collaboration and learning across the region and globally.
• Support leadership development of key stakeholders in the region from alumni and senior partner staff through coaching and leadership development experiences

Contribute to Teach For All globally (10%)

• Work with the other global teams to contribute to global priorities and initiatives in particular in relation to our leadership development and program strategies
• Represent the global organization as needed at external opportunities

Skills & Qualifications

• Experience & Track Record: Minimum 10 years of professional experience, including demonstrable success leading senior-level public sector partnerships and navigating complex government or education systems across Europe.
• Contextual & Geographic Mastery: Deep familiarity with living and working within the European sociopolitical landscape, with current legal authorization to live and work long-term in an eligible hiring country.
• Strategic Systems Thinking: Proven ability to analyze educational landscapes, navigate bureaucratic systems, and design actionable public partnership strategies that achieve scale and sustainability.
• Executive Relationship Building: Exceptional interpersonal and political acumen, with a track record of building trusted relationships with senior leaders, government ministers, and diverse community stakeholders.
• Adaptive Leadership: Demonstrated experience navigating ambiguity, leading through influence across matrixed and cross-border teams without formal authority, and making sound decisions in complex environments.
• Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: Demonstrated commitment to DEI principles, with deep self-awareness and the ability to navigate racial, cultural, ideological, and power dynamics across countries.
• Linguistic Capability: Professional fluency in written and spoken English, paired with strong, professional-level communication skills.

Additional Desirable Skills / Experiences

• Fluency or professional working proficiency in French or an additional European language.
• Direct professional experience working inside schools, school networks, or national education ministries.
• Formal executive or leadership coaching experience supporting senior executives and social entrepreneurs.
• Prior hands-on experience designing or managing EU-funded programs (e.g., Erasmus+ projects).
• Familiarity with the Teach For All network model and theory of systemic change.

What Teach For All Offers:

• Commitment to cultivating a culture in which all staff members feel they belong, are valued for their contributions, and have an impact on our organization’s progress
• Professional and personal development experiences and ample opportunities to make a positive impact on the work of Teach For All and beyond
• Comprehensive benefits package designed for your well-being and work-life needs
• Generous time off and flexible work arrangements

• And much more!

Application Instructions

If this opportunity sounds like the next best step in your career, please submit your resume or curriculum vitae (CV) and a one-page letter of motivation (in English) directly online. Your letter should summarize motivations for your application and how your skills and experience align with the terms of this opportunity. We look forward to learning about you and your passion for ensuring educational opportunity for all!

Applications are reviewed on a rolling basis. Therefore, candidates are encouraged to apply at their earliest convenience.

Work authorization

This position does not offer employment visa sponsorship, immigration assistance, or support for work permits or residency applications. To be considered, candidates must already possess valid work and residency authorization to work in the country of hire at the time of application.

Compensation

Salary for this position is competitive and dependent on country of hire and prior work experience and includes a comprehensive benefits package.

Travel and Hours

All work is delivered virtually. Up to 30% of travel may be required. Given that we work across different time zones, some non-traditional hours for early or later calls are an expectation of this role.

About Teach For All

Teach For All is a global network of over 60 independent, locally led organizations and a global organization united by a commitment to developing collective leadership to ensure all children can fulfill their potential. Each network partner recruits and develops promising leaders to teach in their nations’ under-resourced schools and communities and, with this foundation, to work with others, inside and outside of education, towards a world where all children have the education, support, and opportunity to shape a better future. Teach For All’s global organization works to increase the network’s impact by supporting the development of new organizations; fostering network connectivity and learning; providing coaching and consulting; and enabling access to global resources for the benefit of the network.

Originally posted on Himalayas