Director of Organizing & Advocacy

At Rocketship Public Schools, we believe in the infinite possibility of human potential. We believe that every student deserves the right to dream, to discover, and to develop their unique potential and it is our responsibility and our privilege to unleash the potential inside every Rocketeer we serve. Our non-profit network of public elementary charter schools propels student achievement, develops exceptional educators, and partners with parents who enable high-quality public schools to thrive in their community. We are a collective of parents, teachers, leaders, and students working together to transform the future for underserved communities across our country. At Rocketship Public Schools, we are unleashing potential.

The Director of Organizing & Advocacy will lead the development and execution of network-wide strategies to advance Rocketship’s parent-driven education organizing, civic engagement, and advocacy efforts. This role will provide support across all Rocketship regions, with a particular focus on strengthening the Community Power practice in regions that are in the early stages of development. As a highly collaborative leader, the Director will work closely with both regional and national teams to align and elevate best practices across the network. In addition, the Director will spearhead national organizing initiatives that unite families from all Rocketship regions, empowering them to demonstrate and amplify the collective power of the Rocketship Public Schools network. This role requires a strategic thinker with a passion for community-driven change and a commitment to advancing the values of Rocketship’s mission.

As a cornerstone of our five-year strategic plan, Rocketship Public Schools is committed to building Community Power—supporting our families, staff, and alumni to drive meaningful change. This pillar focuses on fostering a movement of parent leaders and organizers, driving civic engagement activities, and building coalitions of supporters that share our vision to advance equity and opportunity in the communities we serve. Our Community Power initiatives aim to create a thriving, engaged community that shapes policies and priorities that respond to community needs.

• Lead and drive progress toward achieving the network’s Community Power goals as outlined in Rocketship’s five-year strategic plan.
• Innovate and implement systems to enhance alignment, accountability, and progress tracking of Community Power objectives across the network.
• Design, refine, and facilitate training programs for key components of Rocketship’s organizing model, ensuring consistency and effectiveness.
• Lead a community of practice for organizing and advocacy leaders across the network, integrating both internal and external professional development opportunities.
• Collaborate with regional leaders to develop tailored organizing and advocacy strategies that address critical needs within their communities.
• Organize and lead Rocketship’s Day on the Hill in Washington, D.C. during the federal legislative session, ensuring impactful engagement and advocacy efforts.
• Represent Rocketship at national conferences and convenings focused on community organizing and advocacy in public education, building relationships and sharing best practices.

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• A minimum of 5-years of experience leading grassroots community organizing campaigns, preferably institution-based organizing
• A minimum of 3-years of experience managing and training staff; Strong training, coaching, and relationship building skills
• Excellent strategic thinking skills and experience developing grassroots campaign strategy, as evidenced through previous organizing campaigns and successes
• Excellent ability to work independently and in teams, set individual and group goals and progress metrics, and hold self and others accountable to achieving them
• Strong written communication skills
• Strong oral communication skills; facilitation and public speaking skills
• Strong influential leadership skills, coalition-building skills, and the ability to collaborate and partner with multiple leaders and stakeholders from diverse backgrounds and experiences
• Strong project management skills and the ability to manage multiple complex projects involving multiple stakeholders
• Ability to create and implement curriculum and trainings on community organizing, education and policy issues, and leadership development for grassroots parent leaders and community organizers
• Comfortable working in a fluid, fast-paced environment and capable of making adjustments in both day-to-day and larger-scale activities based on new information and situations
• Commitment to ongoing professional development and innovation in the field of advocacy and organizing - a growth mindset
• Ability to work occasional evenings and weekends
• Ability to travel frequently, average up to one trip per month.

Physical Demands:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the functions. While performing the duties of this position, the employee is regularly required to talk, hear, and communicate with both adults and children. The employee frequently is required to use hands or fingers, handle or feel objects, tools, or controls. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; sit; and reach with hands and arms. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds and occasionally climb ladders. Specific vision abilities required by this position include close vision, distance vision, and the ability to adjust focus. The noise level in the work environment is moderate to high.

Compensation:

Commensurate with qualifications and experience, plus excellent health and wellness benefits, 403b retirement plan, flexible spending account (FSA), and generous paid time off.

Rocketship Public Schools provides equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, marital status, amnesty, or status as a covered veteran in accordance with applicable federal, state and local laws. Rocketship Public Schools complies with applicable state and local laws governing non-discrimination in employment in every location in which the company has facilities. This policy applies to all terms and conditions of employment, including, but not limited to, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Rocketship Public Schools expressly prohibits any form of unlawful employee harassment based on race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, age, genetic information, disability, or veteran status. Improper interference with the ability of Rocketship Public Schools’ employees to perform their expected job duties is absolutely not tolerated. Click here for our Sexual Harassment Policy.  For questions, concerns, or complaints, please contact Human Resources.