Manager, K-12 State Policy & Implementation Strategy

Democrats for Education Reform (DFER) is a national political organization supporting education policies that prioritize students and families, particularly low-income students and students of color. The Manager, K-12 State Policy & Implementation Strategy will lead the state policy agenda, develop policy playbooks and guidance, conduct qualitative research, and engage state policymakers and education leaders.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and advance the organization’s state policy agenda focusing primarily on executive actions and state DOE responsibilities across our innovation, accountability, and choice priorities
• Monitor and assess state legislation, regulations, and State Board of Education actions relevant to K-12 education policy across DFER's priority states
• Work closely with state legislators and their staff, state Department of Education officials, and allied education advocacy organizations to protect and advance state priorities
• Develop playbooks, frameworks, and guidance documents that help state agency leaders and legislators design and adopt effective policy, with a focus on strategy and design rather than direct implementation support
• Partner with implementation and monitoring experts to translate policy frameworks into actionable guidance for policymakers and practitioners
• Provide support to state legislative offices and agency leaders navigating relevant policy proposals
• Design and conduct qualitative research — interview protocols, focus groups, and structured stakeholder conversations — to surface practitioner, family, and policymaker perspectives
• Summarize and synthesize qualitative findings into clear, actionable insights for internal strategy and external-facing products
• Use qualitative findings to strengthen the credibility and real-world grounding of the organization’s policy positions
• Partner with the programs, legislative advocacy, and federal policy teams to ensure state strategy is coordinated with federal priorities and pillar-specific work
• Represent the organization at conferences, coalition meetings, and with state legislators and agency officials

Requirements:

• 5-7 years of experience in education policy; time working inside a state Department of Education office is ideal, though experience at a state legislature, think tank, or advocacy organization is welcome
• Demonstrated experience translating policy into practical guidance for policymakers — e.g., developing playbooks, frameworks, or toolkits — rather than direct on-the-ground implementation support
• Experience with qualitative research methods, including designing interview protocols, conducting interviews or focus groups, and synthesizing findings into clear conclusions. This is a valued, secondary skill set relative to state policy expertise
• Exceptional written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate complex state policy into accessible guidance for policymakers, advocates, and other audiences
• Strong project management skills, with the ability to manage multiple concurrent state policy workstreams independently
• Federal policy exposure is a plus but not required; the Vice President, K-12 Policy leads most federal-level engagement
• A postgraduate degree in public policy, education, or a related field is preferred but not required for candidates with a strong record of experience