Senior Director, East Texas

Partners for Rural Impact's (PRI)work began more than 30 years ago with a place-based partnership inAppalachian Kentucky, where we’veshown demographicsdon’t have todetermine destiny. Today, we partner with rural leaders and allies across the country to share that work and build local partnerships that put young people on a path to economic mobility. 

Position Summary 

The Senior Director, East Texas, reporting to the Vice President, Office of the Executive Vice President, will provide strategic and operational leadership for PRI’s work across rural Deep East Texas, working closely with school districts, philanthropic funders, and community partners to advance educational opportunity and economic mobility for children and youth. The role will focus on strengthening implementation,leveraging public and private funding, supporting locallyidentified priorities, and building capacity for sustainable impact. Working alongside existing regional efforts and investments, the Senior Director will position PRI as a trusted implementation and thought partner, contributing organizationalexpertise and resources to complement and strengthen ongoing investments in the region. The Senior Director will collaborate across PRI teams to ensure effective implementation and accountability, whileleveraging insights and lessons learned from East Texas to inform and strengthen PRI’s broader national work. 
 

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements of the position are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or abilityrequired, with regular and predictable attendance essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

East Texas Strategy & Initiative Leadership: 

• Lead the implementation and ongoing refinement of PRI’s strategic initiatives in Deep East Texas, ensuringalignment with organizational priorities, funding commitments, and locallyidentified needs 

• Build andmaintain trusted relationships with school districts, local funders, and community stakeholders to support effective implementation of PRI’s work 

• Work collaboratively with local partners to advance district-identified priorities that strengthen educational pathways, student engagement, and economic mobility for children and youth 

• Identify opportunities toleverage PRI’sexpertise, resources, and technicalassistance to strengthen local initiatives while complementing existing regional efforts and investments 

Measuring & Sustaining Impact: 

• Monitor the effectiveness of PRI-supported initiatives, using data, partner feedback, andimplementation
  insights to inform continuous improvement 

• Collaborate with PRI’s Data and Evaluation team and local partners toestablish meaningful measures ofprogress, track outcomes, and communicate results 

• Identify opportunities to strengthen local capacity, sustain effective strategies, and apply lessons learned tofuture programming and investments 

Strategic Leadership & Team Management: 

• Provide strategic guidance to PRI leadership on emerging opportunities, implementation challenges, fundingpriorities, and potential areas for growth in Deep East Texas 

• Supervise, coach, and develop PRI team members responsible for implementing and supporting East Texas Initiatives 

• Support staff and implementation partners in building the knowledge, skills, and capacity needed for effective program delivery and sustainability 

• Effectively build andmaintain internal relationships with PRI teams to successfully marshal PRI resources andexpertise as needed to advance East Texas strategy 

Stakeholder Engagement, Collaboration & Thought Leadership: 

• Cultivate and steward strong relationships with local funders, school districts, government agencies, educationalinstitutions, and community organizations to advance PRI-supported initiatives 

• Maintain ongoing engagement with local partners to understand evolving needs, strengthen implementation, and ensure PRI’s supportremains responsive to community priorities 

• Participate in existing regional collaborations and partner-led efforts, contributing PRI’sexpertise, resources, and practical experience whereappropriate 

• Collaborate with PRI leadership to document and share lessons learned, promising practices, and insights from PRI’s work in East Texas 

• Represent PRI in relevant local, regional, state, and national discussions, sharing insights from PRI-supported initiatives andcontributing to broader learning about effective rural strategies 

Financial Oversight & Resource Development: 

• Lead efforts toidentify andleverage other funding opportunities that complement existing investments andsupport PRI’s initiatives in Deep East Texas 

• Work collaboratively with local funders, school districts, and other partners toidentify opportunities to align public and private resources around locallyidentified priorities 

• Oversee the effective management, compliance, and reporting of East Texas funding streams, ensuring accountability to funders and adherence to grant requirements 

• Support the development of funding proposals, budgets, and sustainability strategies that strengthen existing initiatives and expand opportunities for children and youth 

Project Leadership & Management: 

• Provide leadership and oversight for PRI-supported projects in Deep East Texas, ensuring effective implementation, partner engagement, grant compliance, funder communication, and accountability for results 

• Guideproject planning, implementation, and continuous improvement in collaboration with PRI teams, school districts, and implementation partners 

• Monitor project progress, address implementation challenges, and coordinate internal resources to supporttimely achievement of deliverables and outcomes 

• Other roles/duties will be assigned as necessary toassist and support in the attainment of our mission 
  

Position Location & Schedule 

This in-person role will work from our PRI East Texas Office in Diboll, Texas. Local, state, and sometimes national travelrequired. 

Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.ETwith in-office,hybrid and/or remotework a possibility. Because of the nature of the responsibility to schools, partners, funders, and to the service region, individual offices or departments may have operating hours that extend beyond this period and may include evening and/or weekend hours.

Minimum Qualifications 

Education required to ensure success in this position: 

• Bachelor’s degreerequired;Master’s degree or higher preferred 

Experience required to ensure success in this position: 

• 10+ years of senior-level leadership withdemonstrated success in community-based initiatives, program scaling, andsystems change 

• Relevant experience in education, public policy, nonprofit leadership, or community development 

• Deep familiarity with Texas’ education, philanthropic, and policy ecosystems—particularly in rural areas 

• Successfultrack record of partnering with philanthropy to advance organizational and community goals 

• Expertise in place-based strategies, cradle-to-career models, and results-based leadership and facilitation 

Special skills,knowledge and abilities: 

• Proven ability to build trust and lead cross-sector collaborations involving funders, local leaders, and public officials 

• Strong public speaking, facilitation, and storytelling skills to engage diverse audiences 

• Superior interpersonal and organizational skills 

• Competencies to effectively supervise staff 

License, certification, or registration necessary: 

• Must have access to reliable transportation 

• Successfully complete pre-employment background check 

Physical requirements: 

• Ability to work in a high-energy office 

• Ability to accurately communicate and exchange information with partners, stakeholders, and/or meeting participants 

• Ability tooperate standard office equipment and computer software programs 
• Ability to travel independently by car and plane both locally and nationally 

Environmental conditions: 

• Work in a fast-paced setting with frequent interruptions and shifting priorities 
   

Additional Company Information  

PRI offers a wide array of benefit options, to meet the financial, educational, and health needs of you and your family. 

• Comprehensive insurance plans including medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage

• Flexible spending accounts, plus an employeeassistance program

• Life and long-term disability insurance and retirement plan

• Generous paid time off work options including vacation, sick leave, and annual holidays, in addition to paid parental leave
• Tuitionassistance and professional development for employees

Partners for Rural Impact is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.