Job Description
OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION The Strategic Initiatives Director will be responsible for driving progress on a portfolio of special projects and initiatives across SCOREs strategic priorities. More specifically, this role will provide project and portfolio oversight, cutting across workstreams that include advocacy, policy, research, strategic practice, and innovation. Collaborating closely with the entire SCORE team, the Strategic Initiatives Director will lead ongoing and new initiatives as they arise and will play a critical role in ensuring that projects complement each other to maximize impact. At SCORE, special projects and initiatives often include multiyear or multimonth engagements with internal teammates and external stakeholders that result in convenings, public products (like memos or reports), working groups, innovative pilots, and more.
ABOUT SCORE The progress that our students have made in recent years is inspiring there is no doubt that they are capable of achieving at high levels and leading Tennessee into a bright future. While education stakeholders are already working together in exciting ways in Tennessee, it is our responsibility to redouble our innovative efforts to ensure that we are supporting our students to truly excel and thrive. The future of our state depends on it. Sen. Bill Frist, M.D., Chairman and Founder, SCORE
At the State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE), our mission is to catalyze transformative change in Tennessee education so that all students can achieve success. SCORE is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan institution founded in 2009 by Sen. Bill Frist, M.D., former U.S. Senate Majority Leader. Striving to be a durable partner and trusted advisor on Tennessee education, SCORE is focused on advancing change for students from kindergarten to career through policy and practice and taking it to scale.
SCORE has
three goals that guide the organizations work to drive success for all students in Tennessee:
- All students receive an excellent public K-12 education.
- All students earn a credential or postsecondary degree of value that prepares them for a career enabling economic independence.
- Economically disadvantaged students, students of color, and rural students see improved success across all goals relative to their peers.
SCORE is based at 1801 West End Ave. in downtown Nashville. This role is eligible for hybrid work with the expectation of at least 20 hours per week across at least three days in the office and the balance of the time at their choosing unless otherwise notified by their manager. For more information on SCORE, please visit
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES Specific examples of the work that the Strategic Initiatives Director will be responsible for include but are not limited to:
- Lead and manage a portfolio of special projects and initiatives across various workstreams, including: advocacy, policy, research, strategic practice, and innovation.
- Develop content (including reports, memos, presentations, and internal and external communications) as needed related to special projects and initiatives.
- Build and manage actionable project plans for special projects and initiatives.
- Track SCORE project implementation, ensuring progress is being made and identifying where more attention is needed.
- Manage key meetings, including coordinating attendees, agenda, prereadings, content (including slides), and communications as needed. Coordinate next steps from the meetings and events connected to special projects and initiatives.
- Build and maintain internal and external relationships to support the portfolio of special projects and initiatives.
- Ensure timely updates are communicated internally with SCORE team members and externally with key partners.
- Track project impact and communicate with internal and external stakeholders on impact, lessons learned, and key next steps.
The Strategic Initiatives Director will initially report to SCOREs Senior Vice President of Strategy.
IDEAL CANDIDATE REQUIREMENTS SCORE is looking for a versatile and multiskilled individual who can excel in a cross-functional role. The ideal candidate:
- Is knowledgeable of the education landscape, has a passion for SCOREs mission, and has a drive to dramatically improve student achievement in Tennessee
- Is a systems and process thinker who is comfortable anticipating future needs and priorities
- Has proven experience managing multiple tasks simultaneously in a fast-paced, rapid-growth, high-intensity, and intellectually demanding environment
- Has extraordinarily high attention to detail
- Has outstanding demonstrated success in project management
- Can demonstrate the ability to think in innovative ways and the ability to communicate with a variety of audiences
- Has a high level of integrity and respect for confidentiality
- Has excellent written and verbal communications skills
- Is able to problem solve in the moment and proactively consult with other team members as appropriate
- Has a demonstrated track record of being nimble and flexible and should possess a commitment to prioritizing the needs of the organization and its mission in all of their work
- Has at least three to five years of relevant work experience
SCORE focuses on creating a culture of growth through feedback and collaboration as well as various professional development options and support. If your past experience doesnt align perfectly with the noted aspects of an ideal candidate but you are excited about this role, we encourage you to apply. You may be a great candidate for this or other roles on our team.
COMPENSATION SCORE offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience.
BENEFITS SCORE deeply values team members and their well-being and is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits plan. All full-time SCORE employees are eligible for benefits, including:
- Medical insurance: including access to a high-quality network with SCORE paying the full medical premiums for employee-only plans and 80% or more of premiums for plans including eligible dependents
- Vision and dental insurance: including access to a high-quality network with SCORE paying 50% of premiums for employee-only plans and plans including eligible dependents
- Employer-paid disability , life insurance , and EAP benefits
- Access to Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA ) for medical and child care expenses and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) benefits
- Immediate eligibility for participation in a 401(k) program with employer match
- Paid parental leave time , including paternity, maternity, and adoption leave
- Paid time off:
- 15 days per year for years one through four, 20 days per year after five years
- Holiday office closures (15 days total in 2024)
- Six paid sick days per year
- Teamwide mental health day office closures (two total in 2024)
- Paid floating holidays (three per calendar year, prorated for new hires depending on start date)
- Free on-site parking
- Free on-site gym
COMMITMENT TO DIVERSITY & INCLUSION SCOREs mission is to drive transformative change in education so that all Tennessee students can achieve success in college, career, and life. From its founding in 2009, SCORE has been grounded in the belief that diverse perspectives are required to identify solutions that will best serve Tennessee students, so we seek to bring as many viewpoints as possible into our daily work and live out collaboration as a core value.
Within our organization, we believe it is important for our team to reflect the rich diversity of Tennesseans and Tennessee students, and we aspire for our team to understand varied viewpoints, experiences, and backgrounds. We strive to build an inclusive organization where each team member feels respected and supported, knowing that when team members are empowered to use their individual gifts, we become more effective in advancing our mission.
SCORE is an equal opportunity employer. Applicants are considered for all roles without regard to race, color, religion, gender, pregnancy, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation, genetic information, or any other legally protected characteristic or status.
TO APPLY Candidates must apply through the applicant portal here. SCORE will review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled. We recommend interested applicants apply as soon as possible.
Job Tags
Holiday work, Full time, Work experience placement, Immediate start, Flexible hours,