Vice President of External Engagement

POSITION: Vice President of External Engagement

LOCATION: DSST: Home Office located in Denver CO

SALARY RANGE: $127500 - $154000 based on relevant experience of up to 10 years.

STATUS/CLASSIFICATION: Full time benefits eligible exempt in-person position (Denver CO).

START: Immediate

KEY ROLES & RESPONSIBILITIES

The Vice President of External Engagement is a senior strategic leader responsible for driving DSSTs engagement with all community groups towards our outcomes. This role ensures that every DSST school exceeds our enrollment cultivates partnership and positions DSST as a partner of choice across Colorado key communities and stakeholder groups. The VP will develop an ecosystem of external engagement a suite of new tools for a changing landscape and will develop the external leaders towards an elevated summary the VP of External Engagement is the leader of activating cultivating and engaging all aspects of the DSST community that results in higher enrollment family and community commitment coalition building and partnership.

WHAT YOULL DO:

Strategic External Leadership & Ecosystem Development (30%)

• Design and implement a network-wide external engagement strategy aligned with DSSTs enrollment policy and partnership goals.

• Build and steward an ecosystem of families civic leaders community organizations and influencers to elevate DSSTs visibility and impact.

• Anticipate and respond to shifts in the external landscape developing adaptive tools and approaches to maintain relevance and community leadership.

• Analyze feedback from community groups to refine engagement processes and increase goal attainment.

• Serve as the strategic lead on enrollment and partnership goals for the DSST Senior Leadership Team.

• Build and maintain network-wide systems to track enrollment engagement and growth initiatives.

• Develop systems to provide clarity and accountability for school leaders CERMs and DSST leadership.

• Partner with internal teams to strengthen cross-functional alignment.

Enrollment Strategy & Community Activation (20%)

• Achieve annual enrollment targets by October count across all campuses year after year by working towards a waitlist at every school.

• Lead the development of a comprehensive programmatic and community-oriented student and family recruitment platform.

• Oversee and continuously refine systems and cycles that drive enrollment conversion aligned with DSSTs external operating system.

• Develop targeted strategies for hard-to-fill grade levels and increase enrollment at Cole campus.

• Build a replicable model for future school openings to ensure full enrollment and waitlists from launch.

Family & Community Engagement (10%)

• Lead DSSTs strategy for engaging and connecting across all community groups to build coalitions and drive value-add relationships.

• Coach and develop all leaders at the Home Office and campus to maximize impact.

• Build sustainable partnerships with parent groups and community leaders to deepen trust and extend DSSTs reach.

• Design engagement programs that turn the DSST community into advocates and champions for the network.

• Use survey data feedback loops and engagement metrics to continuously improve family and community engagement efforts.

Strategic Partnerships & Coalition Building (10%)

• Cultivate high-impact partnerships with local and statewide organizations government entities and advocacy groups.

• Represent DSST in key forums coalitions and public events to advance our mission and influence.

• Identify and pursue joint initiatives that benefit DSST students and communities.

• Develop leadership capacity throughout DSST to engage with all community groups.

• Manage vendor and consultant relationships to ensure high-value contributions to DSSTs goals.

External Leadership & Public Presence 10%

• Serve as a key external leader alongside the CEO representing DSST in convenings conferences and education events.

• Participate on the Crisis Response Team providing leadership during moments of public or organizational challenge.

• Act as a visible ambassador for DSSTs values equity commitments and strategic priorities across Denver and Aurora.

Strategic Growth & Expansion (10%)

• Oversee DSSTs student recruitment enrollment effort in growth planning aligned with the goal of serving 10000 students by 2035.

• Collaborate with the CEO Board of Directors and senior leaders to set and achieve enrollment growth targets.

• Partner with Finance and Development to build financial models and sustainability projections that support filling every seat.

Stakeholder & External Relations (5%)

• Build and maintain strong relationships with policymakers funders district leaders and education advocates.

• Engage alumni families and community partners in advocacy efforts that strengthen DSSTs presence and impact.

• Shape community engagement and build widespread support for DSST through effective communication and advocacy

Additional Duties (5%)

• Model our Core Values Commitment to the Human Condition and our commitment to equity as a Leader within the Network

• Play an active leadership role in building and sustaining Home Office culture

• Engage with our school communities to actively build relationships between our schools and the home office

• Participate in & support the execution of Home Office & Network-wide events

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

• Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university.

• At least 6 years of progressively responsible experience in external engagement or community relations or related fields.

• At least 6 years of proven leadership experience managing high-performing teams and cross-functional initiatives.

• At least 6 years of demonstrated success in building and executing engagement strategies that drive measurable outcomes.

• Strong data literacy and experience using dashboards analytics tools or CRM systems to inform strategy and decision-making.

• Exceptional interpersonal and communication skills with the ability to build trust and rapport across diverse stakeholder groups.

• Experience partnering with schools or educational institutions particularly in urban or underserved communities.

• Ability to travel regularly across DSST campuses and external sites in Colorado.

• Deep commitment to educational equity DSSTs mission and its Core Values.

IDEAL QUALIFICATIONS:

• Masters degree in education leadership public administration business or related field.

• Direct experience working in a charter school network or public school system with an understanding of school enrollment dynamics and accountability frameworks.

• Strong understanding of the Colorado education landscape including key communities advocacy groups funders and policy influencers.

• Demonstrated ability to design and lead network-wide systems including data dashboards and performance management tools.

• Experience in strategic growth planning including financial modeling stakeholder alignment and partnership development.

• Successful track record in collaborating with development/fundraising teams to align external engagement efforts with philanthropic goals.

• Experience working closely with boards of directors senior executives and public officials.

• Background in alumni relations advocacy campaigns or grassroots organizing is a plus.

WHO WE ARE

At DSST Public Schools we are proud to be the largest and highest-performing network of public charter schools in Denver and Aurora with 100% of our students having been accepted into college or post secondary programs since our inception in 2004. When you join DSST you play a part in ensuring all 7500 students at our 16 schools have access to a transformational and joyful education.

INTERVIEW EXPECTATIONS

For most of our positions we hire on a rolling basis. Therefore we recommend that you submit your application as soon as you are able! You can learn more about what to expect in our interview process here.

WHY JOIN DSST

At DSST we know that our people are the greatest asset we have in reaching our mission of eliminating educational inequity. We work hard to build a work culture that allows our staff to not only feel fulfilled by the work they do but also feel supported to live a joyful healthy life. We want this work to be your lifes work. Check out why our teachers love working at DSST as well as our benefits website to learn how we deliver on our commitment to the human condition.

• Health and Supplemental Insurance: DSST staff have access to comprehensive medical benefits including fertility benefits and a mental health counselor that is dedicated solely to DSST staff.

• Time Off: DSST Staff enjoy 11 weeks off per year paid PTO (from Day 1!)

• Professional Development: As a learning organization DSST values both internal and external development opportunities for staff. See some examples below:

  • DSST Back to School Development Series including New Staff Institute New Educator Institute New Leader Institute Leader You and Teaching & Learning Institute.

  • Weekly 1:1 Coaching from a School Administrator at your campus.

  • Clear internal career pathway opportunities such as our Apprentice Teachers Emerging Leaders and School Director in Training Programs. Read more here.

• And more!

DSST COMMUNITY REFERRAL PROGRAM

Not a best fit role for you but know someone else who would be a great fit Refer them here and earn $500 if they are hired!

EQUAL EMPLOYMENT OPPORTUNITY AND DIVERSITY EQUITY AND INCLUSION

DSST Public Schools is proud to be an Equal Opportunity Employer and does not exclude participation in deny benefits to or discriminate on the basis of race color religion National origin sex (including pregnancy and related conditions sexual orientation or gender identity) Age (40 and older) Disability Genetic information (including employer requests for or purchase use or disclosure of genetic tests genetic services or family medical history) retaliation for filing a charge reasonably opposing discrimination or participating in a discrimination lawsuit investigation or proceeding in admission or access to or treatment or employment in its programs and activities.

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 job. While performing the duties of this job the employee is regularly required to talk and hear. This position is active and may require standing walking bending kneeling stooping and crouching throughout the day. The employee must lift and/or move items up to 30 pounds. The employee must have sufficient hand arm and finger dexterity to operate a computer keyboard and other office equipment. Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision distance vision peripheral vision depth perception and ability to adjust focus.