Vice President, Programs & Policy

Vice President, Programs and Policy

Families In Schools

Families In Schools (FIS) imagines a public education system where parents play a leadership role in their children’s learning and where students, particularly those farthest from opportunity, are set up to succeed in school and life.

Founded in 2000, FIS is a nonprofit statewide organization based in Los Angeles, California, whose mission is to ensure student success by building authentic partnerships between families, educators, and system leaders through capacity-building efforts for system leaders and parent-led advocacy. In 2024, FIS entered a new chapter, marked by new leadership and a clear, unflinching commitment to excellence and impact. In this new chapter, FIS brings greater innovation to family engagement by creating capacity for educators to authentically partner with families, more deeply centering the voices of families on critical system and policy decisions, and activating coalitions to drive local and state-wide campaigns powered by parent leadership.

Position Overview

FIS seeks a dynamic, results-oriented leader to join our team as the Vice President, Programs and Policy. This individual will be responsible for developing and implementing strategic initiatives to build strong family/school partnerships, developing and advancing our policy agenda, driving advocacy efforts, and overseeing programmatic activities aimed at promoting family engagement and family voice. The ideal candidate will have a strong policy development, advocacy, and program management background and a deep commitment to social justice and equity.

This is a full-time, exempt position reporting to the President and CEO.

Key Responsibilities

Program Leadership 

• Lead the programmatic implementation of FIS’ strategic plan - ensuring that the organization implements a portfolio of best-in-class family engagement programs, aligns its program and policy efforts, builds innovative new programs, and monitors and refines its programs for impact.
• Create and implement a robust business plan for FIS’ capacity-building training, coaching, and consulting services to help grow FIS’ impact and revenue. 
• Lead, inspire, develop, and manage programmatic staff to achieve organizational goals while fostering collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
• Develop and implement effective evaluation methodologies to measure the impact and effectiveness of our training services. 
• Oversee budget planning and resource allocation for policy and programmatic activities, ensuring effective stewardship of organizational resources.

Policy Leadership 

• Develop and implement a comprehensive policy agenda focused on advancing issues related to family engagement, education, and other areas impacting families and their children’s success in school and life.
• Lead local, state, and federal advocacy efforts to influence policy decisions and secure support for FIS's priorities.
• Monitor legislative and regulatory developments relevant to our work, analyze their potential impact, and develop timely responses and advocacy strategies to policies that impact children and families who have historically been marginalized by the systems.
• Serve as lead to the state’s Community Engagement Initiative (CEI) and manage the FIS team assigned to CEI. Ensure FIS plays a lead role in elevating best practices in family and community engagement to the work of CEI. 

Organizational Leadership

• Support organizational fund development efforts by collaborating with senior leadership on grant proposals and presentations.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders, including policymakers, community leaders, partner organizations, and funders, to advance our mission and goals.
• Collaborate with the executive team and board of directors to set organizational priorities, develop long-term strategies, and ensure alignment with our mission and values.

About You

You have a deep commitment to educational equity and closing equity gaps. 

Experience

• 8+ years of professional experience, including in programmatic and policy/advocacy leadership roles within education. Roles include strategic planning, partnership development, program management, policy/advocacy and community engagement.
• Deep expertise in family and community engagement in the education and/or early learning space; knowledge of family engagement in other sectors such as early childhood, child welfare, and juvenile justice is also helpful.
• Knowledge and experience in curriculum development, professional development, and adult learning strategies.
• A bachelor’s degree in public policy, education, social work, or related fields. 
• An advanced degree is preferred.

Skills & Competencies

• Program and Project Management. Able to develop strong plans and oversee successful program and project implementation across teammates. Able to develop and manage programmatic budgets and timelines.
• Policy and Advocacy. Proven track record of successfully influencing policy outcomes and driving advocacy campaigns for vulnerable populations, including families, children, and underserved communities.
• Strategic Thinking. Able to analyze complex policy issues, develop innovative solutions, and adapt to changing political and social landscapes.  Is a creative and innovative thinker; able to keep Families In Schools programming on the cutting edge.
• Evaluation. Able to assess impact, make data-driven decisions, and implement improvements to optimize program effectiveness.
• Relationship Development and Management. Exceptional people skills and able to build trust and relationships with external partners, funders, families, and staff. Culturally competent, able to seamlessly adapt to multicultural, multi-ethnic environments.
• People Leader. Able to develop and lead a team to produce strong results; Able to cultivate a strong team culture.
• Communication. Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including strong public speaking skills.
• Bilingual in English and Spanish is a plus. 

Mindsets

• A deep commitment to Families In Schools’ mission and approach
• Collaborative: Committed to collaboration, teamwork, and accountability to oneself and others. Committed to building positive relationships with all agency stakeholders across levels, roles, and functions. 
• Learning Oriented: Demonstrate an openness to feedback and a commitment to learning and improving. 
• Flexible & Adaptable: Embraces change and ambiguity with a positive attitude. Willing to adapt to new situations, challenges, and information. Resilient in handling complex situations and environments.
• Capacity Builder: Commitment to excellence in building the assets of underserved families and the capacity of leaders in sectors/systems serving families and children/students. 
• Action Oriented: Ability to work in a fast-paced, results-oriented environment while maintaining quality attention to detail.
• Trustworthy: Ongoing use of good judgment, tact, and diplomacy in all professional matters. High degree of integrity, strong work ethic, and commitment to the efficient and effective use of resources. 

Additional Qualifications

• Willingness to work weekends and evenings and travel as necessary
• Access to a car, possession of a valid driver’s license, and proof of automobile insurance
• Can lift up to 25 lbs. (books, materials, supplies, etc.)

Working at Families In Schools

Families In Schools fosters a mission-driven, collaborative work environment where teamwork, communication, excellence, quality, integrity, inquiry, and commitment to the community are highly valued. We provide employees with ongoing professional development opportunities through structured learning, training, and project assignments that maximize a diverse and high-functioning skill set. 

Location: Los Angeles, California, with some statewide travel. Our organization works a hybrid schedule: one day in the office and four days virtually. 

Salary & Benefits: The salary range for the Vice President, Programs and Policy is $110,000 - $130,000 commensurate with experience. In addition, we offer a competitive benefits package that includes: 

• Company-paid health insurance for employees and dependents
• Vacation, sick, and personal time
• 401K with employer match
• 10 paid holidays per year and a 5-day winter break during the last week of December

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