Director of Catalytic Investments
1 day ago
Dallas
Job Description About the Role The Director Strategic Investments offers a unique opportunity to work closely with The Commit Partnership’s Chief Executive Officer, Chief Operating Officer, senior leadership, and influential external partners to shape one of the most ambitious economic mobility efforts in the country. This leader will help influence and coordinate over $150 million in catalytic capital raised to accelerate economic mobility in Dallas County and across the state of Texas. The role sits at the nexus of data, strategy, and storytelling—connecting Commit’s vision for equitable economic mobility to measurable investment outcomes. The Director will ensure that every philanthropic and public dollar is strategically deployed, transparently tracked, and clearly communicated to leadership, funders and community partners. This role is ideal for someone who thrives on connecting systems-level impact with disciplined execution—someone who can both manage details and sell the vision of how catalytic investment transforms lives and communities. Key Responsibilities 1. Strategic Investment Execution • Partner with Commit’s programmatic, research, data, communications, strategic initiatives, and philanthropy teams to ensure philanthropic catalytic investments are aligned with Commit’s living wage, Opportunity 2040 goals., • Develop and manage investment portfolios and reporting systems to ensure accurate financial tracking and impact measurement., • Develop quarterly and annual reports that synthesize financial data, outcomes, and insights for investors and stakeholders., • Collect and assess the financial and programmatic performance of investments to inform continuous improvement and future investments. 2. Cross-Functional Collaboration & Partner Coordination • Work collaboratively with external partners such as EIF, EMC, Dallas College, SustainEd, Bachman Lake Together and other nonprofit institutions to coordinate implementation and track outcomes., • Facilitate regular convenings to review progress, identify barriers, and align on next steps., • Collaborate with Commit’s fundraising and investor relations teams to support investor stewardship, investor meetings, and aligned communication., • Build strong, trust-based relationships across Commit’s internal teams and external partners to ensure alignment and accountability. 3. Data-Driven Reporting & Performance Management • Partner with Commit’s Evaluation & Research and programmatic teams to collect, analyze, and interpret data measuring outcomes like academic readiness, STAAR proficiency, educator effectiveness, college enrollment, completion, transfer success, and post-graduation wages., • Build and maintain dashboards and systems that promote data-informed decision-making and transparency with investors and leadership., • Use data insights to refine investment strategies and drive continuous learning. 4. Investor Communication & Stewardship • Develop compelling, data-informed reports and presentations that clearly communicate investment impact., • Engage directly with investors to ensure transparency in how funds are used and the outcomes they achieve., • Coordinate with the fundraising team to align reporting, messaging, and relationship management across Commit’s investment portfolio. 5. Process Improvement & Systems Leadership • Create and refine internal systems for tracking investments, monitoring progress, and reporting results., • Identify opportunities to improve cross-team coordination and efficiency in investment management. You are a go-getter and collaborator who balances strategic thinking with disciplined execution. You bring strong project management, analytical, and storytelling skills—and you thrive in mission-driven work that requires both precision and vision. You are: • A strategic executor who can translate organizational vision into clear, actionable plans., • A strong communicator who can turn data and complexity into compelling, accessible stories that inspire action., • A relationship builder and influencer who naturally represents and sells Commit’s work, brand, and vision—building belief and alignment among diverse partners, funders, and stakeholders., • A data-driven problem solver who uses evidence to drive continuous improvement., • An adaptable learner who navigates change with calm, clarity, and focus., • 5+ years of professional experience in education, philanthropy, social impact investment, or related fields., • Demonstrated success managing multi-stakeholder projects or investment portfolios., • Strong analytical and financial tracking skills with experience synthesizing complex data into actionable insights., • Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including experience producing funder or investor reports., • Proven ability to collaborate across diverse teams and sectors., • Project Management: Develops and executes clear, strategic plans that drive timely and high-quality outcomes., • Communication & Collaboration: Crafts compelling narratives and builds cross-sector trust to advance shared goals., • Strategic Insight: Uses data and systems thinking to assess progress and inform decisions., • Growth Mindset: Seeks feedback, adapts to change, and drives continuous improvement., • Leadership: Models accountability, fosters inclusion, and supports the development of others through collaboration and feedback., • Ability to understand sentences and frequently used expressions related to areas of most immediate., • Ability to communicate in simple and routine tasks requiring a simple and direct exchange of information on familiar and routine matters., • Ability to read and write in Standard English., • Ability to establish and maintain cooperative working relationships with others., • Ability to interact with persons of various social, cultural, economic, and educational backgrounds., • Ability to listen perceptively and convey awareness., • Ability to interact diplomatically with the public in a continuous public contact setting., • Ability to work as part of a team and in a team environment. The Managing Director generally works in an office environment but may occasionally be required to perform job duties outside of the typical office setting. The noise level in the work environment is usually quiet to moderate. The employee is not exposed to any adverse environmental conditions. About The Commit Partnership: Our Mission We believe that through our collective actions, Dallas County—which educates 10% of Texas and 1% of the nation—can become an inclusive and prosperous region where economic opportunity is shared fairly. That’s why our True North Goal is that by 2040, at least half of all Dallas County residents ages 25–34, irrespective of race, will have the opportunity to earn a living wage. To increase living wage attainment, we must equitably increase educational success aligned with high-demand, well-paying jobs—maximizing the cumulative impact from early education through college, career, and military readiness to strong postsecondary completion. Our team aligns community stakeholders around this shared roadmap for the future, using data to surface strategic initiatives that improve policies, practices, and funding. Together, we work to address the systemic root causes that hinder progress and strengthen our community’s capacity to serve every student effectively. Our Story Founded in 2012, the Commit Partnership has grown into the nation’s largest educational collective impact organization, uniting more than 70 backbone team members and over 200 partners across Dallas County and Texas—all working together to address the systemic education challenges facing our region and state. Our team brings community stakeholders together around a shared roadmap for the future, using data and practitioner insights to inform effective policy solutions that accelerate progress toward our goals and strengthen our collective capacity to serve every student well. Together, we advocate for an excellent public education that ensures all students—regardless of race, place, or socioeconomic status—can shape their own futures, earn a living wage, and share in the prosperity of the world’s eighth-largest economy. We pursue this mission through several key initiatives, including Early Matters Dallas, Dallas County Promise, the Texas Urban Council, and the Texas Impact Network. True North Traits Our True North Traits creates a mission-driven environment and champions us to do our best work each day. Systemic Impact: You understand the barriers and lived experiences that our students face and are skilled at delivering systemic solutions at scale that address these needs. You achieve significant, sustainable results that increase equitable outcomes through your work (including the reallocation or improvement in public funding), and you recognize the difference between activity and impact. Judgment: You exhibit a relentless “students first” focus by thinking strategically about what data must be collected, analyzed, visualized, and activated (and what steps must be taken, in what order) to cause resources to be reallocated and actions to be taken to systemically overcome the root causes hindering achievement of the Partnership's mission. Communication: By listening to understand before seeking to be understood, you’re able to build trust and facilitate collaboration across lines of difference, recognizing that both are essential to our success. You are also able to find common ground with diverse stakeholders and can tailor the organization's message to different audiences as needed to influence meaningful change. Innovation: You can create or meaningfully contribute to the design and execution of a systemic and transformational strategic plan to solve complex problems, often at scale, that improves organizational effectiveness and/or closes equity gaps for our students and families. Equity and Inclusion: You intentionally create spaces where relevant stakeholders have a seat or voice at the table, ensuring that each person at the table's thoughts and perspectives are shared, valued by all others at the table, and reflected in our work. You're excited to help build and/or contribute to teams where everyone feels welcomed, respected, valued, and highly supported. Joy: You recognize that people are central to our work, striking a balance between people and process, and you inspire others with your optimism and thirst for substantive change in service to the mission. Integrity: You admit mistakes openly, share learnings widely, and elevate bad news quickly, also capable of making difficult decisions in all situations to ensure the success of the organization. The Commit Partnership is an Equal Opportunity Employer that seeks to hire individuals with backgrounds similar to that of the stakeholders they serve. As an organization that embraces equity and inclusion, all employment decisions are based on business needs, job requirements and individual qualifications, without regard to race, color, religion or belief, national, social or ethnic origin, gender, age, sexual orientation, gender identity and/or expression, marital, civil union or domestic partnership status, or any other status protected by federal, state, or local laws. Commit does not sponsor visas of any kind. Powered by JazzHR XqxdEnpRG4