Public School Forum

A think-and-do tank committed to North Carolina public schools

About the NC Center for Resilience & Learning 

The Public School Forum of NC launched the NC Center for Resilience & Learning in 2017 to support trauma-informed and resilience-building practices that improve academic and social-emotional outcomes for students impacted by Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs), trauma and stress. The Center partners with schools and districts to provide staff training, coaching, and technical assistance.

The Senior Director leads a diverse and growing team of Program Managers and Resilience Coaches across the state, expanding trauma-informed schools training and coaching to a growing list of partner districts. 

Primary Job Responsibilities

The Senior Director provides strategic leadership and oversight of the Center’s programmatic vision, ensuring high-quality implementation, continuous improvement, and alignment with the Center’s broader mission. This role leads a growing statewide team of staff and coaches, guiding the development and delivery of trauma-informed practices, training, and resources in partnership with schools and districts across the state. The Senior Director works closely with the Center’s internal team and leadership from the umbrella organization to ensure strategic alignment, operational efficiency, and long-term impact. This role also serves as a key external representative of the Center—building and maintaining strong relationships with school partners, funders, and other stakeholders. The role includes a blend of visionary thinking, program execution, and collaborative leadership.

Key Responsibilities:

Team Leadership & Program Oversight

  • Provide strategic leadership and day-to-day management for a growing statewide team of 13 staff and contractors across multiple regions, including direct supervision of 5 team members.
  • Lead regular team engagement, including bi-weekly full-team virtual meetings and bi-annual in-person retreats focused on professional development, collaboration, and team culture.
  • Oversee the statewide implementation and continuous improvement of the Center’s programs, ensuring high-quality district partnerships, new scaling initiatives, and the effective delivery of trauma-informed practices.
  • Ensure coaches and program staff are equipped with the tools, systems, and resources they need to succeed in the field.
  • Drive the strategic direction, growth, and alignment of the Center’s programmatic work.
  • Strengthen internal systems and operations (e.g., Google Workspace, team database) in collaboration with the Impact Specialist and Regional Managers.
  • Partner closely with leadership and administrative teams at the Public School Forum (umbrella organization) to ensure mission alignment, operational efficiency, and collaborative planning.
  • Commitment to the Forum mission, vision and core values.

School and District Engagement, Training, and Coaching

  • Build and maintain strong, trust-based relationships with school and district leaders across the state.
  • Deliver professional development and training on trauma, stress, and resilience to educators, administrators, and school staff.
  • Provide direct coaching and technical assistance to at least one partner school, modeling the Center’s core coaching framework and facilitating monthly Resilience Team meetings.

Fund Development and Financial Management 

  • Collaborate with Public School Forum’s Director of Strategic Partnerships to support grant writing, funder engagement, program reporting, and strategic communications.
  • Serve as a key liaison to funders—sharing updates, presenting impact, and cultivating long-term partnerships.
  • Develop and manage the Center’s annual budget of approximately $1.9 million, ensuring sound financial planning and alignment with program goals. 
  • Manage grant scope of work promises to ensure goals are being met across programs. 

Partnership Building

  • Serve as the Center’s primary representative for community schools work, including collaboration with the NC Community Schools Coalition and other key regional partners.
  • Cultivate relationships with resilience-focused organizations at the state and national levels to inform and enhance the Center’s work.
  • Expand the Center’s statewide reach through external speaking engagements, marketing of programs and services, and outreach to potential new district partners.

Evaluation and Research Support

  • Oversee the Center’s partnership with Duke University’s Center for Child & Family Policy, ensuring effective collaboration on research and evaluation activities.
  • Support data collection and impact reporting efforts led by the Impact Specialist and Duke partners. 
  • Stay current on emerging research and national best practices in trauma-informed education to inform and strengthen program training and coaching content and overall strategy. 

Outreach and Communications

  • Represent the Center at external events, conferences, and community forums related to trauma, resilience, and education.
  • Contribute to communications efforts by drafting occasional impact narratives, reports, or thought leadership pieces for media, funders, and partners.

Qualifications

  • Minimum 7–10 years of progressively responsible experience in nonprofit leadership, education, or related fields, including program management and team supervision.
  • Strong leadership and people management skills, with experience leading diverse, geographically dispersed teams and supporting professional growth and team cohesion.
  • Demonstrated commitment to educational equity and improving outcomes for historically underserved students and communities.
  • Proven success in designing, implementing, and improving programs—ideally in the areas of trauma-informed education, school improvement, and/or educator professional development.
  • Experience in relationship management, with a track record of building strong, trust-based partnerships with school and district leaders, funders, and community-based organizations.
  • Exceptional communication and facilitation skills, including the ability to deliver engaging trainings, lead productive meetings, and represent the organization externally.
  • Strategic thinking and vision-setting ability, with a focus on continuous improvement, scaling impact, and aligning operations with mission and goals.
  • Proficiency in budgeting and financial oversight, including managing million dollar program budgets and aligning resource allocation with program priorities.
  • Strong organizational and operational skills, including comfort using tools like Google Workspace, CRMs/databases, and project management systems. Experience improving systems and workflows is a plus.
  • Familiarity with data collection, program evaluation, and research partnerships, including translating data into insights for program improvement and storytelling.
  • Comfort with public speaking and external representation, including leading presentations, speaking engagements, and community events.
  • Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree in education, public administration, nonprofit management, or a related field preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time position with a salary range of $115,000 – $125,000 annually, dependent upon experience. The preferred start date for this position is August 3, 2026. The Public School Forum offers the following benefits: competitive compensation commensurate with experience, a generous 401K retirement plan, personal leave, parental leave policy, 10 paid holidays in addition to the week between Christmas and New Year’s, and a shortened summer work week from Memorial Day to Labor Day, term life insurance, and employer sponsored group health insurance with access to dental, vision, short and long term disability plans. The Public School Forum of NC is a 40+ year old nonprofit organization and not a state employer. The Forum fosters a welcoming, diverse and inclusive culture. 

This is a hybrid role, and the Sr. Director is required to be in the Forum’s Cary based office once a week, in addition to select meetings and events. Some travel required within NC based on location of regional communities of practice, funder meetings, speaking engagements and in-person trainings. Background check required for employment. 

How to Apply

Interested candidates should submit a resume and cover letter to jobs@ncforum.org with the subject line “NC Center for Resilience & Learning, Sr. Director.” Applications should be submitted by 7/17/2026. We recommend applying early as job posting may close prior to this date if a significant amount of qualified applications are received. A background check is required for employment.

About the Public School Forum of NC

For more than 40 years, the Public School Forum of North Carolina has worked with partners across the state to advance equitable educational opportunity and support public education through research, policy analysis, and innovative programs. In addition to its education research and policy work, the Forum is home to the NC Center for Afterschool Programs (NC CAP), the North Carolina Center for Resilience and Learning, and the Dudley Flood Center for Educational Equity and Opportunity (Flood Center).

Equal Opportunity Employer

It is the policy of the Public School Forum to provide equal employment opportunity (EEO) to all persons regardless of age, color, national origin, citizenship status, physical or mental disability, race, religion, creed, gender, sex, sexual orientation.