Senior Director, Maryland

Partners for Rural Impact’s (PRI) ultimate goal is for an America where all kids are successful, regardless of zip code, income, background, or ability.  At PRI, our focus is on ensuring that all children in rural places achieve success. Partners for Rural Impact was born out of our place-based partnership in Appalachia, where we’ve worked for 25 years to create student opportunity and success. 

Position Summary 

The Senior Director, Maryland at PRI, reporting to Vice President, Executive Vice President Office, will lead and coordinate the organization’s strategic efforts across rural Maryland, advancing cradle-to-career (C2C) and place-based partnership (PBP) initiatives statewide. This role will play a central leadership role in developing and supporting a cohort of rural Maryland-based partnerships, maintaining deep thought partnership with the private funders and other key state and national partners, supporting regional and statewide fundraising efforts, and serving as a visible ambassador of PRI’s work across Maryland. A critical part of this role will be collaborating with the Maryland Governor’s Office for Children, the ENOUGH Initiative and its grantees, and fellow technical assistance organizations – ensuring rural voices are included in state-level advocacy and aligned efforts to unlock public dollars for sustainable impact. Success for this role will also include overseeing state-based, funder-support projects. The Senior Director will work closely with PRI’s internal teams, to connect on-the-ground efforts in Maryland with PRI’s broader national mission and expertise.   

Primary Duties and Responsibilities 

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements of the position are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required, with regular and predictable attendance essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. 

Maryland Strategy & State-Level Leadership 

• Lead PRI’s strategic efforts across rural Maryland  

• Serve as the public face of PRI’s Maryland efforts, building trust with local, regional, and statewide stakeholders 

• Work closely with the Maryland ENOUGH initiative and fellow technical assistance partners to align efforts to ensure all rural children and youth are provided a path to economic mobility  

• Build multi-sector partnerships with government agencies, funders, and educational institutions to drive statewide impact in Maryland 

Measuring & Sustaining Impact 

• Monitor the effectiveness of PRI’s rural strategies in Maryland, using data to inform course corrections and continuous improvement 

• Develop shared metrics of success to track outcomes, ensuring initiatives are delivering measurable impact 

Strategic Leadership & Team Management 

• Provide strategic input to PRI leadership on opportunities for statewide impact and scaling 

• Support and mentor leaders within rural Maryland communities to strengthen local capacity and sustainability 

• Provide supervision and/or guidance to PRI team members working in Maryland 

• Effectively build and maintain internal relationships with PRI teams to successfully marshal PRI resources and expertise as needed to advance Maryland strategy 

Collaboration & Thought Leadership 

• Collaborate with PRI’s leadership to document rural Maryland-based learnings 

• Represent PRI as a speaker, facilitator, and advisor at local, regional, and national convenings 

• Guide learning communities and leadership development programs that build capacity among local and state-level leaders 

Stakeholder Engagement & Partnership Development 

• Cultivate and manage rural cross-sector partnerships with Maryland-based funders, educational institutions, government agencies, and community organizations 

• Convene and facilitate learning communities, strategy sessions, and workshops to advance rural outcomes 

Financial Oversight & Resource Development 

• Support PRI, the ENOUGH Initiative and its grantees, and other Maryland partners as they identify and secure funding opportunities (public and private) to support rural Maryland initiatives 

• Oversee the effective management and reporting on Maryland-specific funding streams 

Project Leadership & Management 

• Serve as Project Director for key state-based, funder-supported projects, with responsibility for implementation, partner/field engagement, and funder communications 

• Build and steward strong relationships with funders and field partners, positioning PRI as a trusted collaborator and ensuring that initiatives in Maryland are impactful, sustainable, and well-aligned with PRI’s broader strategic priorities 

Other roles/duties will be assigned as necessary to assist and support in the attainment of our mission, All Rural Students Succeed 

Position Location & Schedule 

This hybrid role will regularly work from an office space in Baltimore, MD, co-located with national technical assistance partners supporting the ENOUGH Initiative and its grantees. Local, state, and sometimes national travel required. 

Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET with in-office, hybrid and/or remote work a possibility. Because of the nature of the responsibility to schools, partners, funders, and to the service region, individual offices or departments may have operating hours that extend beyond this period and may include evening and/or weekend hours. 

Minimum Qualifications

Education required to ensure success in this position: 

• Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree or higher preferred   

 Experience required to ensure success in this position: 

• 10 years of senior-level leadership with demonstrated success in community-based initiatives, program scaling, and systems change 

• Relevant experience in education, public policy, nonprofit leadership, or community development. 

• Deep familiarity with Maryland's education, philanthropic, and policy ecosystems—particularly in rural areas 

• Successful track record of partnering with philanthropy to advance organizational and community goals 

• Expertise in place-based strategies, cradle-to-career models, and leadership development 
  

Special skills, knowledge and abilities: 

• Proven ability to build trust and lead cross-sector collaborations involving funders, local leaders, and public officials 

• Strong public speaking, facilitation, and storytelling skills to engage diverse audiences 

• Superior interpersonal and organizational skills 

• Competencies to effectively supervise staff 
   

License, certification, or registration necessary: 

• Valid driver’s license 

• Successfully complete pre-employment background check 

Physical requirements: 

• Ability to work in a high-energy office 

• Ability to accurately communicate and exchange information with partners, stakeholders, and/or meeting participants 

• Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 lbs 

• Ability to travel independently by car and plane regionally and nationally 

• Ability to operate standard office equipment 

• Ability to operate motor vehicle 

Environmental conditions: 

• Work in a fast-paced setting with frequent interruptions and shifting priorities 
   

Additional Company Information  

PRI offers a wide array of benefit options, to meet the financial, educational, and health needs of you and your family. 

• Comprehensive insurance plans including medical, dental, vision, and prescription coverage. 

• Flexible spending accounts, plus an employee assistance program. 

• Life and long-term disability insurance and retirement plan. 

• Generous paid time off work options including vacation, sick leave, and annual holidays, in addition to paid parental leave. 

• Tuition assistance and professional development for employees. 

Partners for Rural Impact is an Equal Opportunity Employer that recruits and hires qualified candidates without regard to race, religion, sex, sexual orientation, age, national origin, ancestry, citizenship, disability, or veteran status.