Director, AI Learning Experience & Innovation

What We Do

At Leading Educators (LE), we know that excellent teaching is the most important driver of student success. The moment a student steps foot in the classroom, their opportunity to learn depends on how prepared their teacher is to translate complex content knowledge, standards, and their knowledge of that student into lessons that help them learn deeply and apply their thinking to the real world.

That’s a big lift, and it often happens alone. As a national nonprofit, we partner with school systems to overcome persistent instructional challenges, foster intentional collaboration and adult learning by design, and ignite new possibilities through systemic solutions at the intersection of teaching, talent, and technology.

We work shoulder-to-shoulder with educators at every level of the education system to strengthen their instructional and leadership practices, bring a vision for excellent instruction to life with consistency, and ensure every student reaches their full potential.

Through direct support, strategic advising, innovation pilots, and best-in-class research, we help educators work toward a future where every student is ready to thrive. Learn more about our work at leadingeducators.org.

Internal Candidate Application Deadline: October 30, 2026

External Candidate Application Deadline: October 30, 2026

Position

Leading Educators is seeking a Director, AI Learning Experience & Innovation to lead the design and delivery of AI Accelerators—cohort-based learning experiences that empower organizational leaders to identify real-world challenges, develop AI-enabled solutions, and refine those solutions through rigorous user feedback. In this role, you'll architect the full learning journey for each cohort, from designing engaging, practical learning opportunities to orchestrating a cross-functional team of coaches and technical mentors. You'll translate strategic priorities into thoughtfully executed learning experiences that respond to the unique needs of different partners and participants, operating with the credibility and composure of an experienced consultant managing high-stakes client relationships.

This is a role for a builder—someone with direct, hands-on experience creating with AI tools, grounded in adult learning design, who is energized by building something new rather than following an established playbook. You'll contribute to the continued evolution of the Accelerators model by adapting learning experiences to meet partner needs, drawing on participant feedback and implementation insights to inform improvements, develop useful resources, and make thoughtful design and delivery decisions. Because Accelerators regularly puts LE in front of senior leaders—superintendents, nonprofit CEOs, and other senior decision-makers—this role carries external-facing weight, requiring you to operate with the credibility and composure that comes from experience managing high-stakes client relationships.

You'll work shoulder-to-shoulder with participating teams, organizational leaders, and executive sponsors across education and social-impact organizations, building trusted relationships while adapting your engagement strategies to different stakeholder roles and organizational contexts. Reporting to the Senior Director of Innovation, New Learning Models, you'll own end-to-end session design, direct the delivery team, resolve ambiguity independently, and exercise sound judgment within established goals and priorities—collaborating with leadership when decisions may affect scope, resources, or partner commitment.

Do you have expertise in…

• Designing and facilitating cohort-based learning experiences or similarly structured group learning environments for adult professionals?
• Building with AI tools hands-on—not just understanding them, but actually creating something tangible with them and articulating that process to others?
• Managing the operational execution of programs or initiatives, including coordinating teams of contributors (coaches, facilitators, contractors) toward shared delivery outcomes?
• Translating ambiguous or still-forming strategy into concrete, well-sequenced learning experiences and delivery plans that adapt as new information emerges?

Do you enjoy…

• Working in environments where the outcome isn't yet defined and pivoting quickly when direction changes without losing momentum or quality?
• Building trusting relationships across diverse stakeholders—from senior leaders to peers to cross-functional collaborators—and reading what isn't being said in the room?
• Using participant feedback and evidence to test, refine, and improve programs, then documenting effective approaches for future implementation?
• Reflecting on your own ways of working and adapting your personal habits and style to fit new or unfamiliar situations?

If you've answered affirmatively to these questions and meet the following prerequisites, we urge you to seize this opportunity. This role calls for the following:

• 8+ years of professional experience in learning design, adult education, instructional design, or an equivalent field, with demonstrated ownership of both the design and delivery of a program
• Direct, hands-on experience building with AI tools—demonstrated evidence of having actually created something with them—and the ability to speak credibly to that process of building with others
• Experience designing and facilitating learning for cohorts of adults, such as cohort-based programs, learning communities, or similarly structured group learning environments
• Ability to translate an ambiguous or still-forming strategy into a concrete, well-sequenced learning experience and delivery plan, adjusting scope and pacing as new information emerges
• Demonstrated success managing the operational execution of a program or initiative, including coordinating a team of contributors toward a shared delivery outcome
• Established credibility working with senior leaders through a consultancy, design lab, ed-tech company, or similar organization serving education or social-impact leaders (direct K-12 school district experience is not required)
• Comfort with ambiguity and a track record of moving work forward without a complete plan; a willingness to create from scratch and "build to think"
• Demonstrated ability to pivot quickly when direction changes—including late in a project—without losing momentum or quality of delivery
• A reflective, self-aware approach to your own ways of working, with the ability to adapt personal habits and style to fit new or unfamiliar situations

Travel Requirements

• Ability to travel nationally for organizational retreats, programming, donor meetings, and professional development
• Must be authorized to work for any employer in the United States
• Outside of the above mentioned travel, this person will work from a home office that must be located anywhere within the U.S.

Questions? We’re here to help.

If you have questions about this role or about our hiring process at any point, please don’t hesitate to reach out to us at talent@leadingeducators.org. This inbox is monitored regularly, and we aim to respond within two business days. To ensure your question receives a thoughtful and timely response, we kindly ask that you refrain from emailing individual staff members or members of our HR team directly. The best way to connect with us is always through talent@leadingeducators.org.

Why Work at Leading Educators?

Imagine being part of an organization where your ideas and perspectives are highly valued. At Leading Educators, we believe in fostering individual strengths, encouraging personal growth, and embracing innovative ideas. If you thrive in a remote working environment, with the added excitement of travel, we're the perfect fit for you. By joining us, you become part of a powerful community of peers nationwide. Regardless of your location, you possess the power to make a significant impact on both students and teachers who rely on us daily. Join Leading Educators and become an integral part of driving progress in education.

Learn About Our Mission & Values:

Mission: Leading Educators partners with school systems to sustain the teaching, leadership, and conditions for every student to succeed in school and in life.

Values:

• Build on strengths: We affirm and begin with the unique and collective talents, experiences, and wisdom of ourselves and others.
• Continuously learn: We develop ourselves and others. We apply new learning and deepened self-awareness to our relationships and practices.
• Prioritize people: We build trust and reflect on the impact of different perspectives and experiences.
• Champion success for all: We re-imagine structures, habits, and mindsets to ensure every learner has access to evidence-based learning opportunities.

Use of Artificial Intelligence in Hiring

• We use artificial intelligence–enabled tools throughout our hiring process, from the moment a candidate applies through the offer stage, to support administrative tasks and the initial review of candidate materials. These tools help us organize, analyze, and surface relevant information efficiently, but they do not make hiring decisions.

• All candidate materials—including applications, resumes, assessments, and interview feedback—are reviewed and evaluated by people. All hiring decisions, including interview selection, advancement, and offers of employment, are made by humans.

• We use AI solely as a support tool to assist with early-stage reviews and process efficiency. We do not use AI in ways that discriminate based on protected characteristics, nor do we use ZIP codes or similar data to target or exclude protected groups. Our hiring practices are designed to be fair, consistent, and aligned with equal employment opportunity standards.

Benefits

• Compensation:
  • If hired for this position, the base compensation range is $113,714 to $144,157 annually. New hires typically enter the range at a set comp ratio (e.g., 0.95 or 0.98), depending on the role. For this position, the salary entry point is $125,354. Candidates may move up the range based on additional years of relevant experience beyond the role’s minimum years of experience qualification. If you have more than 8 years of directly relevant experience, your starting salary may be adjusted higher within the range, up to a maximum starting salary of $133,413. This approach ensures that candidates with additional experience beyond the minimum are recognized in the initial salary offer.
• Benefits:
  • 100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees. Additional premium costs are covered 60% by Leading Educators for partners and dependents on medical, dental, and vision plans. 4% matching 401k plan, Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare and commuter expenses, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Benefits are valued at or above $9,000 for employees.

• Time Off:
  • First three years of employment, full-time staff accrue 22 days a year.
  • Five additional days are accrued after the third and sixth year of employment.
  • Leading Educators also offer 16 additional paid days off for various holidays, including three floating holidays staff may use at their discretion.

Equal Opportunity Employment

Leading Educators is an equal opportunity employer.  All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local, state, or federal laws, rules, or regulations.

Apply: https://leadingeducators.org/careers/opportunities

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