Senior Director, East Texas

Partners for Rural Impact's (PRI) work began more than 30 years ago with a place-based partnership in Appalachian Kentucky, where we’ve shown demographics don’t have to determine destiny. Today, we partner with rural leaders and allies across the country to share that work and build local partnerships that put young people on a path to economic mobility.
Position Summary
The Senior Director, East Texas, reporting to the Vice President, Office of the Executive Vice President, will provide strategic and operational leadership for PRI’s work across rural Deep East Texas, working closely with school districts, philanthropic funders, and community partners to advance educational opportunity and economic mobility for children and youth. The role will focus on strengthening implementation, leveraging public and private funding, supporting locally identified priorities, and building capacity for sustainable impact. Working alongside existing regional efforts and investments, the Senior Director will position PRI as a trusted implementation and thought partner, contributing organizational expertise and resources to complement and strengthen ongoing investments in the region. The Senior Director will collaborate across PRI teams to ensure effective implementation and accountability, while leveraging insights and lessons learned from East Texas to inform and strengthen PRI’s broader national work.
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.
East Texas Strategy & Initiative Leadership:
Lead the implementation and ongoing refinement of PRI’s strategic initiatives in Deep East Texas, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities, funding commitments, and locally identified needs
Build and maintain trusted relationships with school districts, local funders, and community stakeholders to support effective implementation of PRI’s work
Work collaboratively with local partners to advance district-identified priorities that strengthen educational pathways, student engagement, and economic mobility for children and youth
Identify opportunities to leverage PRI’s expertise, resources, and technical assistance to strengthen local initiatives while complementing existing regional efforts and investments
Measuring & Sustaining Impact:
Monitor the effectiveness of PRI-supported initiatives, using data, partner feedback, and implementation
insights to inform continuous improvement
Collaborate with PRI’s Data and Evaluation team and local partners to establish meaningful measures of progress, track outcomes, and communicate results
Identify opportunities to strengthen local capacity, sustain effective strategies, and apply lessons learned to future programming and investments
Strategic Leadership & Team Management:
Provide strategic guidance to PRI leadership on emerging opportunities, implementation challenges, funding priorities, and potential areas for growth in Deep East Texas
Supervise, coach, and develop PRI team members responsible for implementing and supporting East Texas Initiatives
Support staff and implementation partners in building the knowledge, skills, and capacity needed for effective program delivery and sustainability
Effectively build and maintain internal relationships with PRI teams to successfully marshal PRI resources and expertise as needed to advance East Texas strategy
Stakeholder Engagement, Collaboration & Thought Leadership:
Cultivate and steward strong relationships with local funders, school districts, government agencies, educational institutions, and community organizations to advance PRI-supported initiatives
Maintain ongoing engagement with local partners to understand evolving needs, strengthen implementation, and ensure PRI’s support remains responsive to community priorities
Participate in existing regional collaborations and partner-led efforts, contributing PRI’s expertise, resources, and practical experience where appropriate
Collaborate with PRI leadership to document and share lessons learned, promising practices, and insights from PRI’s work in East Texas
Represent PRI in relevant local, regional, state, and national discussions, sharing insights from PRI-supported initiatives and contributing to broader learning about effective rural strategies
Financial Oversight & Resource Development:
Lead efforts to identify and leverage other funding opportunities that complement existing investments and support PRI’s initiatives in Deep East Texas
Work collaboratively with local funders, school districts, and other partners to identify opportunities to align public and private resources around locally identified priorities
Oversee the effective management, compliance, and reporting of East Texas funding streams, ensuring accountability to funders and adherence to grant requirements
Support the development of funding proposals, budgets, and sustainability strategies that strengthen existing initiatives and expand opportunities for children and youth
Project Leadership & Management:
Provide leadership and oversight for PRI-supported projects in Deep East Texas, ensuring effective implementation, partner engagement, grant compliance, funder communication, and accountability for results
Guide project planning, implementation, and continuous improvement in collaboration with PRI teams, school districts, and implementation partners
Monitor project progress, address implementation challenges, and coordinate internal resources to support timely achievement of deliverables and outcomes
Other roles/duties will be assigned as necessary to assist and support in the attainment of our mission
Position Location & Schedule
This in-person role will work from our PRI East Texas Office in Diboll, Texas. 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

Employment type
Full-Time

Work arrangement
No