School Liaison- Division of K-12 Education Innovation and
Scholar Success
Grand Rapids, MI (Pew Campus)
Full Time
R104715
This position serves as the primary point of contact between GVSU
and an assigned portfolio of charter schools, providing integrated
support to both governing boards and school leaders. This role
strengthens school performance, board effectiveness, and charter
contract compliance by combining deep governance expertise with
data-informed school support. This position builds strong,
trust-based relationships with board chairs, school leaders, and
internal GVSU teams to promote healthy, high-performing
schools.
This position is being recruited across three regions- West
Michigan, Central Michigan, and East/Southeast Michigan. Please
specify in your cover letter which region you are applying
for.
Salary & Benefits:
Minimum starting salary of $74,024. Depending on region and
commensurate with experience.
Comprehensive benefits package including medical, vision, dental,
life insurance, generous employer retirement contributions,
wellness resources and tuition waiver effective on date of
hire.
PRIMARY DUTIES
- Serve as the main point of contact between the school and
charter authorizer.
- Routinely represent GVSU at school meetings of various types
including school board, academic, partnership district,
celebratory, charter renewal, financial and compliance.
- Build strong working relationships with school leaders, boards,
and other partners to support coordinated problem-solving and
responsive action. This includes advising and consulting with
charter school board members (either individually or as a group),
school management, and school leaders to help them fulfill the
obligations of their school's charter contract.
- Collect, analyze and report academic and organizational data to
monitor school health and alignment with GVSU accountability
expectations.
- Collaborate with internal team members and external
stakeholders to apply consistent and transparent internal
procedures to address academic, fiscal or compliance
weaknesses.
- Coordinate the process of appointing charter school board
members (Application, Background Check, Board Resolution,
Interview, Oath of Office, Verification of Citizenship).
- Design, schedule, and conduct or facilitate training
opportunities for charter school board members and other school
personnel
- Perform other duties as required/assigned by leadership.
REQUIRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Master's degree in relevant discipline.
- A minimum of five (5) years of full-time, satisfactory
experience post master's degree experience that demonstrates growth
in leadership or management responsibilities in K-12
education.
- Demonstrated understanding of the K-12 educational landscape,
including the interrelationships between policy, systems, and
diverse stakeholders within complex educational
organizations.
- Proven experience providing professional learning and support
in multiple formats to a variety of school related audiences.
- Experience using data and information to analyze systems,
diagnose challenges, and develop strategies to help schools achieve
ambitious outcomes.
- Experience supporting schools and providing actionable feedback
to improve the quality of educational programs.
- Demonstrated commitment to advancing equitable access to
high‑quality educational opportunities and improving outcomes for
students in historically underserved communities.
- Excellent interpersonal, oral, and written communication
skills, with the ability to communicate with diverse
audiences.
- Experience managing sensitive issues with discretion,
diplomacy, and sound judgment, and make clear, well-reasoned
recommendations.
- An exceptional track record of rapidly building positive,
trusting relationships with stakeholders.
- Ability to collaborate as part of a collegial,
solutions‑oriented team that supports one another and advances
shared goals.
- Ability to work independently, take initiative, and maintain
proactive, two‑way communication that keeps colleagues and
stakeholders informed, aligned, and engaged.
- Strong organizational skills, including the ability to manage
multiple priorities, coordinate concurrent workstreams, track
progress, and meet deadlines.
PREFERRED KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES
- Possesses an area of specialty knowledge demonstrated by five
or more (5+) years direct experience, such as special education,
board relations, school improvement, English language learning,
early/middle college, etc.
- Demonstrated understanding of the charter school movement and
advancing educational opportunities and innovation through school
choice.
- Knowledge of charter school operations.
Additional Information:
- Regional travel - This position is regional and requires
regular travel to assigned schools, board meetings, and occasional
internal meetings. The School Liaison must be able to drive
throughout their designated region when in-person attendance is
required. Regions are West, Central/East and Southeast.
- Non-standard, flexible schedule - This role requires schedule
flexibility. School meetings and internal collaborative meetings
are typically scheduled during traditional work hours. Board
meetings are often scheduled early in the morning, evening or
weekends times, and dates/times may require rescheduling as
necessary (e.g., lack of quorum, inclement weather). The position
requires the ability to adjust accordingly to meet the demands of
the role.
- Physical Demands: To perform this job successfully, an
individual must be able to perform each essential duty
satisfactorily. Must have the physical stamina to work long hours
and/or engage in frequent driving conditions. Reasonable
accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities
to perform the essential functions.
How to Apply:
Attach your cover letter and resume.
Applications missing
required documents will not be considered . The system will
allow you to attach these documents electronically. If you have
questions about the position or the posting, please contact
Sarah-Kate LaVan (lavans@gvsu.edu). If you need technical
assistance, please contact Human Resources at
hro@gvsu.edu.
Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States
and must not require sponsorship now or in the future.
Application Deadline:
Application review begins Monday July 27 and this posting may be
closed at any time at the discretion of the University.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to
perform each essential duty satisfactorily. Must have the physical
stamina to work long hours and/or more than 5 days per week. The
requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill
and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to
enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential
functions. The information contained in this job description is for
compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended by
the ADA Amendment Act (2008), Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act
of 1973, and other applicable federal and state laws that prohibit
discrimination on the basis of disability. GVSU will provide
reasonable accommodations to qualified individuals with
disabilities upon request. See
www.gvsu.edu/equalopportunity/. TDD
Callers: Call Michigan Relay Center at 711 (in State) or
1-800-833-7833 (out of State).
Grand Valley State University is an Antidiscrimination/Equal
Opportunity Employer, which includes providing equal opportunity
for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities.
University policy extends protections to additional
identities.
To apply, visit https://gvsu.wd1.myworkdayjobs.com/en-US/careers/job/Grand-Rapids-MI-Pew-Campus/School-Liaison--Division-of-K-12-Education-Innovation-and-Scholar-Success_R104715
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