Director, Communities of Practice and Capacity Building (HQIM 2030 Fund)

About the HQIM 2030 Portfolio:

High-quality instructional materials (HQIM) are among the most powerful, cost-effective levers for improving student learning, and demand for them is growing. Many nonprofits building high-quality materials are trying to scale in a fast-moving market without access to the financing tools and support for-profit publishers use.

Cambiar’s HQIM 2030 Fund invests in coherent, high-impact learning systems and in the long-term sustainability of the nonprofit organizations that build them. The model rests on three pillars: blended finance (operating and convertible grants, recoverable and term loans matched to each organization’s stage), technical assistance to build leaders’ capacity, and shared research and evaluation infrastructure to build a strong and credible evidence base demonstrating positive impact of investees’ products and services. By 2030, we aim for 20 million students to experience coherent instructional systems anchored in high-quality curriculum, with a focus on those at the margins.

The HQIM 2030 Fund includes three programs serving eleven nonprofit HQIM providers: the HQIM Accelerator, which provides long-term blended funding to six organizations; a three-year OER/HQIM Community of Practice with five organizations, which we are redesigning for a second phase; and a new advanced math Community of Practice with four recently added providers. Some organizations take part in more than one program.

The Community of Practice convenes impact-first leaders for candid peer learning, backed by coaching and targeted advising and technical assistance. We have found that pairing the community with 1:1 coaching and technical assistance is one of the most effective ways to uncover where each organization has the greatest opportunity to improve its scale, impact, and sustainability.

Role Overview

Cambiar is looking for a Director to own the design and execution of our Communities of Practice and capacity-building strategy. In the beginning, you will build two communities: a new one for nonprofit providers of advanced math materials, and a continuation of our work with core nonprofit HQIM providers. You will also steward the technical assistance dollars we invest in Community of Practice and HQIM Accelerator organizations, and lead special projects across the HQIM 2030 portfolio. You will connect the community and the advising work: what you hear in the community shapes where we invest technical assistance, and what our advisors and consultants learn in 1:1 work shapes the community.

The timing matters. AI-enabled products, consolidation, and shifting district budgets are changing the curriculum market quickly, and the leaders in our portfolio are making big strategic decisions at the same time as they work on scale, sustainability, and impact. The learning experiences you design will help them make those decisions together, with candor, evidence, and the right expertise in the room.

You will work closely with the HQIM 2030 team, Cambiar colleagues across programs, external consultants, facilitators, and advisors, and the CEOs and executive teams of our portfolio organizations. Our team is 100% remote.

Core Responsibilities:

As the Director, you will be accountable for improving the scale, sustainability, and impact of the nonprofit organizations in our HQIM portfolio. Each responsibility below aligns to this goal.

1. Community of Practice design, strategy, and continuous improvement

• Design and build two communities: a new Community of Practice for advanced math nonprofit providers, and the continuation of our work with nonprofit core HQIM providers.
• Design and facilitate engaging in-person convenings and virtual sessions that give CEOs and executive teams real strategic traction. Identify internal and external experts to drive impact.
• Lead in-person logistics for the HQIM 2030 team, including venues, travel, vendors, budgets, agendas, and run-of-show.
• Capture feedback, analyze outcomes, and adapt content and design from one session to the next. Work with partners and Cambiar’s communications team to identify insights that accelerate innovation across the portfolio and the wider field.
• Manage workplans, timelines, and deliverables across Cambiar team members and external consultants, facilitators, and subject-matter experts.

2. Technical assistance investment management

• Manage the technical assistance dollars we invest in Community of Practice and HQIM Accelerator organizations.
• Work with each CEO and our team to identify organizational needs, match organizations with the right advisors or consultants, and make the case for the investment internally.
• Build and maintain a lightweight system, using tools such as Notion, Slack, Google Workspace, Airtable, Claude, plus AI automation as needed, so insights and meeting notes are shared quickly and everyone stays in the loop.
• Scope and manage each workstream with the organization and its advisors or consultants, and ensure reporting against agreed goals.

3. HQIM 2030 special projects

• Drive and track special projects for the HQIM 2030 portfolio, which may include strategic planning, progress monitoring, grant reporting, and communications and insights..

This role is for you if you have:

• Strategy and capacity building: 7+ years working in or alongside nonprofit, edtech, or for-profit organizations on scale, sustainability, and impact, with a specific example of an organization you helped and what changed as a result.
• Learning communities: Experience designing and facilitating cohorts, peer networks, or convenings for senior leaders or entrepreneurs.
• Hands-on execution: A history of rolling up your sleeves on a lean team, including planning events, managing vendors and budgets, and keeping projects on track yourself.
• Systems thinking: Strong systems thinker who can turn strategy into a workplan and see it through.
• Executive presence: Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, with the ability to build trusted relationships with CEOs and executive teams and facilitate candid conversations among them.
• AI tools: Comfort using AI tools to run lean systems (we use Claude, Slack, Notion, Airtable, and Google Workspace).
• Working style: Proven ability to work in a fast-paced, dynamic environment and good sense of humor.
• Travel: Ability to travel to support in-person learning sessions and internal team meetings (up to once per month).

Great to have:

• Advanced math expertise and/or direct HQIM or curriculum experience.
• Capital stewardship managing grants / consulting budgets, reporting to funders, etc.

This role is ideal for a strategic convener who has worked alongside nonprofit CEOs, wants to help them improve their scale, impact, and sustainability, and is happy to pitch in on logistics as part of a small team. If this sounds like you, we want to hear from you!

Our team is 100% remote, so we are looking for candidates who can work remotely and have experience working with teammates across time zones. You will travel up to once a month to US cities to meet in person with our team and our portfolio, and you will play an active role in our collaborative, inclusive culture.

What you'll get:

• Salary range of $130,000-$155,000 per year depending on experience, location and aligned title
• Comprehensive medical, dental, vision benefits
• Paid vacation and sick time, plus organizationally-observed holidays throughout the year
• Access to optional benefits such as 401(k) Retirement Plan, Employee Assistance Program (EAP), HSA/FSA, pet insurance, etc.
• Stipends to partially cover phone and internet costs, home office set-up, and wellness
• Team retreats and meetings during the year to meet your teammates or see our work in-person

About Cambiar Education:

Founded in 2016 as the first K-12 nonprofit venture studio, Cambiar Education saw untapped potential in the marketplace that could change the world of education - an opportunity to foster and advance radical, innovative ideas that massively accelerate student success for all. Since then, Cambiar has propelled over 140 game-changing ventures that operate at the speed of innovation, cultivated a portfolio of bold and visionary leaders, and built a connected community anchored in a commitment to creating and scaling solutions that center all students. As a member of the Cambiar Education team, you will help change the marketplace for education innovation to prove undeniably that every student can succeed and thrive.

Our Core Values:

We’re committed to living our organization's core values:

• CREATE 🌎 We create to make a transformative difference in the world. We are eternally optimistic and develop game-changing solutions.
• LOVE ❤️ We believe in the tremendous talent and human potential of all; we want to discover, engage, and celebrate everyone’s unique “superpowers.” We seek out and lean into eclectic ideas, joyful debates, and direct feedback.
• GROW 🌱 We have an insatiable curiosity, love big challenges, and aren't afraid to fail. We accelerate growth and impact so change agents and change efforts reach their fullest potential.
• LAUGH 😄 We laugh often and out loud; creativity is best fostered when we are having fun! We defer judgment so we can all laugh, dance, sing, and express "like no one is watching."
• DARE 🚀 We dare to dream big, take bold action, and challenge the impossible. We embrace risk, push boundaries, and step into the unknown with strength and courage, knowing that growth lies beyond comfort.

Work environment:

Although our team works remotely, you are expected to engage in overnight travel at least 2x throughout the year to various US cities to meet up with other team members (in-person retreats, other program-related meetings and events), and be ready to play an active role in contributing to our collaborative, inclusive culture.

We’re looking for applicants who are comfortable working remotely and who have experience successfully collaborating with team members across different time zones. Your core working days and hours will be M-F from 8am-6pm, with the ability to flex according to workload, scheduled calls and in-person/virtual meetings.

Our Equal Opportunity Employer Commitment:

At Cambiar Education, we believe everyone can make a positive impact, and that a range of perspectives and experiences strengthens our team. We are committed to building an agile, engaging environment where every team member can do their best work, the foundation for creating life-changing impact for one million youth.

Cambiar Education is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants. This policy extends to all aspects of our employment practices including, but not limited to, recruiting, hiring, promotions, transfers, compensation, benefits, training, leaves of absence, and other terms and conditions of employment.