Education Policy Researcher Jobs (NOW HIRING)

Position

Education Policy Advisor

About ACE Scholarships

ACE is a 501(c)(3) non-profit, founded in 2000 in Denver, Colorado, to provide low-income children with equal access to quality K–12 private schools through partial scholarship support. Over the past 25+ years, ACE has delivered more than 140,000 scholarships worth over $390 million. This school year, ACE is serving approximately 16,000+ children in Arkansas, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Missouri, Montana, New Mexico, Texas, Utah, and Wyoming, and is actively pursuing other expansion opportunities with the support of national funding partners. ACE is actively preparing for the Federal School Choice Tax Credit Program which comes into effect January 2027. For more information visit the ACE website at www.acescholarships.org.

Our Mission is to advance K-12 educational freedom, with a focus on securing financial support for families so they may access the quality education of their choice.

Our Values:

• Accountability: We embrace personal responsibility by taking ownership of our work and focusing on results. We expect both to give and to receive honest feedback.
• Innovation: We know ideas matter. We prefer the risks and rewards that come with creativity, to the certainty that attends stagnation.
• Adaptability: We position ourselves to take advantage of opportunities, embracing strategic and operational change when it makes our work more impactful.
• Optimism: We believe our best days are ahead, and we embrace a forward-thinking mindset. We will make mistakes, but we will remain cheerful in the face of adversity and give people the benefit of the doubt.
• Kindness: We value everyone on our team, respect differences and trust one another. This requires courage and strength, as it involves celebrating and giving our undivided attention to others.

ACE Founding Principles:

Our founding principles are the foundation of ACE and our North Star. We honor ACE’s founders by remaining committed to these principles, and we passionately advocate for the Mission and Vision these principles support.

Our Founding Principles:

• Free enterprise and democracy work
• Parents know the best education environment for their kids
• Private schools offer great value and have open seats
• All people are created equal and deserve an equal chance to pursue the American Dream

Position Overview

The Education Policy Advisor serves as a key connector between ACE and state and federal stakeholders, ensuring the organization is well-positioned to operate within evolving education choice policy landscapes. This role blends policy tracking and interpretation with external relationship management, supporting ACE’s ability to participate in and expand scholarship programs nationwide. The Advisor will build and maintain relationships with state-level officials, including Governor’s offices, Departments of Revenue, and Departments of Education, and will represent ACE in ongoing program eligibility and compliance processes.

A central responsibility of this role is ensuring ACE is recognized as a qualified Scholarship Granting Organization (SGO) where applicable, including managing initial qualification and ongoing renewal processes in accordance with state and federal requirements. The Advisor will also monitor and interpret legislation related to tax credit scholarship programs, Education Savings Accounts (ESAs), and other school choice initiatives, translating policy into clear guidance for internal teams.

This is an individual contributor role reporting to the Vice President of Services and requires a candidate who is both analytically strong and highly effective at building trusted relationships with external stakeholders. The ideal candidate is intellectually curious, detail-oriented, and comfortable working independently in a fast-moving policy landscape. Candidates should demonstrate professionalism and strong communication skills when interacting with external partners, including scholarship granting organizations (SGOs), policy experts, and legal stakeholders.

Primary Responsibilities

External Relations & State Engagement

• Track state and federal legislation impacting K–12 education choice programs
• Manage state-specific SGO eligibility requirements, including initial qualification, annual renewals, and ongoing compliance with applicable state and federal regulations
• Interpret statutory and regulatory changes and summarize implications for ACE
• Maintain internal resources on program eligibility and compliance requirements
• Identify policy trends and communicate updates to leadership
• Support organizational readiness for new or updated programs
• Translate legislative requirements into operational considerations
• Assist internal teams in understanding program rules and compliance expectations
• Maintain awareness of broader education policy developments
• Prepare policy summaries, memos, and briefing materials
• Organize research in accessible formats for internal teams

Policy Tracking & Interpretation

• Track state and federal legislation impacting K–12 education choice programs
• Interpret statutory and regulatory changes and summarize implications for ACE
• Identify policy trends and communicate insights to leadership
• Prepare policy summaries, memos, and briefings for internal stakeholders

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Strong analytical and research skills with the ability to interpret complex legislative and regulatory language
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to translate technical policy concepts into clear summaries
• Highly organized and detail-oriented, with the ability to manage multiple policy developments simultaneously
• Strong professional judgment and ability to work independently
• Intellectual curiosity and interest in education policy and school choice programs
• Comfort engaging professionally with policy experts, legal professionals, and partner organizations
• Ability to synthesize large amounts of information into actionable insights
• Tech-comfortable, with the ability to learn new research tools or tracking systems quickly
• Adept at organizing research and tracking policy developments across multiple states
• Thrives in a fast-moving environment and demonstrates adaptability as policy landscapes evolve
• Strong alignment with ACE’s mission, values, and founding principles

Minimum Requirements

• 3–5 years of professional experience in policy analysis, research, government, legal, or regulatory environments
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Policy, Political Science, Economics, or related field; equivalent experience considered
• Experience working with or engaging state-level government officials or agencies (e.g., Governor’s offices, Departments of Revenue, or Departments of Education)
• Experience reviewing or interpreting legislation, regulations, or policy guidance
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite
• Strong written communication skills and attention to detail
• Ability to work collaboratively across teams while managing independent research projects

Location, Travel, and Reporting

• Remote eligible within the United States, in-office in Denver office preferred
• Reports to the Vice President of Services
• 5-10% travel throughout the year

FLSA Status

Full-time, Exempt

Compensation

Annual salary of $75,000–$90,000, plus eligibility for performance bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package including:

• Health coverage: Medical, dental, and vision insurance (with generous employer contribution)
• Financial benefits: 401(k) with 6% employer match (immediate vesting), HSA, FSA, Limited FSA, and Dependent Care FSA options
• Insurance coverage: Employer-paid short-term, long-term, and AD&D insurance, plus voluntary life insurance
• Wellbeing support: Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Additional benefits: Monthly cellphone stipend
• Education support: Up to $10,500 annually in K–12 private school scholarships for eligible employees’ children ($3,500 per child)
• Office amenities (Denver Office): Employer-paid parking, gym, café, building security, coffee, snack bar, and walking treadmill