Innovation Associate Jobs in Washington (NOW HIRING)

Best consideration date for applications: Friday, July 10, 2026

PURPOSE OF POSITION:

The Director of Educator Preparation Innovation provides strategic, academic, and operational leadership for the University System of Maryland's (USM) educator preparation priorities and innovation portfolio. This role leads systemwide efforts to strengthen, modernize, and expand educator preparation by guiding collaborative program design, ensuring regulatory compliance, and advancing instructional quality across multiple licensure and professional growth pathways.

The Director fosters cross-institutional collaboration among USM institutions, local education agencies, and state partners to address emerging workforce needs, improve educator recruitment, preparation, licensure, and retention, and support innovation and institutional transformation. The position is accountable for program integrity, scalability, sustainability, and continuous improvement, including oversight of partnerships, fiscal management, and data-informed decision-making.

Please note: this is a 1-year contractual position with the potential for renewal.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Educator Preparation Strategy & Innovation:

• Develops and implements a systemwide strategy to advance innovation, quality, and workforce responsiveness across educator preparation programs within USM institutions.
• Monitors national trends, research, policy developments, accreditation requirements, and emerging practices in educator preparation and teacher workforce development.
• Works directly with Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE), institutions of higher education, local education agencies (LEAs), and other stakeholders to identify opportunities to modernize educator preparation through innovative program models, delivery methods, partnerships, technologies, and pathways.
• Supports the Associate Vice Chancellor for Education and Engagement in convening educator preparation leaders, faculty, state agencies, school systems, and other stakeholders to advance shared priorities and collaborative solutions.
• Leads systemwide initiatives designed to strengthen educator preparation capacity and address Maryland's educator workforce needs.
• Facilitates cross-institutional collaboration and communities of practice to identify, scale, and disseminate effective educator preparation strategies.
• Identifies and pursues external funding opportunities, grants, and strategic partnerships to support educator preparation innovation and growth.

Alternative Licensure Program Operations and Administration:

• Oversees the full operations of the USM Alternative Licensure Consortium, including budget, operational management, and HR management of contractual employees.
• Oversees all candidate registration, application, review, and approval processes for alternative licensure programs.
• Ensures application workflows align with MSDE requirements, LEA verification and approval processes, tuition or direct-pay arrangements, and required data collection protocols.
• Coordinates with consortium institutions, Canvas systems, and administrative partners to ensure timely candidate onboarding, eligibility verification, and access to fully online, asynchronous programming.

Program Design, Delivery, and Technology Infrastructure:

• Leads collaboration with instructional designers, consultants, subject-matter experts, and consortium members to develop, revise, and scale fully online, asynchronous USM-level licensure programming.
• Ensures curriculum, assessments, and learning experiences are intentionally designed for asynchronous delivery and adult learners.
• Coordinates closely with Canvas, the Maryland Computing Center for Education, and other IT partners to manage the technical infrastructure supporting online programming, including learning management system configuration, integrations, credentials, e-commerce, accessibility, and quality assurance for online delivery.
• Seeks and supports new innovative learning delivery systems, platforms, and tools.

Governance, Partnerships, and Compliance:

• Coordinates consortium participation across USM institutions, consultants, and external partners to ensure program coherence, accountability, and sustainability.
• Leads the development, negotiation, and management of contracts and memoranda of understanding (MOUs) with Local Education Agencies and consortium partners.
• Ensures clear articulation of roles, responsibilities, financial arrangements, data-sharing expectations, and licensure-related obligations.
• Convenes the governing bodies, education deans, and other stakeholders.
• Ensures full compliance with MSDE, the Maryland Higher Education Commission (MHEC), the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation (CAEP), the Code of Maryland Regulations (COMAR), and other applicable educator preparation and licensure requirements.

Instructional Coaching and Candidate Support:

• Oversees and continuously improves the instructional coaching model supporting teacher candidates.
• Provides direct supervision and ongoing support to the Instructional Coaches to ensure consistent, high-quality coaching practices across the program.
• Works with consultants and consortium partners to design, administer, and evaluate instructional coach onboarding, training, professional development, and performance review processes.
• Administers required training sessions and communities of practice and ensures instructional coaches receive ongoing guidance, feedback, and professional support aligned with program expectations and adult learning best practices.

ANNUAL SALARY:

$116,725-$137,025

Requirements

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

Required Education Level/Certifications:

Masters Degree in Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, Higher Education Administration, Instructional Design, or a closely related field.

Required Experience:

• 7 years of progressive experience in educator preparation, teacher licensure, academic program leadership, or related field.
• Demonstrated experience leading complex, multi-partner education initiatives.
• Experience working with state education agencies, accreditation bodies, or regulatory frameworks.

Required Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Knowledge of educator licensure requirements, state policy frameworks, and accreditation standards (e.g., MSDE, COMAR, CAEP).
• Skill in program design, strategic planning, and continuous improvement for licensure or educator preparation pathways.
• Ability to interpret and ensure compliance with complex regulations and state licensure requirements.
• Knowledge of online instructional design principles, asynchronous learning models, and adult learning theory.
• Skill in managing online program infrastructure, including LMS configuration, integrations, and accessibility requirements.
• Skill in supervising and developing professional staff, including instructional coaches or similar roles.
• Ability to build and maintain effective partnerships with school districts, state agencies, and higher education institutions.
• Skill in coordinating complex administrative processes, such as admissions, onboarding, verification, or data workflows.
• Skill in project management, including managing multi-stakeholder timelines, deliverables, and crossorganizational collaboration.
• Strong communication and relationship-building skills, with the ability to convey technical, policy, and compliance information clearly to diverse audiences.
• Ability to analyze data, manage budgets, and drive continuous improvement.

PREFERRED QUALIFICATIONS:

Preferred Education Level/Certifications:

Advanced degree in Education, Curriculum & Instruction, Educational Leadership, Higher Education Administration, Instructional Design, or a closely related field.

Preferred Experience:

• Experience leading alternative teacher preparation or residency-style programs.
• Experience with edTPA preparation and portfolio-based licensure assessments.
• Experience securing and managing grant-funded education initiatives.
• Experience scaling programs across multiple institutions or districts.

Preferred Knowledge/Skills/Abilities:

• Demonstrated success in equity-centered, workforce-aligned program design.
• Skill in competency-based program design or jobembedded teacher preparation models.
• Skill in negotiating contracts, MOUs, or partnership agreements.
• Working knowledge of learning management systems (LMS) such as Canvas, including configuration, integrations, or credentialing workflows.

Benefits

• Paid Leave: 22 days of annual leave, 15 days of sick & safe leave, 16-17 holidays, 3 personal leave days, 12 weeks paid family medical leave.
• Health Benefits: Comprehensive medical, dental, and vision coverage with flexible spending accounts.
• Retirement Plans: Supplemental retirement options with major providers like Empower, Fidelity, and TIAA.
• Life Insurance: Optional term life and AD&D benefits through MetLife.
• Tuition Benefits: Tuition remission for employees and their families.
• Training & Development: Free professional development conferences and unlimited LinkedIn Learning access.
• Credit Union Access: Membership eligibility for SECU, Maryland's largest credit union.
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP): Free counseling, legal, financial, and work-life support services.

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