Education Program Consultant (Charter School Program Co-Director)

About the role

The Iowa Department of Education’s mission is ensuring all students experience a world-class education. To accomplish this mission, we need talented, passionate people working together to build an excellent education system that empowers all students to achieve their full potential.

The Education Program Consultant – Iowa Charter School Program (I-CSP) provides statewide leadership, coordination, and operational oversight to support the effective implementation of Iowa’s federal Charter School Program grant.

In collaboration with the Principal Investigator (PI) and Co-Project Director (Co-PD), this position plays a critical role in strengthening high-quality charter school authorization, monitoring, and continuous improvement practices across the state.

This consultant leads key administrative and grant management functions, including budgeting, evaluation, and reporting; supports professional learning and technical assistance; and fosters collaboration among charter schools, districts, and community partners.

A central focus of this role is advancing high-quality, equitable educational opportunities through strong charter oversight, evidence-based practices, and alignment with state strategic priorities.

Your Responsibilities

Grant Coordination and Leadership

• Facilitate communication and collaboration across grant-related teams to ensure clarity of roles, responsibilities, and timelines.
• Promote efficient workflow, accountability, and alignment of activities with grant goals and federal expectations.
• Coordinate meetings and activities with internal and external partners, including federal and state stakeholders.

Administrative and Fiscal Management

• Manage grant operations, including budgeting, expenditures, procurement, and compliance with federal and state requirements.
• Monitor progress toward deliverables and maintain documentation for reporting and audit purposes.
• Support cost allocation, contract development, and monitoring of grant-funded activities.

Evaluation and Reporting

• Oversee project evaluation processes and ensure timely, accurate reporting to the U.S. Department of Education.
• Collect, analyze, and synthesize program data to support continuous improvement and strategic decision-making.
• Collaborate with evaluation partners to establish meaningful performance measures and communicate outcomes.

Charter Authorization and Monitoring

• Establish, refine, and implement effective charter authorization and monitoring practices aligned with Iowa Code and national best practices.
• Strengthen charter application, review, and renewal processes to incorporate I-CSP expectations and high standards of quality.
• Conduct rigorous application and renewal reviews to ensure performance, compliance, and accountability.
• Develop and implement Iowa’s High-Quality Monitoring Review process for charter renewals and closures.
• Manage I-CSP grant contracts and ensure alignment between contractual obligations and program goals.

Professional Development and Technical Assistance

• Design and deliver research-based professional learning and technical assistance to support charter school quality, sustainability, and compliance.
• Collaborate with the Iowa Coalition as the professional development partner to ensure coherent and aligned supports.
• Establish and maintain the Iowa Charter School Network to promote ongoing, needs-based support.
• Foster peer collaboration among charter schools and between charter and traditional public schools.

Strengthen family and community engagement to support equitable and inclusive learning environments.

Desired Qualifications

A successful candidate will bring, or have the ability and desire to learn:

• Experience in grant administration, budgeting, and federal reporting.
• Knowledge of charter school authorization, monitoring, and accountability systems.
• Strong project management, facilitation, and organizational skills.
• Ability to analyze data and use findings to guide program improvement.
• Experience designing and delivering professional learning.
• Ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders, including state agencies, school leaders, families, and community partners.
• Knowledge of education policy, compliance, and continuous improvement frameworks.

Additional information

Candidates are encouraged to include detailed information about their relevant experience in their application or submit a cover letter and resume.

Hours: 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday – Friday; some nights and weekends, occasional in-state and out-of-state travel

What’s in IT for You?

• Opportunities to make a widespread difference in the lives of children, their families, and Iowa communities
• Collaborative, positive work environment
• Talented and passionate work colleagues that will help you learn and grow
• Opportunities to collaborate with experts from around the country
• Employee discounts from a variety of vendors
• Competitive salary and benefits package:

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Applicants must meet at least one of the following minimum requirements to qualify for positions in this job classification:

• Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university and five years of full-time post-graduate work experience in any one or a combination of the following areas:

• a. Professional training, teaching, or counseling experience in an educational setting;
• b. Professional administrative experience in an educational setting;
• c. Professional finance, accounting, or auditing experience, including the preparation or analysis of financial statements;
• d. Professional experience in a major technical program area housed within the Iowa Department of Education;
• e. Professional data integration, data analysis, and statistical analysis experience;

• f.
• Professional communications experience, including public relations, marketing, or journalism; or g.
• Professional school safety and emergency preparedness experience.

• A combination of a total of five years of post-graduate education and full-time experience (as described in number one), where twenty-four semester hours of accredited post-graduate college or university course work equals one year of full-time experience.
• Graduation from an accredited college or university with a Master’s degree, possession of a valid Iowa Teaching Certificate, and three academic years of teaching and/or administrative experience in PK-12 and/or a post-secondary educational institution.
• Possession of a School Business Official Authorization from the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and seven years of full-time professional experience in finance, accounting, or auditing, including the preparation or analysis of financial statements.

For additional information, please click on this link to view the job description.