The Jed Foundation (JED) is a nonprofit organization that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. The Academic Programs division, led by the Senior Vice President of Academic Programs, represents JED’s largest team and encompasses all programmatic work across PK-12 and Higher Education. This team supports academic institutions as they create an interdisciplinary task force, complete organizational and student-facing assessments of policies, programs, and practices, and then create feedback reports and strategic plans for each institution. The JED team then provides ongoing customized support and technical assistance as the campus implements its plan.

The Director, Academic Programs – Texas Region will be responsible for developing and implementing JED’s programs in our mission to promote emotional health and prevent suicide among high school and higher ed students throughout Texas. They will lead a Texas-based team, including a JED Campus Advisor and a PK-12 School Mental Health Specialist, who work closely with each school creating a customized experience for their students' needs. The Regional Director will also work closely with the recruiting and onboarding team to implement programs that align with the organization's mission and goals, and will focus on specific needs for the Texas region. This role works under the broad executive oversight of the SVP, Academic Programs and reports directly to the Senior Director, Academic Programs and will also have close partnerships with JED’s Senior Director, Higher Education Programs and Senior Director of School and District Programs.

Overall, the ideal candidate for this position should be highly motivated, innovative, and possess a strong track record of success in education program development and project management with specific knowledge of the Texas education landscape. Having a deep understanding and network of key stakeholders in the education space will be important in this position. Additionally, experience with relationship building and creating influential partnerships with funders and educational changemakers for both PK-12 and the Higher Ed space will be needed. They should be able to lead a team and be committed to making a difference in the lives of students across Texas.

This is a remote position that will have about 50% travel heavily focused on in-state travel through Texas and occasional trips to the NYC headquarter location.

• Lead implementation of JED’s Higher Education and PK-12 programming in Texas, as well as assist with sourcing, developing and implementing related mental health consulting projects.
• Build and maintain relationships with key stakeholders at colleges and PK-12 school systems and districts, including student affairs professionals, mental health counselors, and administrators.
• Expand and build a network that can influence change with state decision makers and funders.
• Collaborate with Recruiting and Onboarding to implement programs that achieve goals that align to JED’s mission.
• Serve as a thought leader and advocates around emotional health promotion of young adults and suicide prevention.
• Develop more resources for the education community, including resources for at-risk groups and various types of institutions
• Develop and/or revise current resources and ensure they are in line with DE&I principles
• Engage key stakeholders from across the state in JED messaging, thought leadership, and mental health promotion
• Attend and present at Regional conferences, sharing about JED programs and advocating for mental health programming in Texas colleges and high schools.

• Scope and Execution:
  • Are a highly experienced subject matter expert. Drive decisions and work output for your area of the business.
  • Support longer-term strategy and planning efforts to further JED's strategic imperatives.
  • Proactively and independently propose solutions to challenges, identify key stakeholders, and marshal resources to put a plan into action.
• People Leadership & Management:
  • Are a skilled, experienced manager who likely leads a distinct area of the organization.
  • Build high-performing and engaged teams, and actively manage them (e.g. develop, coach, set expectations, and provide timely feedback).
  • Foster a comfortable space for individuals to learn from their successes & failures.
  • May manage other managers.
• Communication:
  • Communicate complex information and concepts in a way that is clear and impactful.
  • Provide clear reasons for taking action and are able to outline the benefits and potential obstacles of a plan or project.
  • Role model using data to support your opinions or to constructively disagree. You create an environment where peers (and direct reports, if manager) are comfortable doing the same.
• Collaboration and Cross Team Impact:
  • Are tapped as an expert to provide insight and input cross-functionally.
  • Prioritize relationship-building, even under difficult circumstances. You are empathetic and see emotions as a way to facilitate (rather than sidetrack) the task at hand.
• JED Citizenship:
  • Anticipate challenges and address them professionally and quickly.
  • Build consensus around impactful changes or solutions.
  • Do not shy away from sharing difficult messages when necessary, but you do so in a diplomatic and respectful way.
  • Support others during times of change or challenges.
• Learning and Feedback:
  • Have high quality feedback skills; you help others mature their feedback skills.
  • Look outside the company for new perspectives and to grow expertise; you bring learnings back to the company.
  • Regularly evaluate and audit internal processes/practices to ensure they are working well as JED scales. You propose and implement new practices when current ones are no longer working.

• Master's degree in a related field, such as higher education, psychology, social work or public health.
• Minimum of 5+ years of experience in higher education and PK - 12 mental health programming, preferably with a focus on suicide prevention.
• Minimum of 2+ years managing teams from recruitment, to mentoring and coaching performance.
• Knowledge of the Texas youth mental health landscape and experience working with colleges, high schools and districts.
• Excellent communication skills, including the ability to develop and deliver presentations to a variety of audiences.
• Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to collaborate effectively with a variety of stakeholders.
• Experience managing complex projects and working with cross-functional teams.
• Strong organizational skills and attention to detail.
• Experience with Salesforce.com or other CRM tools.
• Passion for promoting emotional health and preventing suicide among college students.
• Passion for young adult mental health and alignment with JED’s Guiding Principles and Shared Commitment to Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Antiracism.

Pay Ranges:
The range listed on this job posting is based on JED's compensation posting ranges. Salaries may be higher or lower depending on experience and geographic location.

Location/Travel Information:
Please note that this position is largely remote but will require retreat/business meetings at JED’s central office in NYC or other locations as designated by JED leadership. Additional travel may be required.

JED is a nonprofit that protects emotional health and prevents suicide for our nation’s teens and young adults. We’re partnering with high schools and colleges to strengthen their mental health, substance misuse and suicide prevention programs and systems. We’re equipping teens and young adults with the skills and knowledge to help themselves and each other. We’re encouraging community awareness, understanding and action for young adult mental health.