Montgomery County Education Association

Executive Director

Based in Rockville, MD

 

Are you a dynamic, innovative, and forward-thinking union leader with a passion for educational excellence and social justice?

Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) represents 14,000+ teachers and other professional educators in the Montgomery County Public Schools system in suburban Washington D.C. MCEA is one of the 15 largest local educators’ unions in the nation and is an affiliate of the National Education Association. We are committed to educational excellence and social justice and believe that the well-being of our members is inextricably linked to the well-being of our students, their families, and our communities.

The Board of Directors is searching for a new Executive Director to support our elected Board of Directors in advancing leadership, vision, and direction to win on the priorities of our union.

This is a hands-on leadership position and the Executive Director, reporting directly to the President and under the broad direction of the Board of Directors, leads a staff of 27 employees and a $6+ million annual budget, advances union initiatives, builds community relationships, and liaises with Montgomery County Public Schools on negotiations, labor-management, and representation issues.

The Executive Director leads unionwide campaigns and initiatives around collective bargaining, school funding, resources, and the support that educators and students deserve. The Executive Director is appointed by the Board of Directors and ensures that MCEA is run with integrity and transparency.

We invite you to keep reading to learn more about this exciting opportunity!

Successful candidates for the position will need to demonstrate the following:

• Commitment to building a member-led, powerful union through organizing campaigns, leadership development programs, and a sustainable union organizational model that positively impacts public education in Montgomery County, Maryland.
• Experience with the dynamics of collective bargaining and union leadership.
• Ability to articulate the vision for MCEA and create strategies to achieve this vision.
• Superb communication and negotiation skills.
• Personal and professional commitment to a collaborative, transparent, and team approach to union work.

Does this sound like you? Ready to make a difference in our union? Apply now to be our next Executive Director and lead the charge for educational excellence and social justice!

Responsibilities:
The successful candidate will be responsible for the following areas:

President Support

• Assists the President in growing their effectiveness and developing their leadership skills.
• Helps the President see issues from multiple angles and weigh strategic options.
• Supports the President in their role as the primary spokesperson for the union, ensuring all interactions with the media, government officials, community leaders, and other stakeholders are strategic and portray MCEA in a strong, positive light.

Board of Directors Support

• Attends Board and Officer meetings; supports the President with the development of draft agendas and briefing materials for members.
• Guides strategic planning with the Board and staff, and oversees effective design, implementation, and evaluation of programs and initiatives.

Union Leadership and Strategy

• Participates in and helps lead planning discussions to ensure that members and key stakeholders have a thorough understanding of the goals and progress of all organizing, bargaining, and political campaigns.
• Enhances MCEA’s identity and supports relationship management with members, staff, and elected leadership.

Collective Bargaining

• Leads the negotiation process with Montgomery County Public Schools on behalf of union members, ensuring fair wages, benefits, and working conditions using a transparent approach where members are kept informed throughout the process.
• Prepares for and participates in collective bargaining negotiations, including research, strategy development, and writing contract proposals.
• Trains and supports the MCEA negotiation team ensuring members’ voices and experiences are at the center of the process.

Member Engagement and Outreach

• Assures that MCEA and its mission and programs are consistently presenting a strong, positive image, both internally as well as to relevant stakeholders, including government, business, civic groups, the community, and the media.
• Ensures that member voices are at the center of all programming.
• Attends relevant events and meetings.

External Affairs and Government Relations

• Builds relationships with other unions, community organizations, and advocacy groups to advance labor interests.
• Serves as a voice with Montgomery County Government and the Montgomery County Public School system to advocate for improved educator working conditions and student learning conditions.
• Works in partnership to advance the legislative priorities of MCEA’s state affiliate, the Maryland State Education Association. Works in partnership with staff of Maryland State Education Association (MSEA) and the National Education Association (NEA) to promote union values on the state and national stage.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility

• Creates an organization committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and access, advancing equitable policies and practices throughout all aspects of the organization.
• Moves the organization forward by building internal relationships of trust, cooperation, collaboration, and teamwork with open channels of communication and in alignment with MCEA’s guiding principles.

Financial Management

• Manages the union's budget, ensuring financial stability and responsible use of funds.
• Conducts process reviews and carries out tasks as part of generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP).
• Develops and oversees fundraising strategies to support union operations and member activities.

Team Leadership

• Directs, plans, and coordinates the work of a diverse and talented team (currently 27 professionals).
• Fosters organizational culture, exemplifying core values and promoting transparency and cooperation.
• Oversees managers in their assignment, coaching, support, evaluation, counseling, and progressive discipline of staff with a collective bargaining agreement.
• Negotiates and implements collective bargaining agreement with MCEA staff union representatives.
• Problem-solves workplace issues with MCEA staff union leadership and members.
• Works with managers and administrative staff to coordinate logistics and provide other support as needed related to bargaining, field, and other MCEA work.
• Monitors operations to ensure employees comply with regulatory and legal requirements.
• Supervises recruitment and hiring process for vacancies
• Uses project management principles to ensure team members carry out successful activities.
• Writes manager evaluations and implements support plans for performance improvement.
• Coaches and mentors assigned staff, creates opportunities for development through debrief, modeling, shadowing, etc.
• Holds 1:1s and team meetings to review staff priorities and workplans, provide support, and assess individual and programmatic progress.

Qualifications:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field or equivalent in work experience. Master’s degree in a relevant field preferred.
• 8-10+ years of senior leadership experience in a union or related organization, strongly preferred.
• Strong understanding and experience with union organizing, collective bargaining, and the value of educators organizing together in a member-led union.
• Ability to oversee and execute political and legislative relations, activities and campaigns that impact MCEA’s members and our union, including interacting with elected and school administration officials.
• Demonstrated experience with building and cultivating relationships with prospective and current union members and other key stakeholders
• Ability to engage and work effectively with diverse communities and groups of educators, school administrators, county council, and other partner agencies/organizations.
• Excellent leadership, relationship-building, team-building, and public speaking skills.
• Excellent interpersonal, written and verbal communication skills.
• Knowledge of local, state and national public education trends, challenges, and opportunities , and the legislative landscape is desirable.

Compensation:
The budgeted annual salary for this position starts at $175,000.00, commensurate with experience. MCEA offers outstanding benefits including medical, dental, and vision insurance, 401(K), paid time off, short-term disability, life insurance, parking benefits, and professional development.

About MCEA:
MCEA is a leader in efforts to build a new kind of teachers’ union that responds to the needs of today’s educators. MCEA is one of the 15 largest local educators’ unions in the nation and is an affiliate of the National Education Association. MCEA represents more than 14,000 classroom teachers, guidance counselors, speech pathologists, media specialists, and other non-supervisory certified educators in the Montgomery County (Maryland) Public Schools system. The Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA) promotes the general welfare and professional interest of the MCEA members and improves the quality of education they provide to the students of MCPS. MCEA members teach 159,000 students in 211 schools spread over 497 square miles.

TO APPLY:
The Board of Directors will begin a confidential review of applications immediately and will continue its work until an appointment of an Executive Director is made as soon as possible (target start date of June 2, 2025). For full consideration, applicants must submit the following:

• Letter of interest: Please address how you can lead MCEA as Executive Director in achieving its mission and strategic initiatives. This letter must be included in your candidacy materials.
• Professional Résumé, reflecting qualifications for this position.

For priority consideration, please apply by March 17, 2025.

Please apply through this link: https://hrstrategygroup.applicantstack.com/x/detail/a2mqsz09q78r/aa0

For additional information about MCEA, please consult Montgomery County Education Association (MCEA).

MCEA is an Equal Opportunity Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, national origin, age, ancestry, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability, veteran status, or other protected class. Applicants of diverse backgrounds are encouraged to apply.