Associate Consultant

ERS is a national non-profit that empowers school system leaders to make transformative shifts in resources, structures, and practices so that all students – especially those with the greatest learning needs and those furthest from opportunity – attend a school where they can learn and thrive.

At ERS, we embrace teamwork and innovation to influence sustainable, equitable change in some of the country’s largest school districts.

If you want to join a team of talented and committed professionals within a mission-driven and collaborative culture, this is the place for you! We will invest deeply in your professional learning, teach you the K-12 education content you need to thrive, and support you in launching an impactful career.

The salary range for this role is $85,000 to $105,000 annually. In modeling our commitment to openness and transparency, it’s important to note that an Associate Consultant’s starting salary will be determined by their years of relevant experience. 

Please note: The start date for associates will be September 2024.

Consulting Projects at ERS

We commit to projects that we believe will make the most significant difference for large, public K-12 school districts with a high percentage of students from low-income families. We support projects that:

• Better align a school district’s resources with their strategic plan and priorities
• Increase teacher retention and extend learning time for students with the highest needs
• Direct more resources to students with the highest needs
• Support the professional learning of school district leaders by facilitating workshops that explore solutions to shared challenges

ERS develops strong relationships with the school district partners we serve to seek understanding about student and teacher demographics, context, history, and needs. This individualized approach supports the creation of unique, effective strategies and solutions to influence sustainable change.

Consultants at ERS are intentionally allocated to a variety of projects to develop their skills broadly. This empowers consultants to positively impact the K-12 education landscape in a variety of ways.

Quantitative analysis skills are a baseline requirement for consultants at ERS because most of our projects require some degree of quantitative analysis. Some projects require deeper, more complex quantitative analysis. Some require a lighter touch. We define baseline quantitative analysis skills as the ability to strategically and efficiently categorize, make meaning of, map, and interpret large data sets with multiple variables to identify trends, patterns, and next steps. We currently use Excel for most of this work.

What You’ll Do

Associate Consultants apply their descriptive analysis and logical reasoning skills to support systemic, transformative change in K-12 education. Working on one or two projects at a time, Associate Consultants conduct analysis and support the development of district-facing presentations, professional learning workshops, reports, and discussion guides.

Associate Consultants work closely with more junior team members, Principal Associate Consultants, Consulting Managers, and Consulting Partners to extrapolate meaning from data analysis. They use these insights to identify actionable solutions for their school district partners reflective of best practices and K-12 resource equity frameworks.

Associate Consultants receive guidance, mentorship, feedback, and coaching from project team leaders. This collaboration and feedback support their professional learning while maximizing ERS’ impact on equity in K-12 education.  

In summary, specific responsibilities include:

• Active participation in ERS project teams, including meaningful contributions during internal meetings and meetings with district partners
• Executing and communicating methodologically sound, well-defined analysis
• Drawing implications and conclusions from quantitative and qualitative analysis
• Supporting the development of presentations, professional learning workshops, reports, and other tools for K-12 school district partners
• Building, developing, and maintaining relationships with district data contacts
• Contributing to the K-12 education landscape by conducting research, documenting innovative best practices, and writing articles for publication
• Occasional travel to district partners for approximately 2-4 days at a time, usually averaging less than one overnight trip per month throughout the calendar year (Some project phases may require travel up to two times per month, but this is typically not sustained for more than a month or two)

Commitment to Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Belonging

As an organization, we still have so much to learn about the continuing impact of systemic racism and oppression. We also acknowledge that we must look inward to best actualize ERS’ mission. Therefore, we strive to develop an equitable, inclusive, and anti-racist organization rooted in belonging for all team members.

We remain committed to transforming the systems, structures, policies, resource decisions, and cultural messages that are driving inequitable outcomes by:

• Helping our school district and school leader partners understand the patterns of structural racism and oppression that impact the students and families in their community.
• Devoting organizational resources to support the ongoing learning of all ERS team members related to the causes and patterns of structural racism and oppression, how they impact the experiences we bring to our shared environment, and the ways we work with each other.

ERS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, ancestry, pregnancy, or military service.

Qualifications (Refer to this website for operational definitions of skill levels)

As an organization committed to developing inclusive, empowered teams, it’s important to name that candidates do not need the preferred qualifications outlined below to advance in our search. These are not mandatory requirements. As you will see below, connection to our mission, values, and impact are critical.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree
• Two or more years of experience in strategic consulting, quantitative analysis, or comparable experience (With a strong emphasis on strategy and analytics)
• Ability to break down and solve complex problems through quantitative thinking and descriptive analytic skills (Efficiently and accurately categorize, make meaning of, and interpret large data sets with multiple variables)
• Critical-thinking and deductive logical reasoning skills
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills (Including the ability to synthesize complex material and effectively communicate ERS’ mission and impact to our target audience)
• Proven organizational skills and interpersonal skills (Flexibility; the ability to prioritize and manage multiple deadline-driven responsibilities)
• Ability to work independently and cooperatively as part of a growing, mission-driven team
• Demonstrated passion for and commitment to ERS’ mission and values exemplified through work experience, leadership opportunities, or community involvement

Preferred

• Bachelor’s degree in a quantitative discipline
• Graduate degree (MBA, MPA, MPP, or MEd with analytic coursework and analytic practical experience)
• Ability to learn or basic/working knowledge of programming languages such as R, Python, or Stata
• Experience in education consulting or reform work

This role is in ERS’ headquarters in the Greater Boston Area. We practice a hybrid work schedule. We expect team members to be in our (Watertown, MA) office at least three consistent days each week, with the option to occasionally add more remote days or weeks.

Benefits
We regularly benchmark our benefits. This honors our commitment to offering a comprehensive, competitive compensation package (salary & benefits) that meets employee needs.

•  Medical, dental, and life insurance benefits
• 403b Retirement Plan, including employer matching
• Education reimbursement
• Three weeks paid vacation, 13 paid holidays, and up to three weeks of paid sick time (Per year)
• Flexible Spending Accounts (FSA) and Dependent Care Accounts (DCA)
• Access to office gym

Please apply directly on our website: https://educationresourcestrategies.applytojob.com/apply/gdi7L2qhQg/Associate-Consultant