LOCATION:Based in Oregon. Hybrid work environment, if based in Portland. Remote work with regular travel, if based outside of the Portland metro area.

REPORTS TO:Executive Director

START DATE:Spring to Summer 2026.

APPLICATION DEADLINE:Rolling applications with strong preference to applicants who apply by Monday, March 16th.

Civics Learning Project (CLP) is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization committed to civics education by equipping Oregon students with the knowledge, essential skills, and motivation to participate in our democracy. For more than 40 years, we have provided evidence-based, experiential programs that bring both teachers and students together with civic leaders, attorneys, judges, and policymakers to equip K-12 students with hands-on experience demonstrating how our legal system and government work. We are a dedicated, passionate, collaborative, and caring team of civic-minded individuals, working with an amazing network of more than 700 volunteers across Oregon to extend our reach and impact to a growing number of teachers and students.

CLP is seeking a Director of Education to join our team at a pivotal moment in the organizations growth. As civics education becomes increasingly recognized as essential to a thriving democracy, CLP adopted an ambitious strategic plan to deepen our impact and engagement with students, teachers, and communities across the state. This new position is an exciting opportunity for a dynamic and experienced education leader to help shape the future of CLP (and Oregon itself) as we are poised for substantial growth.

The Director of Education will be a key member of the Leadership Team responsible for creating, implementing, and evaluating innovative student programs and teacher trainings to transformOregons approach to civics education. This position will lead the creation of educational pilot programs and fulfilling the requirements of Oregons Civic Education Act of 2021, which will include developing materials and professional development trainings for civics education in Oregons schools.

Our ideal candidate for Director of Education will bring prior experience with managing people, classroom teaching, and curriculum development. They will be skilled at experiential, project-based and place-based learning as well as developing and facilitating teacher trainings. An ideal candidate will already have strong ties to Oregons education and/or civic landscapeespecially schools and school districtsand will know how to motivate teachers to develop an active, engaged classroom demonstrating how students are connected to and can positively impact their communities.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Leadership & Innovation

• Program Innovation: Create new CLP pilot programs that support civics teachers across the state of Oregon, and will include curriculum development, curation of existing curriculum, professional learning, and teacher collaboration opportunities. Rollout of pilot programs will be co-led with the Director of Civic Engagement.
• Integrative Strategy: Develop and execute a comprehensive strategy to maximize and measure the impact of K-12 civics programs by connecting teacher professional development directly to student outcomes.
• Best Practices Implementation: Serve as CLPs chief educational strategist, integrating national civic education trends and state frameworks into CLPs unique Oregon contexts. Identify opportunities to test new ideas and build programming that equip students and teachers with the skills to navigate a changing political landscape.
• Organizational Alignment: Collaborate with the Executive Director and Leadership Team to ensure K-12 engagement and program delivery align with the long-term strategic plan, including the development of community-shaped, regional pilot projects. Develop and manage the annual educational budget in alignment with strategic priorities.

Partnership & Stakeholder Engagement

• Strategic Alliances: Establish and sustain high-level partnerships with school districts, Educational Service Districts (ESDs), the Oregon Department of Education (ODE), and statewide and national social studies organizations. Leverage these partnerships to stay on the cutting edge of civics education by identifying and distributing resources and materials developed by other organizations.
• Leadership & Advocacy: Serve as the primary educational liaison for CLP, representing the organization at conferences and workshops to advocate for impactful, experiential civics education.
• Funding Collaboration: Partner with the development team to identify new and sustainable funding opportunities and contribute expertise to grant writing and reporting.

Staff and Program Management & Development

• Statewide Execution: Align CLPs programs and professional development with Oregons Civic Education Act of 2021 requirements and state social sciences standards. Oversee the successful delivery and scaling of CLP programs, including Court Tours, Community Action…