Partners for Rural Impacts (PRI)ultimate goal is for an America where all kids are successful, regardless of zip code, income, background, or ability. At PRI, our focus is on ensuring that all children in rural places achieve success. Partners for Rural Impact was born out of our place-based partnership in Appalachia, where weve worked for 25 years to create student opportunity and success.

Position Summary

Reporting to the Vice President of Federal Programs, the Director of Special Projects provides strategic leadership, project launch design, and operational stabilization across the federal program portfolio. This role assumes responsibility for high-priority and evolving initiatives, stepping in to diagnose challenges, restore momentum, and ensure performance, operational rigor, and implementation fidelity. The Director of Special Projects leads the design and structured launch of new grants and initiatives, building strong implementation frameworks, systems, and internal alignment from the outset. The role reinforces portfolio-wide compliance by strengthening processes, monitoring risk, and ensuring adherence to federal, fiscal, and reporting requirements. The Director translates strategy into disciplined action, builds scalable systems that support sustainability, and advances PRIs mission to ensure that All Rural Students Succeed.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each primary duty satisfactorily. The requirements of the position are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required, with regular and predictable attendance essential. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Provide direct supervision and performance oversight of Project Directors and implementation staff, setting clear expectations and holding teams accountable for results
• Maintain expert knowledge of programs and grants within the federal program portfolio to provide strategic leadership, monitor budgets, and assess goals, objectives, and outcomes
• Assume leadership of high-priority or time-sensitive initiatives, stabilizing implementation and restoring momentum when projects require focused intervention
• Launch, implement, measure, and assess all projects to ensure compliance and progress toward milestones
• Collaborate across teams to oversee project implementation, ensuring performance measures are met while providing coaching and capacity-building support as needed
• Develop and implement risk management protocols across assigned projects, proactively identifying challenges and recommending solutions to mitigate operational, financial, or compliance risks
• Develop and maintain reporting systems and accountability dashboards to monitor performance, progress
• Cultivate relationships with project partners, funders, and stakeholders to advance project outcomes
• Provide ongoing, targeted technical assistance across the federal program portfolio to ensure compliance with federal spending, district reimbursements, document storage, and reporting
• Develop and edit contractual documents to improve project implementation and identify areas for continuous improvement
• Collaborate across teams to translate strategic priorities into actionable initiatives
• Prepare regular progress reports
• Plan and coordinate the development, implementation, and execution of sub-programs, special projects, and initiatives across federal programs, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and shared outcomes
• Develop and manage program infrastructure, including forms, data collection tools, templates, protocols, and documentation to support organizational workflows and reporting requirements.
• Assist in the launch of new programs, preserve existing programs, and closeout of ending grants
• Serve in interim leadership capacities to maintain continuity, compliance and performance
• Represent PRI, upholding organizational credibility while building and maintaining strategic relationships with partners, funders, and stakeholders
• Other roles/duties will be assigned as necessary to assist and support in the attainment of our mission, All Rural Students Succeed

Position Location & Schedule

The position will be considered for remote work within Appalachian, KY with local, state, and sometimes national travel required.

Normal business hours are Monday through Friday, 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. ET with in-office, hybrid and/or remote work a possibility. Because of the nature of the responsibility to schools, partners, funders, and to the service region, individual offices or departments may have operating hours that extend beyond this period and may include evening and/or weekend hours.

Minimum Qualifications

Education required to ensure success in this position:

• Bachelors degree in public administration, nonprofit management, business administration, education, social sciences, or a related field (Masters degree preferred)

Experience required to ensure success in this position:

• Five years of experience in nonprofit program management, grant administration, strategic planning, or a related field
• Three years of experience in supervision and personnel management
• Strong background in federal, state, and private grant management, including compliance and reporting
• Experience developing and implementing strategic initiatives aligned with organizational goals

Special skills, knowledge and abilities:

• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Superior interpersonal and organizational skills
• Collaborative and collegial leadership style
• Demonstrated ability to cross boundaries of race, class, ethnic origin and personal philosophy; capacity to work effectively with a broad range of constituencies
• The skills to effectively represent Partners for Rural Impact in meetings for sharing knowledge, collaborating and building partnerships
• Competencies to effectively supervise staff and consultants

License, certification, or registration necessary:

• Valid drivers license
• Successfully complete pre-employment background check

Physical requirements:

• Ability to work in a high energy office
• Ability to accurately communicate and exchange information with partners, stakeholders, and/or meeting participants
• Ability to occasionally lift up to 25 lbs
• Ability to travel independently by car and plane regionally and nationally
• Ability to operate standard office equipment
• Ability to operate motor vehicle

Environmental conditions:

• Work in a fast-paced setting with frequent interruptions and shifting priorities