Deputy Director, ESC Strategy and Support (Program Management Specialist II)

MISSION: The Texas Education Agency (TEA) will improve outcomes for all public-school students in the state by providing leadership, guidance, and support to school systems.

Core Values: 
•  We are Determined: We are committed and intentional in the pursuit of our main purpose, to improve outcomes for students. 
•  We are People-Centered: We strive to attract, develop, and retain the most committed talent, representing the diversity of Texas, each contributing to our common vision for students.
•  We are Learners: We seek evidence, reflect on success and failure, and try new approaches in the pursuit of excellence for our students.
•  We are Servant Leaders: Above all else, we are public servants working to improve opportunities for students and provide support to those who serve them.

New hires, re-hires, and internal hires will typically receive a starting salary between the posted minimum and the average pay of employees in their same classification. Offers will be commensurate with the candidate’s experience and qualifications and will thoughtfully consider internal pay equity for agency staff who perform similar duties and have similar qualifications. The top half of the posted salary range is generally reserved for candidates who exceed the requirements and qualifications for the role. The maximum salary range is reserved for candidates that far exceed the required and preferred qualifications for the role.

Position Overview:
The Texas Education Agency (TEA) is responsible for the oversight of the primary and secondary education for over 5.4 million students who attend over 1,200 Texas public school districts. In fulfilling this responsibility, TEA works closely with 20 Regional Education Service Centers (ESCs) to support the implementation of TEA’s priority initiatives and other services across the state.

The Deputy Director of ESC Operations & Performance serves as a strategic leader in operations, project execution, and performance management, driving alignment and collaboration between TEA and the twenty Education Service Centers (ESCs). This role oversees the planning and evaluation of strategic operations, ensuring results are delivered in line with commissioner-identified priorities.

Working closely with TEA and ESC teams, the Deputy Director leads the development and refinement of a performance management system that tracks ESC progress on TEA’s strategic priorities. This includes setting metrics and performance targets to evaluate effectiveness and support continuous improvement.
The Director also manages the division’s knowledge systems, including dashboards, work plans, and annual planning tools, to support strategic decision-making and operational efficiency.

Reporting to the Executive Director of ESC Strategy and Support, the Director engages with senior TEA leadership and ESC executives to maintain strong partnerships and ensure alignment. The role may also coordinate high-priority engagements, including travel and on-site support for the Commissioner and senior leaders during ESC evaluation visits.

The Deputy Director, ESC Strategy and Support may work a hybrid schedule with at least one in-person day each week.

Please note that a resume, tailored cover letter, and a short answer response are required attachments for applying to this position. Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Applicants who are strongly being considered for employment must submit to a national criminal history background check.

Essential Functions:
Job duties are not limited to the essential functions mentioned below. You may perform other functions as assigned.

1. Lead planning, logistics, and follow-up for ESC travel, meetings, and performance management: leads the planning and execution of TEA’s annual ESC performance management visits for senior leaders, including the Commissioner of Education; utilizes project management methodologies to organize and streamline processes, including preparing agendas, developing itineraries, establishing communication protocols with ESCs, and coordinating Commissioner prep meetings; implements systems to track and document meeting outcomes, follow-ups, and action items to ensure accountability and continuous improvement; manages logistics and coordination for visits, including travel for the Commissioner and TEA staff, ensuring efficient and seamless travel experiences 
2. Facilitate relationships and effective communication between TEA and ESCs: proactively builds knowledge of each ESC and serves as a key point of contact to connect TEA staff with the appropriate support for follow-up; manages ongoing communications with ESCs, including monthly meetings and special projects requiring ESC participation; supports cross-office functions such as operations, governance, emergency management, and field-facing programs and initiatives; collaborate with the Executive Director of ESC Strategy and Support to design and oversee agendas, logistics, and follow-up processes for monthly ESC executive director meetings at TEA; Applies tools and techniques to ensure alignment with strategic goals, enhance stakeholder engagement, and deliver measurable outcomes 
3. Lead and support the ESC Performance Management System: leads the implementation and ongoing refinement of a performance management system that aligns across the delivery chain, from TEA to ESCs to LEAs (this system is designed to track progress on strategic priorities and reinforce coherence throughout the network); actively seeks opportunities to deepen strategic alignment and strengthen connections within the system, while also supporting the development of performance management capacity at the ESC level; guides ESCs in determining appropriate metrics and setting performance targets that reflect commissioner-identified priorities; coordinates the annual performance management site visits to ESCs, oversees data review processes, and ensures actionable follow-up to drive continuous improvement 
4. Build and maintain tools that enhance division operations: partners with the Executive Director of ESC Strategy and Support to define and implement an operational vision grounded in efficient systems and processes; leads the development, management, and continuous improvement of project and knowledge management systems, leveraging platforms such as SharePoint, Smartsheet, and iTEA, to ensure alignment with organizational objectives and stakeholder needs; oversees workflows related to data collection, analysis, and reporting to support both ESC and TEA operations, with a focus on maintaining data accuracy, accessibility, and compliance with agency policies

Minimum Qualifications:
• Education: Graduation from an accredited four-year college or university
• Degree Fields: Education, Policy, and Business Administration, or a related degree
• Required Licenses: Texas Driver’s License required
• Experience: At least five [5] years of experience in education administration or project and performance management
• Substitutions: An advanced degree may substitute for two years of required experience

Other Qualifications:
• Share the belief that all Texas students can achieve at high levels and are able to succeed in college, career, or the military
• Ability to prioritize and delegate work
• Ability to synthesize and analyze data and documents effectively
• Experience managing multiple projects with varied timelines with a high level of organization
• Project leadership and support experience 
• Experience providing leadership around project planning including requirements, stakeholder engagement, communications, and data use and reporting to inform continuous improvement and decision making
• Flexibility and comfort with change in a fast-paced and varied work environment, including travel to ESC regions
• A desire to self-reflect, give/receive feedback and continuously improve 
• Ability to engage in a collaborative, results-oriented team environment 

As an equal opportunity employer, we hire without consideration to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, disability, age or veteran status, unless an applicant is entitled to the military employment preference.

To review the Military Occupational Specialty (MOS) codes from each branch of the U.S. Armed Forces to each job classification series in the State’s Position Classification Plan (provided by the State Auditor's Office), please access the Military Crosswalk (occupational specialty code) Guide and click on the military “occupational category” that corresponds with the state classification in this job posting title.

This position requires the applicant to meet Agency standards and criteria which may include passing a pre-employment criminal background check, prior to being offered employment by the Agency.

To learn more about working at TEA, including hiring timelines, process details, and candidate resources, please visit the Employment at TEA page.

No phone calls or emails, please. Due to the high volume of applications, we do not accept telephone calls and cannot reply to all email inquiries. Only candidates selected for interview will be contacted. Please add "capps.recruiting@cpa.texas.gov" and "@tea.texas.gov" to your safe senders list to ensure you receive email notifications from our talent acquisition team and/or hiring division regarding your candidacy.