Digital Promise · 1 week ago
Director, Emerging Technology Research
United States
Full-time
Remote
Lead/Staff, Director/Executive
$146K/yr - $164K/yr
5+ years expDigital Promise Global is an independent nonprofit organization focused on advancing equity in education through innovation. The Director, Emerging Technology Research will lead research projects that explore how emerging technologies can enhance K-12 learning environments, collaborating with educators and partners to ensure impactful practices.
E-LearningEdTechEducationInnovation ManagementNon Profit
Responsibilities
Lead Emerging Technology Research Projects: Conceptualize and direct research projects that build an evidence base to inform how emerging technologies, particularly those connected to generative AI and machine learning, can be integrated into K-12 learning environments in ways that are connected to pedagogical best practices and meaningful learning outcomes within specific subject areas such as math or reading
Connect Research and Practice. Design research initiatives that are relevant and responsive to the needs of educators and work with the wider Powerful Learning Research team to consider how pilot initiatives can be expanded upon and even scaled among Digital Promise’s wider network of school districts
Lead Research Strategy: Leverage research based insights to inform the development of practices, policies, and frameworks that directly inform the design of powerful learning experiences and/or the conditions for powerful learning
Monitor Evolving Innovations in Emerging Technology: Engage in continuous learning about new developments in generative AI and emerging technologies for educational applications by attending conferences and collaborating with thought leaders and external partners
Lead and Manage Initiative Strategy for AI and other Emerging Technologies, including securing national, state, and philanthropic funding for programming and the internal evaluation of programmatic impact and effectiveness
Funder Relationships: Form and deepen partnerships with funders to continue to expand the work, considering the contribution from Digital Promise in alignment and support of other projects within the funders’ portfolio
Sustainability. Identify opportunities across internal Digital Promise program areas to strengthen the impact and sustainability of our research based initiatives
Strategic dissemination: Build and maintain Digital Promise’s thought leadership on AI in education through strategic dissemination of research activities, such as attending and presenting at high impact conferences and/or webinars to share insights
External communication: Effectively communicate project work and impact to the field through academic journal articles, publications within conference proceedings, dissemination of public reports, and presentations with external partners, policymakers, and funders
Resource Development: Support the development of classroom, school, and district-facing resources (e.g., Toolkits, case study models) and knowledge dissemination to drive research-based insights into policy and practice alike
Internal alignment: Effectively communicate and collaborate with internal Digital Promise teams to ensure alignment on AI initiatives across the organization
Lead the Powerful Learning Emerging Technologies team, responsible for driving educational research around emerging technologies, providing coaching, direction, and vision-aligned to Impact Goals
Ensure organizational health and cultivate a positive and inclusive workplace culture and employee experience
Ensure all team members have the knowledge, skills, and attributes needed to fulfill their day-to-day responsibilities; ensure respective team members understand their critical role in the overall organization
Provide direction and support to team members specific to the issues and opportunities that come from their responsibilities; intervene as needed to course-correct
Support Deputy Director to hire and develop team personnel
Oversee and delegate appropriately to a team of researchers, project managers and project directors responsible for executing on Developing competitive proposals that are responsive to trends in emerging technologies in education
Managing the implementation of research projects, including data collection and analysis in alignment with ethics and privacy policy; experience designing and maintaining research protocols for Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Maintaining strong relationships with practitioners and partners integral to our research work
Delivering timely and high-quality outcomes as outlined in grants or contracts
Contribute positively to the culture of the team, department, and organization
Able to manage multiple competing priorities and rapidly adapt and respond to district and school requests and timeline changes
Excellent project management skills with an emphasis on attention to detail, timelines, and quality of work
Lead projects and the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs), as needed
Engage in Digital Promise projects that promote and advance digital equity and contribute meaningfully to achieving the organization’s impact goals
Keep key stakeholders in the loop of key action steps needed to drive the work forward
Influence and motivate others, building connections, anticipating barriers and inspiring action across various contexts to ensure work objectives are met
Stays abreast of project milestones, weekly project updates, risks and issues
Monitor, track, and report progress on relevant goals, for self and direct reports
Other duties as assigned
Qualification
Required
Ph.D. or Ed.D. in learning sciences with a specific focus on the implementation of artificial intelligence in K-12 teaching and learning. Equivalent experience will be considered
A minimum of 5 years of experience in a leadership role related to emerging technologies in education, with a demonstrated track record of successfully securing funding for research, managing and growing a portfolio of projects, and leading a project from concept through completion
Demonstrated ability to envision and lead the conception and implementation of innovative research, design and evaluation initiatives related to AI and other emerging technologies across K-12 educational settings
Demonstrated experience using AI in and around schools to enhance learner outcomes, be it through the implementation of AI tools, and/ or the development of AI policies and best practices. The successful candidate will have the capacity to point to their thought leadership here through a track record of project leadership and dissemination
A thorough understanding of the Digital Promise AI Literacy Framework and Framework for Powerful Learning with Emerging Technologies and the ability to apply this knowledge to support of schools and districts
Knowledge of functions, features, limitations, and practical applications of the technologies available to support student learning experience and program management (i.e., Asana, Microsoft & Google suites, Salesforce, Qualtrics, etc.)
Strong project management skills with the ability to develop compelling proposals, lead cross-functional teams, manage budgets, and deliver results on time
3+ years track record of building and managing multi-functional teams to results, and of coaching and developing direct reports
Proven leadership skills with the ability to inspire, mentor, and guide a team toward achieving common goals
Strong strategic thinking and problem-solving skills, with the ability to develop and execute long-term research and development projects and partnerships into strategies
Experience with data analysis and reporting tools
Ability to research, analyze, and provide a solution to newly identified issues
Excellent problem-solving skills and ability to be flexible to project situations
Proven ability to collaborate effectively with diverse teams, including educators, designers, developers, and administrators
Experienced and demonstrated knowledge of client/partner management
Highly collaborative, organized, and execution-oriented with strong presentation skills
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, including the ability to communicate complex technical concepts to non-technical constituents, as well as impeccable interpersonal skills
Experience with communication and customer relationship systems such as Slack, Salesforce, and Asana
Skill in applying principles of active listening, such as focusing on what someone is saying, deferring judgment, and responding appropriately
A deep passion for education, technology, and the potential of their intersection to transform learning experiences
Adaptability to evolving technologies and trends in the rapidly changing EdTech landscape
Skill in acquiring new knowledge through professional development activities for one's self, such as participating in coaching, attending professional conferences, self-directed reading, and monitoring industry trends
Skill in developing, maintaining, and leveraging networks across a range of people and groups inside and outside the organization, such as influential people and learning and performance experts
Preferred
Direct professional experience working in K-12 public school districts is preferred
An interest in redesigning learning systems
Experience collaborating with cross-functional team members to ensure information is shared, projects are completed on time, and goals are reached
Stellar organizational skills and attention to detail
Ability to work in a fast-paced environment and manage completing tasks, deadlines, requirement, and decisions
A team mentality, with a creative and positive, 'can-do' spirit
Benefits
Coverage of 85% of health insurance premiums for employee coverage
75% of health insurance premiums for dependent and family coverage
15 vacation days
12 sick days
3% 401k employer contribution
3% employer 401k match
Flexible work environment
Company
Digital Promise
Digital Promise provides support to advance technologies that can transform teaching and learning.
201-500 employees
H1B Sponsorship
Digital Promise has a track record of offering H1B sponsorships. Please note that this does not
guarantee sponsorship for this specific role. Below presents additional info for your
reference. (Data Powered by US Department of Labor)
Distribution of Different Job Fields Receiving Sponsorship
Represents job field similar to this job
Trends of Total Sponsorships
2025 (1)
2020 (2)
Funding
Current Stage
Growth StageTotal Funding
$15.9MKey Investors
Siegel Family EndowmentNational Institute of Standards and TechnologyNational Science Foundation
2025-12-04Grant
2024-04-03Grant· $0.2M
2018-10-17Grant· $1M
Leadership Team
Jean-Claude Brizard
President and CEO
Kathryn Petrillo-Smith
Vice President & Chief Operating Officer
Recent News
2025-12-13
Government Technology US
2025-10-28
Company data provided by crunchbase