Organization

Collectively, Massachusetts charter public schools are widely recognized as one of the highest performing charter sectors in the country. Founded in 2001, the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association (MCPSA) is a 501(c)(3) membership organization representing charter public schools across the Commonwealth. Advocates for Massachusetts Charter Public Schools (AMCPS) is a 501(c)(4) nonprofit organization that serves as a sister organization to MCPSA. Together, the two entities have an extensive history of supporting and advocating for charter public schools, with the mission of creating and protecting the conditions that will enable the charter sector to thrive, contributing toward the common goal of all children having access to high-quality schools. Public affairs team members work across both organizations, implementing complementary strategies to support and advance high-quality public education options that ensure access, opportunity, and belonging for all young people.

Position

The Public Affairs Manager plays a critical role in the Public Affairs team’s advocacy, communications, and stakeholder engagement efforts, supporting the core public affairs functions of both the Massachusetts Charter Public School Association and Advocates for Massachusetts Charter Public Schools. Through high-level administrative, operational, and analytical support, this role ensures the smooth execution of essential day-to-day functions within the department, such as managing email distribution, tracking member engagement, and acting as an operational liaison between the team and legislative offices. The Public Affairs Manager also conducts research and data analysis to inform strategic decision-making. This role reports to the Chief of Public Affairs and works in close partnership with all members of the Public Affairs team.

Responsibilities

• Serve as an operational liaison between MCPSA and key partners, including legislative offices and candidates for elected office. Proactively schedule and confirm meetings with legislators and candidates; manage related logistics, maintain up-to-date calendars, and provide background information and data to prepare internal team members for these meetings. 
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date records of all state-wide or legislative electoral candidates. Conduct ongoing research and provide Advocates for Massachusetts Charter Public Schools with clean, organized data to inform strategic engagement. 
• Provide operational support for Advocates for Massachusetts Charter Public Schools political fundraisers, including sending invitations to events, tracking responses and donations, and proactively conducting follow-up to ensure achievement of attendance and fundraising goals. 
• Manage logistics for core Public Affairs programs and events, including sending meeting invitations, tracking attendance, and developing operational plans that ensure seamless operation of both virtual and in-person events. 
• Support MCPSA’s community of practice for school-based public affairs professionals by maintaining accurate membership records, taking detailed notes during weekly meetings, tracking member engagement and providing regular reports to the team, and updating core member resources. 
• Input finalized content into MCPSA’s email platform. Ensure proper formatting, layout, and functionality across devices. Perform final checks for visual quality and consistency. Coordinate with team members to schedule and bulk send emails, ensuring timely and accurate delivery.
• Utilizing provided material, create and thoroughly test advocacy actions in MCPSA’s advocacy platform (Quorum) to enable charter public school supporters to advocate directly to their elected officials.
• Monitor earned media coverage of Massachusetts charter public schools and maintain organized records of all mentions.
• Maintain accurate and up-to-date stakeholder data in MCPSA’s CRM (Quorum). 
• Other activities, as requested by the Chief of Public Affairs.

Qualifications

• A belief in the power and possibility of charter public schools and an unwavering commitment to educational equity.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex logistics, schedules, and communications with a high level of accuracy and professionalism. 
• Excellent written, verbal, interpersonal, and collaboration skills.
• High attention to detail and exceptional time and project management skills, with the ability to stay focused and nimble, managing multiple priorities independently in a dynamic, virtual  environment with limited direct supervision.
• Strong research and data management skills, with the ability to track, organize, and analyze information. 
• Ability to hold sensitive information with discretion and confidentiality.
• Bachelor’s degree and 3-5 years of relevant professional experience preferred; experience in a charter public school, non-profit, or government setting is a plus.

Don’t meet every single requirement? At MCPSA we are dedicated to building a team that is reflective of the communities we serve and is strengthened by the varied backgrounds and experiences of team members. If you’re excited about this role but your experience does not align perfectly with every qualification in this job description, we encourage you to apply.

Compensation and Benefits

The base annual pay for this position is $65,000-75,000 plus a competitive compensation package, including 25 days of paid time off, paid office closure between Christmas and New Years, 12 paid holidays, an annual cost of labor adjustment, 75% of health insurance, 100% of dental, life and disability insurance, a professional development stipend, a 4% 401(k) match, and potential for an annual team bonus.

Location
MCPSA is a virtual organization, with team members working remotely. This position requires occasional travel throughout Massachusetts, and candidates must possess a valid driver’s license and access to a vehicle. Residence within Massachusetts, and/or within 75 miles from the organization’s main office in Hudson, MA, is strongly preferred.

Notice of Inclusion
We are committed to cultivating a team that reflects the communities we serve. As an Equal Opportunity Employer MCPSA does not discriminate on the basis of an individual's sex, age, race, color, national origin, alienage, religion, marital status, pregnancy, sexual orientation or affectional preference, gender identity and expression, accessibility needs, citizenship, veteran or military status and other personal characteristics protected by law. MCPSA recognizes and respects that varied perspectives and experiences are valuable to our team and essential to achieving our purpose.