Principal Associate Consultant

ERS is a national non-profit consulting firm that empowers school system leaders to make transformative shifts in resources, structures, and practices so that all students - especially those with the greatest learning needs and those furthest from opportunity - attend a school where they can learn and thrive.

At ERS, we embrace teamwork and innovation to influence sustainable, equitable change in some of the country's largest school districts.

If you want to join a team of talented and committed professionals within a mission-driven, fast-paced organization, this is the place for you! We will invest in your professional learning, including rapidly developing the K-12 education knowledge needed to succeed.

The salary range for this role is $120,000 to $155,000 annually. In modeling our commitment to openness and transparency, it's important to note that starting salaries aren't typically at/near the top of this range. This is to create opportunities for team members to earn raises throughout their tenure in the role.

Consulting projects at ERS

Our focus is on high-impact work within public K-12 school districts that support a significant population of students from low-income families. Our projects:

• Strengthen financial sustainability by analyzing resources, forecasting budgets, and aligning spending with strategic priorities
• Distribute resources to the highest-need areas by implementing equitable, strategic funding and budgeting models that build capacity for effective financial decision‑making
• Improve student and teacher experiences by analyzing staffing structures and school design models to optimize learning and enhance teacher retention
• Facilitate learning opportunities for cohorts of state and district leaders to explore solutions to shared challenges

Role overview

We seek to hire Principal Associates (PAs) with experience in strategy/management consulting who are excited about the opportunity to positively impact K-12 education. PAs lead from the middle in a fast-paced, highly collaborative environment, taking full ownership of defining and managing the work across multiple, intersecting workstreams.

PAs are expected to demonstrate strong quantitative analysis skills and strategic insight to drive meaning-making. They pair sophisticated data analysis with critical thinking to synthesize disparate data, tell a clear and compelling story, and translate insights into high-impact, strategic recommendations for state and district partners. Excel and R are the primary tools used for our quantitative analysis work.

• Strategic and quantitative analysis: Independently design and execute methodologically sound analytic plans and translate complex analyses into clear insights and actionable recommendations that enable informed decision-making for external partners
• Project management: Drive progress toward milestones by proactively organizing and delegating team responsibilities, monitoring progress, and adapting plans as needed, maintaining focus on what matters most
• People management: Facilitate structured, priority-based meetings with team members at all levels to ensure alignment, support development, and maintain accountability for high-quality deliverables
• High-quality deliverables: Design structured, concise, audience-ready materials tailored to meet the needs of different external partners (e.g., central office leaders, state agency executive boards, principals, etc.)
• External partner engagement: Manage mid-level partner relationships end-to-end, fostering collaboration and trust through strategic thought partnership and service
• Knowledge management: Contribute to our organizational knowledge base via research, development of externally-facing tools, and documentation of best practices in public K-12 education resource allocation
• Organizational stewardship: Actively engage and contribute to culture-building initiatives, rooted in learning and relationship-building, including coaching, position groups, and quarterly ERS weeks

Qualifications

Meeting every preferred qualification is not required to advance in our search. These criteria are not mandatory. Alignment with our mission, values, and impact is critical.

Required

• Bachelor's degree
• At least 5 years of relevant professional experience in strategy/management consulting, school leadership, or district strategy with a strong emphasis on quantitative analysis and meaning-making to identify actionable recommendations
• Track record of maintaining high standards of accuracy in quantitative analysis, including efficient quality control checks for own work and colleagues
• Demonstrated ability to quickly assess complex, ambiguous situations, identify key questions, and define actionable next steps by logically breaking down challenges into smaller components
• Proven ability to deliver results through effective project and people management, including prioritizing competing demands to ensure timely execution
• Excellent (clear, logic-based, and structured) communication skills
• Passion for and commitment to our mission and values exemplified through professional and/or personal experience
• Travel averages 1 to 2 trips per month, typically 2-4 days per trip, with occasional periods of increased travel during certain project phases
• Adhere to a hybrid work schedule, working from our office in Watertown, MA office at least three consistent days per week
• Must be authorized to work for an employer in the United States. We are unable to sponsor or take over sponsorship of an employment visa for new team members at this time.

Preferred

• MBA, MPP, or MPA (considered a substitute for one year of professional experience)
• Proficiency in R, including using it to clean, analyze, and interpret quantitative data
• Proficiency in leveraging AI tools to support research, data analysis, and problem-solving
• At least two years of supervisory experience
• Extensive knowledge of the U.S. public K-12 education system, including its structure, policies, and operational practices

About ERS

We value diverse teams and the unique talents each member brings. We encourage candidates whose lived experience reflect those of the students, educators, and leaders in the districts we serve to apply.

We strive to build inclusive, empowered teams by honoring individual strengths, fostering multidirectional feedback, equipping team members with the information and support needed to contribute meaningfully, and investing in one another's success. We see these commitments as foundational to how we work together and with our district partners as we pursue equity and excellence for all students through school system transformation.

ERS is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, ancestry, pregnancy, or military service.

Visit our website to learn more about us, including our transformative work and vibrant organizational culture.