Careers

Location and Work Arrangement

Midwest region, supporting an established Illinois territory with expansion opportunity across the broader Midwest. Candidates based in Buffalo, NY work a hybrid schedule requiring a minimum of two days per week in our Buffalo office; candidates based in Illinois work fully remote. Regular travel within the territory is required, with occasional travel beyond. 

About Us

At PLS 3rd Learning, we believe that the life prospects of children are profoundly shaped by the educational leaders who serve them. For more than forty years, we have partnered with school districts, associations, and higher education institutions to develop and elevate educational leadership through professional development, instructional design, and custom software. Our fastest-growing platform, SuperEval, is built on a conviction that has become our signature: leadership evaluation should move beyond compliance to become a meaningful practice of reflection, growth, and goal attainment in service of children, communities, and the work of leading well. 

Superintendents, principals, and district leaders across the country trust SuperEval as a thought and action partner in their leadership development. Our culture reflects the same standards we ask of the leaders we serve. We are formal in our professional standards, warm in our relationships, and direct in our communication. We hold ourselves accountable to one another and to the educational leaders who depend on us. We celebrate our colleagues’ contributions, invest in lifelong learning, and act with integrity in every interaction. We work both independently and collaboratively in a high-accountability environment where dependability, initiative, and thoughtful judgment are valued. 

About the Role

As an Strategic Partnership Executive, you take ownership of an established Illinois territory with a proven book of business, while building out fresh opportunity across the broader Midwest, including Minnesota, Iowa, Wisconsin, and Michigan. This is not a cold-start territory: you’ll inherit existing district relationships to grow from day one, alongside real runway to expand our footprint into new states over time. It is a strategic relationship role requiring sound professional judgment, consultative selling skill, and a genuine conviction that strong leadership evaluation practices make a difference for students and communities. 

You will collaborate closely with the team to manage the existing book of business and grow the territory from prospecting through close. The role suits a candidate who is self-directed, resilient through a full sales cycle, and comfortable balancing relationship stewardship on an established base with disciplined new-business development. 

Key Responsibilities

• Manage and grow an established Illinois book of business, deepening existing district relationships and identifying expansion opportunities. 
• Own and develop new territory across the broader Midwest region, achieving and exceeding quarterly and annual sales goals. 
• Prospect, qualify, and nurture leads to build and maintain a strong pipeline. 
• Deliver tailored proposals and close agreements with K–12 superintendents and district leaders. 
• Conduct engaging, consultative product demonstrations that align with district priorities and challenges. 
• Represent PLS 3rd Learning and SuperEval professionally at conferences, trade shows, and association events across the territory. 
• Provide timely, professional, and responsive communication to prospective and current partners. 
• Develop and execute territory-specific sales strategies in collaboration with colleagues. 
• Maintain accurate and organized records of leads, activities, and opportunities in Salesforce. 
• Represent the company with professionalism, dependability, and responsiveness in all interactions. 

These responsibilities are not exhaustive. Employees may be asked to follow additional job-related instructions and to perform other job-related duties as assigned by authorized personnel. 

Who We’re Looking For

• Proven experience managing a sales territory from prospecting through close. 
• Excellent written and verbal communication and presentation skills, both virtual and in-person. 
• Self-starter with strong time management skills and dependability. 
• Sound judgment and a consultative approach to selling complex solutions to senior leaders. 
• Comfort managing an existing account base while also building new business in unestablished territory. 
• Comfort navigating ambiguity and adapting in a fast-moving environment. 
• Proficient with Salesforce (or a similar CRM), HubSpot (or similar email sequencing software), Microsoft Office, and virtual meeting tools such as Zoom and Teams. 
• Willingness to travel within the assigned territory and occasionally beyond. 
• Demonstrated success selling to senior leaders, such as superintendents, CEOs, or equivalent decision-makers. 
• Established relationships with superintendents, districts, or associations in the Midwest preferred. 
• Knowledge of school district procurement and budget cycles preferred. 

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree preferred, or equivalent combination of education and professional experience. 
• Experience in K–12 EdTech or SaaS sales, with a track record of managing a territory from prospecting through close, required. 
• Experience selling to K–12 or education-sector decision-makers preferred. 
• Experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder sales cycles preferred. 

Why Join Us

Joining PLS 3rd Learning means stepping into a territory with a genuine head start: an established Illinois book of business to build on from day one, plus real room to grow into new states across the Midwest. You will partner with influential K–12 leaders, join a forty-year-established organization built on professionalism and impact, and have access to a competitive base salary, commission, full benefits, and real opportunity to grow into senior sales or leadership roles as we expand. 

Compensation and Benefits

Base Salary: $105,000

On-Target Earnings: $133,750 in year one, including base salary plus commission and bonus tied to performance. 

Stretch Earnings: $162,500, with uncapped commission beyond. 

Benefits: Comprehensive health benefits, 401K matching retirement plan, and generous paid time off.

Travel

Regular travel within the assigned territory is required, along with occasional travel beyond the territory for conferences and company events. 

Essential Functions and Accommodations

Essential functions of this role include communicating effectively with prospective and current district partners by phone, video conference, email, and in person; using computer-based tools and platforms to manage pipeline, deliver demonstrations, and coordinate sales activity; and regular travel within the assigned territory, with occasional travel beyond. All listed duties and responsibilities are essential functions of the position and are subject to possible modification to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities. PLS 3rd Learning is committed to providing reasonable accommodations to enable qualified individuals with disabilities to perform these essential functions, and we invite candidates to share any accommodations needed during the application or interview process. 

Equal Employment Opportunity

PLS 3rd Learning is an equal opportunity employer. We are committed to fostering an inclusive workplace where every team member can contribute fully and meaningfully. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy, national origin, age, disability, genetic information, veteran status, marital status, familial status, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local law. 

PLS 3rd Learning uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires. 

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit a cover letter, current resume, and three professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We look forward to learning about your interest in supporting educational leaders through this important work. 

Location and Work Arrangement

Buffalo, NY. Full-time, hybrid. Two to three days per week in our Buffalo office. Periodic travel to partners and clients, with occasional travel for conferences and company events.

About Us

At PLS 3rd Learning, we believe that the life prospects of children are profoundly shaped by the educational leaders who serve them. For more than forty years, we have partnered with school districts, associations, and higher education institutions to develop and elevate educational leadership through professional development, instructional design, and custom software. PLS Education Partners, a division of PLS 3rd Learning, brings together strategy, technology, and deep education experience to help state agencies deliver on their mission — from policy design to the systems that carry it out. We’re a small, collaborative team that values thoughtful work, real relationships with our partners, and the chance to see our impact reach classrooms statewide.

About the Role

PLS Education Partners is seeking a Director of K–12 Educational Systems and Projects to lead large-scale education technology initiatives from the first conversations with state education agencies and other client partners through successful development and launch. This role sits at the intersection of K–12 education, education technology, product requirements, project and program management, client partnership, and business development.

• Defining requirements. Draw clear product and platform requirements from educators, administrators, and other non-technical stakeholders, including requirements established by policy, statute, and regulation.
• Leading delivery. Translate client needs for developers, designers, and quality-assurance specialists, then guide complex projects through development so the finished work meets the agency’s goals.
• Growing the business. Strengthen client partnerships and help extend our work to state education agencies across the country through opportunity development, proposals, and RFP responses.

The ideal candidate is self-directed, has excellent interpersonal and written communication skills, and is comfortable managing several projects at once. The Director reports to the President of PLS Education Partners and works closely with the project development and realization team.

Key Responsibilities

Requirements Definition & Client Partnership

• Serve as the primary point of contact for client agencies and partners throughout key project lifecycles.
• Engage with state officials, educators, and administrators to define needs, goals, and measures of success.
• Lead requirements gathering — document what each platform must do, for whom, and under what constraints.
• Translate statutory and regulatory requirements into clear project specifications and compliance criteria.
• Facilitate working sessions, planning meetings, and presentations with professionalism and diplomacy.

Project Delivery & Development Team Partnership

• Communicate client requirements to the project development team clearly and stay engaged throughout the project’s lifecycle.
• Serve as a point of contact for developers, designers, and QA as questions of intent or scope arise from and with client agencies.
• Develop and maintain project plans, timelines, and budgets. Manage resources to deliver on scope and schedule.
• Track milestones, identify risks, and realign schedules and expectations as needed.
• Prepare status reports and coordinate across internal teams and external partners.

Growth & Business Development

• Help extend our work to state education agencies across the country, beyond the states we serve today.
• Work with the divisional president to build and maintain a pipeline of new engagements.
• Help shape the division’s capabilities into a clearly scoped, priced, and referenceable offering that new agencies can understand and purchase.
• Assist with proposal and RFP responses.

Platform Innovation & AI

• Work alongside educators, developers, designers, and QA specialists to develop uses and applications for AI.
• Track state and federal guidance on AI in K–12 education, and hold our AI features to clear standards for accuracy and human oversight.

Team Leadership

• Work collaboratively, and in a leadership role, with the broader project development team.
• Help build team cohesion through shared practices and organizational culture.

Who We’re Looking For

• Ability to draw requirements out of non-technical stakeholders and convey them precisely to a technical team, and to hold both sides to the same understanding of what is being built.
• Proven record of managing complex, multi-stakeholder projects and leading teams, including other managers.
• Familiarity with AI and its applications in education, including the ability to evaluate tools critically and apply them productively.
• Comfort with scoping, pricing, and proposal work, and the judgment to know when to pursue new opportunities.
• Excellent organizational and time management skills. Able to manage multiple workstreams and meet deadlines.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to think strategically and creatively.
• Excellent written, verbal, and presentation skills for diverse audiences, both virtual and in person.

Education and Experience

• Five or more years in project development or program management required – with preference for work specifically in K–12 as a teacher, coach, curriculum developer, administrator, or similar role. Other professional experience, though, will be strongly considered.
• Advanced degree (Master’s, doctorate, or post-baccalaureate certification) in Education, Educational Leadership, Public Policy, or a related field preferred.
• Experience contributing to proposals, RFP responses, or new business development preferred.

Compensation and Benefits

Base Salary: [$100,000 to $130,000], commensurate with experience.

Benefits: Comprehensive health benefits, 401K matching retirement plan, and generous paid time off.

Essential Functions and Accommodations

The essential functions of this position are communicating with clients, partners, and team members by phone, video, email, and in person; using computer-based tools to manage projects and coordinate team activity; and traveling periodically to partner and client sites. These functions may be modified to reasonably accommodate qualified individuals with disabilities. Candidates are welcome to share any accommodations needed during the application or interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

PLS 3rd Learning is an equal opportunity employer committed to an inclusive workplace. Employment decisions are made without regard to race, color, religion, creed, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, pregnancy or pregnancy-related conditions, national origin, age, disability, predisposing genetic characteristics, military or veteran status, marital status, familial status, status as a victim of domestic violence, arrest or conviction record, or any other characteristic protected by law.

PLS 3rd Learning uses E-Verify to confirm the identity and employment eligibility of all new hires.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit a cover letter, current resume, and three professional references. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis. We look forward to learning about your interest in supporting educational leaders through this important work.