VP, Digital Platforms, Data, & Engineering

Education Development Center (EDC) is a global nonprofit that works with partners to advance every person’s journey to learn, work, and be well.

For more than 65 years, EDC has partnered with communities, governments, and private sector to improve education, workforce development and health outcomes.

By combining interdisciplinary expertise with real-world experience, EDC works across these pillars to design, implement, and scale evidence-based solutions that help partners address complex challenges and create lasting change.

Founded in 1958, EDC today brings together a global team working across the United States and around the world. Our diverse portfolio of programs is supported by federal agencies, philanthropic foundations, multilateral institutions, and corporate partners.

STRONG CANDIDATE IDENITIFIED 

The VP, Digital Platforms, Data & Engineering reports directly to the Chief AI and Technology Officer and serves as the primary owner of EDC’s enterprise technology platforms, engineering capability, data architecture, and technology operationalization. 

This role exists to ensure that EDC’s technology investments translate into measurable organizational impact. The VP leads the teams responsible for engineering, enterprise platforms, business systems, data, and technology operations while establishing modern practices that enable the organization to move from fragmented systems and manual processes toward an AI-enabled, platform-driven future. 

Success is measured not by technology delivery alone, but by the organization’s ability to reliably operationalize new capabilities, improve staff productivity, increase access to data, and create scalable technology foundations that support EDC’s mission and growth strategy.

Essential Functions

Platform Strategy and Operations 

• Establish and execute EDC’s enterprise platform strategy. 
• Own the lifecycle, performance, security, and adoption-readiness of core enterprise platforms. 
• Ensure platforms support organizational priorities across programs, business development, operations, and people functions. 
• Drive simplification and modernization of business systems to reduce administrative burden and increase organizational agility. 

Engineering Leadership 

• Lead software engineering, architecture, and DevOps practices across the organization. 
• Establish modern engineering approaches, including AI-assisted and agentic engineering methodologies. 
• Develop reusable technology capabilities that accelerate delivery and reduce duplication. 
• Ensure solutions are scalable, secure, maintainable, and aligned with enterprise architecture standards. 

Data and Analytics 

• Establish data as a strategic organizational asset. 
• Lead enterprise data architecture, governance, reporting, and self-service analytics capabilities. 
• Improve accessibility, quality, and interoperability of data across systems. 
• Enable leadership and staff to make timely decisions using trusted and actionable information. 

Technology Operationalization 

• Build repeatable processes that move solutions from concept and prototype into production and sustained operation. 
• Improve organizational capability to deploy, support, and continuously improve digital solutions. 
• Reduce friction between technology development, operations, and end users. 
• Establish service ownership and operational excellence practices. 

Organizational Transformation 

• Partner closely with program, operations, and business development leaders to redesign workflows and improve organizational effectiveness. 
• Support EDC’s transition toward AI-enabled and digitally enhanced ways of working. 
• Identify opportunities to automate routine processes and increase staff capacity for higher-value work. 

Team Leadership 

• Lead multidisciplinary teams across engineering, platforms, data, and operations. 
• Build a culture of accountability, continuous improvement, customer service, and innovation. 
• Develop future technology leaders and create clear growth pathways within the organization. 

Education & Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Systems, Engineering, Data Science, or related field and 12+ years of progressive leadership experience. 
• Master’s degree preferred and 10+ years of progressive leadership experience. 
• Experience leading enterprise platforms, engineering teams, digital transformation initiatives, or technology operations. 
• Demonstrated success in modernizing business systems and operational processes. 
• Experience managing cross-functional teams and large-scale organizational change. 
• Strong understanding of cloud technologies, data architecture, enterprise applications, and modern software development practices. 

Skills and Competencies:

Strategic Technology Leadership

• Ability to align technology investments, enterprise platforms, engineering capabilities, and data strategy with organizational priorities and long-term business objectives. 

Operational Excellence 

• Strong ability to design, optimize, and scale technology operations, ensuring platforms, processes, and services are reliable, secure, efficient, and user-centered. 

Engineering and Platform Management 

• Experience leading multidisciplinary engineering, platform, and data teams while balancing innovation, operational stability, technical debt, and resource constraints. 

Systems Thinking 

• Ability to understand complex organizational workflows and design integrated solutions that reduce friction, improve decision-making, and increase organizational effectiveness. 

Data and Analytics Leadership 

• Ability to establish data as a strategic asset through governance, architecture, reporting, and self-service analytics that support operational and strategic decision-making. 

Change and Transformation Leadership 

• Ability to lead large-scale technology and process transformation efforts, influencing stakeholders across functions and driving adoption of new ways of working. 

Customer and Service Orientation 

• Commitment to delivering exceptional service to internal stakeholders through responsive support, continuous improvement, and a deep understanding of user needs. 

Communication and Influence 

• Ability to communicate complex technical concepts to diverse audiences and build alignment across executive leadership, operational teams, and technical staff. 

Cover Letter Requirement

As part of your application, please submit a cover letter addressing the following questions:

1. Describe a time when you led technical teams through significant organizational or technological change while partnering with nontechnical executives and business leaders. How did you create a sense of urgency, establish focus and accountability, and encourage adoption? What outcomes resulted?
2. Tell us about a time when you built, rebuilt, or significantly expanded an engineering capability. How did you increase development capacity and throughput while maintaining quality, security, reliability, and sustainable operating practices?

Please clearly describe your leadership role, the actions you took, and the measurable results achieved.

EDC affirms its steadfast commitment to uphold the highest standards of conduct, ensuring the protection of all individuals from misconduct, and maintains a zero-tolerance policy towards any violation of these rights. Safeguarding refers to the measures and practices put in place to protect individuals, particularly vulnerable groups, from harm, abuse, neglect, and exploitation. 

Candidates must be authorized to work in the United States without current or future visa sponsorship. At this time, the EDC is unable to support employment-based visa sponsorship.

EDC is a smoke-free workplace, and offers a supportive work environment, competitive salary, and excellent benefits.  

Total Rewards:  

EDC offers the following comprehensive benefits package for all eligible employees: 

• Health, dental, and vision insurance 
• Paid holidays 
• Generous vacation benefits for full- and part-time employees 
• Dependent Care Flexible Spending Accounts   
• Pre-tax transport benefit 
• Robust retirement plan with TIAA/CREF (Teachers Insurance and Annuity Association/College Retirement Equities Fund) 
• Paid sick time and personal time annually 
• Parental leave 
• Employee assistance program 

This position offers an anticipated base annual range of $200,000 - $300,000 approximately. Salary offers are made based on market analysis and internal equity. 

If you are a qualified individual with a disability or a disabled veteran, you have the right to request accommodation if you are unable or limited in your ability to use or access the EDC job opportunities website as a result of your disability. You can request reasonable accommodations by e-mailing [email protected] or by calling 202.572.3781.