Education Liaison to the Mayor
ABOUT THE SHEFFIELD ADMINISTRATION
Detroit is entering a historic new chapter under Mayor-Elect Mary Sheffield, the city’s first woman to serve as Mayor. Elected with a decisive mandate, Mayor-Elect Sheffield brings a steady, community-rooted approach to governing—one focused on listening to residents, healing long-standing divides, and delivering meaningful improvements in daily life across every neighborhood. She will take office on January 1, 2026, with a commitment to building a city that lifts every family and expands opportunity for all.
As she forms her administration, Mayor-Elect Sheffield is assembling a talented, diverse team of leaders who bring deep expertise, lived experience, and the courage to put forward bold, innovative ideas that move Detroit forward. Her team will drive a City government grounded in collaboration, equity, transparency, and results. The Sheffield Administration seeks mission-driven individuals who are ready to serve, ready to build, and ready to help shape Detroit’s future.
ABOUT THE OFFICE
The Office of the Mayor leads Detroit’s strategic priorities to strengthen neighborhoods, expand opportunity, and support a thriving future for all residents. Public education is central to this mission. Detroit’s education landscape includes Detroit Public Schools Community District (DPSCD), more than 70 charter schools, early-childhood providers, and numerous community partners working to support students and families. The Education Liaison serves as the Mayor’s senior advisor on all education matters and is the primary point of coordination between the City, the school district, public charter entities, community education organizations, and state-level partners. The role reflects the Mayor-Elect’s commitment to ensuring that every Detroit child has access to high-quality education, supportive services, safe learning environments, and pathways to future opportunity.
ABOUT THE ROLE
The Education Liaison advises the Mayor on all issues related to K–12 education, early childhood, youth development, and school-community partnerships. The role serves as Detroit’s central convener across DPSCD, charter school authorizers, school operators, early-learning providers, youth-serving nonprofits, and City departments whose work touches children and families. The Liaison helps identify challenges, align city resources, strengthen school partnerships, elevate resident and student voice, and advance policies that improve educational outcomes and family well-being. This position requires deep familiarity with Detroit’s education ecosystem, strong political and interpersonal judgment, and the ability to collaborate with multiple stakeholders in a complex environment.
This role will drive the administration’s priorities, including:
Strengthen the City’s partnership with DPSCD and charter-school operators to improve student outcomes and expand access to high-quality education.
Advance early-childhood access and support the creation of safe, stable environments for Detroit’s youngest learners.
Align City departments — including youth services, public health, transportation, housing, and recreation — to support schools, students, and families.
Support the Mayor’s goals to expand safe routes to school, afterschool and out of school time programs, improve student transportation equity, and enhance learning environments through neighborhood revitalization.
Elevate youth and family voice in City decision-making and ensure policies reflect the lived experience of Detroit students and caregivers.
Coordinate with workforce and economic-development leaders to strengthen pathways from high school to jobs, training programs, apprenticeships, and college opportunities.
Monitor state and federal education policy changes and advise the Mayor on implications for Detroit students, schools, and families.
Ensure collaborative, non-adversarial engagement between DPSCD, charter leaders, and the City by building trust, transparency, and shared problem-solving frameworks.
This description outlines the general nature and key responsibilities of the role and is not intended to be exhaustive; duties, responsibilities, and activities may be modified at the discretion of the Mayor.
Core responsibilities include:
Serve as the Mayor’s senior advisor on K–12 education, early childhood, and youth-development issues.
Act as the primary liaison between the Mayor’s Office, DPSCD leadership, charter-school authorizers, school operators, and early-learning organizations.
Represent the City in education-focused coalitions, cross-sector working groups, and policy conversations with school leaders, state agencies, nonprofits, and philanthropic partners.
Identify challenges facing Detroit students and families and develop solutions in partnership with schools and City departments.
Coordinate City services that support schools, including public safety, public health, recreation, neighborhood improvements, environmental safety, and transportation resources.
Help schools navigate City processes, permitting, facilities support, safety protocols, and neighborhood planning efforts.
Monitor policy changes at the state level and develop briefing materials, talking points, and recommendations for the Mayor.
Manage crisis-response coordination between the City and schools when needed, including safety incidents, environmental concerns, or service disruptions.
Develop communications and engagement strategies to keep residents, families, and educators informed about City-school initiatives.
Prepare reports, updates, and recommendations regarding education priorities, youth outcomes, and cross-agency collaboration.
Build and maintain relationships with youth-serving organizations, family advocates, community coalitions, and faith-based institutions that support Detroit children.
Qualifications:
Bachelor’s degree in public policy, education, public administration, social work, or a related field; advanced degree preferred.
At least five years of experience in education policy, school-district administration, charter-school management, youth development, government, or related roles.
Deep understanding of Detroit’s education landscape, including DPSCD, charter-school governance, early-childhood systems, and youth-serving organizations.
Proven ability to collaborate with executive-level leaders, elected officials, educators, families, and community partners.
Strong policy, research, and analytical skills with ability to translate data into actionable recommendations.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills, with the ability to represent the Mayor’s Office in high-level conversations.
Experience developing cross-sector partnerships and coordinating services for children and families.
Demonstrated commitment to equity, family-centered service, and improving outcomes for Detroit students.
Ability to work flexible hours in support of community meetings, school events, and time-sensitive matters.
Rate of Pay: $80,000 - $120,000 annually, commensurate with qualifications and experience.
Benefits: Our goal is to attract and retain a highly skilled workforce by providing generous healthcare and other benefits to eligible employees. Learn more about benefits for City of Detroit employees.
Equal Opportunity in Employment: The Sheffield Administration is committed to building a diverse and inclusive workplace. Even if you do not meet all of the requirements listed above, we encourage you to apply if you believe you have the skills, experience, and expertise necessary to thrive in this role. The City of Detroit is an equal opportunity employer, and we encourage candidates of all backgrounds—including those historically underrepresented in municipal government—to apply.