Associate Director Of Program Strategy And Innovation

ORGANIZATION

Leading Educators (LE) is a national nonprofit committed to ensuring that all students have access to excellent and equitable teaching every day. Educational equity starts with creating consistently excellent learning experiences from classroom to classroom so every student has the opportunity to reach college and career readiness. Alongside school system leaders, we create the conditions and structures for teachers to continuously and collaboratively build skill and knowledge in mathematics and ELA through the implementation of shifts- and standards-aligned curriculum. We reinforce system-wide progress with highly customized, direct support to teacher, school, and district leaders, focusing on building rigorous content knowledge as well as deep knowledge in learning systems, equity, and learning culture. When we lead educators, and empower them to lead other educators, we create exponential impact across entire school systems, ensuring every student in every classroom has what they need to thrive. Please visit leadingeducators.org to learn more.

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Internal applicants have until August 16th, 2023 to submit their application. External candidates, please note we are currently in an internal staff member application window so external candidates can expect to hear updates on their status starting the week of 8/21/23.

POSITION

At Leading Educators (LE), the Program Strategy and Innovation Team leads innovation work across the organization. With an eye towards the future, our team leads projects focused on but not limited to developing new products and services, rapidly designing and piloting programs, and facilitating processes to support innovation efforts on other teams.

The Associate Director of Program Strategy and Innovation will play a critical role in supporting the long-term success of our team by developing and implementing workflow and design systems, supporting project-related research and testing efforts, and contributing to and in some cases leading innovation projects.

This position reports to the Managing Director of Program Strategy and Innovation, will work in close collaboration with the entire team, as well as teammates across the organization, including colleagues on our Network, Network Support, and Internal Communications teams.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Team Operations Strategy and Implementation

• Support special projects like planning team retreats, creating and managing internal team resource hubs and websites, creating collateral for internal stakeholders
• In collaboration with the team, identify opportunities to facilitate internal cross-team collaboration and resources to support project goals
• Develop and implement new and refined workflow systems and processes to maximize capacity, efficiency, and impact, both team-wide and on specific projects
• Craft and manage team and project-related communication with internal staff
• Support the development and implementation of new methods and tools

Project Support

• Rapidly learn about new clients, content areas, and opportunities to support learning across the team as needed
• Identify and analyze themes, strengths, and opportunities across quantitative and qualitative data sets
• Provide flexible support for projects, including developing stimuli, conducting research, operations and logistics,and supporting workshop facilitation

REQUIREMENTS TO BE HIRED FOR THE ROLE:

• Be a process improver: You have experience evaluating the effectiveness of processes, anticipating needs, and employing creative, effective recommendations and solutions for process improvements.
• Be a strong project manager: You have a track record of successfully leading short and long term, complex projects across multiple teams that include managing multiple deliverables, stakeholders, collaborators, and deadlines. You have excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

• Candidates must:

  • Have at least 5 years of relevant experience

  • Have equity at your core: You bring a deep commitment to creating outstanding schools in support of educational equity and to directly challenging and dismantling historical inequity and racism.

  • Be a strong project manager: You have a track record of successfully leading short and long term, complex projects across multiple teams that include managing multiple deliverables, stakeholders, collaborators, and deadlines. You have excellent organizational skills and attention to detail.

  • Be a skilled communicator across multiple channels: You bring strong written, verbal and visual communication skills that can tailored to different audiences

  • Be a process improver: You have experience evaluating the effectiveness of processes, anticipating needs, and employing creative, effective recommendations and solutions for process improvements.

  • Be comfortable with (and ideally energized by) ambiguity: You thrive in an entrepreneurial environment with responsibility and autonomy. You are self-motivated with the ability to anticipate and take initiative to work independently or collaboratively as needed.

  • Be platform and tools savvy: You are fluent in different virtual collaboration tools–must have strong fluency with Google Workspace; preferably experience with platforms/tools like Coda, Asana and Miro

  • Build strong relationships- Ability to build relationships across teams and stakeholders.

• Be comfortable with (and ideally energized by) ambiguity: You thrive in an entrepreneurial environment with responsibility and autonomy. You are self-motivated with the ability to anticipate and take initiative to work independently or collaboratively as needed.
• Be platform and tools savvy: You are fluent in different virtual collaboration tools–must have strong fluency with Google Workspace; preferably experience with platforms/tools like Coda, Asana and Miro
• An up to date COVID-19 vaccination status is NOT a requirement for employment at Leading Educators.
• Build strong relationships- Ability to build relationships across teams and stakeholders.
• Have at least 5 years of relevant experience
• Applicants must be authorized to work for ANY employer in the United States.
• Have equity at your core: You bring a deep commitment to creating outstanding schools in support of educational equity and to directly challenging and dismantling historical inequity and racism.
• Candidates must be able to travel up to 20%, unless an accommodation has been approved.
• Be a skilled communicator across multiple channels: You bring strong written, verbal and visual communication skills that can tailored to different audiences

LOCATION

When not traveling up to 20%, the Associate Director of Program Strategy and Innovation will work from a home office that can be located anywhere within the U.S.

COMPENSATION

If hired for this position, the compensation range for this position starts at $72,054, with a midpoint of $90,068, and a maximum of $108,082 annually. Compensation is competitive, commensurate with experience and in alignment with internal equity. Candidates, either newly hired or new to the role, can typically expect a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. In addition, Leading Educators offers a very generous benefits package including 100% paid medical, dental, and vision coverage for individual employees. Eligible dependents receive 60% medical premium cost coverage and 100% coverage for dental, and vision plans. We also offer a 4% matching 401k plan, Flexible Spending Accounts for medical, childcare and commuter expenses, and an Employee Assistance Program (EAP). Benefits are valued at or above $9,000 for employees.

Additionally, Leading Educators offers generous time off with pay in order to support a sustainable high performance work culture. During the first three years of employment, full time staff accrue 22 days a year. Five additional days are accrued after the third and sixth year of employment. Leading Educators also offers 16 additional paid days off for various holidays, including three floating holidays staff may use at their discretion.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYMENT

Leading Educators strongly values equity and challenges historical inequity with a persistent focus on dismantling systemic racism. We work towards a more just society and as such we are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment because of race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.

APPLY

Please apply by using the online application at https://leadingeducators.org/careers/opportunities/