Project Director Jobs

NextGen Talent’s mission is to boost the enrollment of low-income students and students of color in postsecondary programs that lead to well-paying careers. To accomplish this goal, NGT partners with college access+success organizations, high schools, and community-based organizations to deliver tactical, evidence-based career guidance tools and coaching services to students and their advisors. Our tools increase the local labor market literacy of advisors and their students and help them to identify postsecondary programs in their region with a good return on investment. NGT also partners with CareerSpring to offer services that help students build professional networks and connect to internship opportunities and good first jobs.

NGT, which serves over 6,000 students and their advisors in the Greater Boston area, is excited to announce that it will be bringing its services to Texas. The Dell Foundation has awarded NGT a two-year grant to expand our services to Houston starting in 2024. We are seeking a Project Director to manage various aspects of the expansion effort. This new position will be an instrumental part of NGT’s growth at a critical moment for the organization. NGT has an opportunity to fundamentally shift how young people are equipped to navigate their career and postsecondary options on a local – and now – national scale.

Responsibilities

Qualitative Research for Product Development

• Work with the state of Texas on the development of an innovative statewide tool – Texas is planning to create an online portal for high school students to understand what debt and earnings they can expect from different majors at various institutions in the state. Our team aims to collaborate with the state to contribute to the research for and design of this tool to help students make more informed decisions when investing in a postsecondary credential.
• Develop and refine NGT’s products & services for students and their advisors in the Houston area – Assist NGT’s Assistant Director with the qualitative research (i.e., online research, phone calls to college admissions and program department chairs, documentation of research, analysis) needed to create customized tools for Houston. We aim to develop tools and training to help advisors and their students understand the Houston labor market and postsecondary landscape, as well as to efficiently identify strong postsecondary programs in Houston that lead to well-paying jobs.

Partnership Development

• Solicit partner feedback for collaborative design and refinement of products and training.
• Manage the accounts of partner schools/organizations, including NGT’s initial partners in year one and any new partners over the course of the project (years 2+), including managing payment to NGT for its services and sales renewals.
• Help manage partnerships with initial 2-3 organizations/schools selected for our pilot in Houston and help identify and solidify any new partnerships as the project evolves.

Training of NGT’s Partner Schools and Organizations

• Help to develop materials for NGT’s professional development training sessions.
• Assist in training NGT’s initial cohort of Houston partner schools/organizations on how to use our tools and curricular materials to help their students identify high-value postsecondary programs aligned with their career interests and talents.Train new partners as the project evolves.

Tracking & Evaluation

• Store and track feedback from surveys and conversations with partners in a database.
• Prepare summaries and other reports/updates as needed for current and potential funders and extract highlights for use in outreach materials to recruit new partners and funders.
• Help to analyze progress and impact based on project metrics.
• Collect feedback on the impact of NGT’s services with our partner organizations/schools through surveys of advisors and students.

Sales and Marketing

• Pitch NGT’s products and services to potential customers in the Houston area.

Qualifications

• Advising and Career Development Expertise: Strong knowledge and experience in the field of high school or college advising, or career development services, with the ability to provide guidance and support to students and advisors.
• Collaboration and Relationship Building: Strong interpersonal skills to collaborate effectively with diverse teams, build strong partnerships, and work well across lines of difference.
• Training and Presentation Skills: Excellent training facilitation and presentation abilities, with the capacity to engage and inspire audiences through effective public speaking and delivering engaging training sessions.
• Leadership and Problem Solving: Demonstrated leadership qualities, inspiring individuals to adopt evidence-based and strategic approaches to postsecondary and career advising, while effectively solving problems that arise along the way.
• Program and Project Management: Demonstrated ability to effectively manage programs and projects, ensuring successful execution and achieving desired outcomes.
• Equity and Mission Alignment: Deep commitment to advancing equity in education and alignment with NGT's mission, driving motivation and dedication to the organization's goals.
• Research Skills: Proficiency in conducting research to gather relevant data and insights, analyze findings, and utilize research to customize tools and resources to meet the specific needs of advisors and students.
• Communication Skills: Exceptional written and verbal communication skills to articulate NGT's mission, approach, and services to various audiences with passion and clarity.
• Self-Motivation: Proven ability to work independently, take initiative, and effectively manage complex projects and priorities in a remote or hybrid work environment.

Role Requirements

• US work authorization required and must be fully vaccinated against COVID including most recent boosters.
• While this position is mostly remote, you will need your own reliable transportation since there will be occasional travel to training sessions and meetings in Houston, Texas.

Compensation

• This is a grant-funded position.
• This full-time employee role will be compensated for $80,000-100,000/year depending on experience.

To apply:

Please send your résumé and a 1-page cover letter explaining why you are a great fit for this position to Orquidia Paulino – [email protected]

NGT encourages people of all backgrounds to apply, especially those from non-traditional backgrounds, historically marginalized or underrepresented groups. NGT is a stronger organization because of our team’s diverse experiences, expertise, and perspectives.