Research and Policy Postsecondary Program and Engagement Manager
Job Description
ABOUT SCORE
Tennessee has been making significant progress in advancing a bold education reform plan over the last decade and is now a leader in the nation in dramatically improving student achievement. Tennessee is among the fastest improving states for student achievement according to the Nation’s Report Card.
While Tennessee has made significant gains, there is still much to do – in K-12 education, in college and career readiness, and in postsecondary completion. The State Collaborative on Reforming Education (SCORE) plays a critical role in advancing student achievement, aligning K-12 and postsecondary, and ensuring that all students can achieve career and life success. We work to monitor statewide progress in support of a prioritized agenda that drives collaboration on policy while generating proof points and providing targeted support for implementation across the state.
SCORE is an independent, nonprofit, and nonpartisan organization founded by former US Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist and is dedicated to the goal that all students can achieve success in college, career, and life. SCORE supports student success in public schools across Tennessee by ensuring all schools and systems meet high expectations; preparing, recruiting, supporting, and retaining excellent teachers and leaders; and aligning K-12 and college with career and life success.
SCORE is based at Vanderbilt University’s John Seigenthaler Center. For more information on SCORE, please visit www.tnscore.org.
OVERVIEW OF THE POSITION
The Postsecondary Program & Engagement Manager plays a critical role in leading postsecondary program development and implementation; coordinates and implements new and emerging activities for postsecondary priorities through supporting, collaborating, and partnering with SCORE team members and external partners.
The Postsecondary Program & Engagement Manager reports to the Senior Director of Postsecondary Impact and collaborates closely with SCORE’s Advocacy and Research & Innovation workstreams.
This role will be a good fit for you if you are an ambitious self-starter and excited about building programs from the ground up, including carefully managing details and problem-solving in the moment to move projects forward in a fast-paced and often ambiguous environment. It is critical that you bring a learning mindset and a personal commitment to driving success for all students across Tennessee.
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES
The Postsecondary Program & Engagement Manager is responsible for three main sets of activities:
Program Development and Implementation (approximately 50% of overall time)
- Build and develop detailed and actionable work plans for key postsecondary programs and initiatives in collaboration with SCORE programmatic team and Senior Director of Postsecondary Impact.
- Support implementation and management on plans for new postsecondary strategic practice networks in partnership with Director of Strategic Practice and Data, by 1) analyzing data to identify common challenges across systems; 2) proposing, designing, and executing communities of practice to target common challenges; and 3) proactively tracking and sharing lessons learned from strategic practice to ensure work has impact beyond pilots.
- Support implementation and management on qualitative research projects with clear goals and flexibility to adjust course in partnership with director of research and data and research analyst.
- Engage with programmatic team members to develop strategies for effective policy advocacy and stakeholder engagement.
- Lead and manage the Complete Tennessee Leadership Institute for SCORE, including planning for high-quality content in partnership with The Hunt Institute, engaging regularly with cohort members, and building and implementing a process for participant recruitment.
Strategic Writing and Reporting (~10%)
- Develop concept memos and work plans in partnership with Senior Director of Postsecondary Impact to drive action, implementation, and ongoing evaluation of new postsecondary activities.
- Quickly write memos and documents and pull relevant information from the field when asked by partners, funders, policymakers, and team members.
- Serve as main liaison to report to the finance and operations team and external partners by providing comprehensive monthly written updates for all postsecondary work; determine most relevant, timely, and strategic information to share.
Internal and External Partnerships and Engagement (~40%) - Engage with programmatic team to collaborate on specific postsecondary activities and understand how work is connected.
- Build and manage partner relationships associated with postsecondary initiatives and broad stakeholder engagement, ensuring strong working relationships, timely follow through, and strategic alignment by turning connection points into specific recommendations to advance SCORE’s priorities.
- Develop and deliver effective presentations to external audiences in clear messages and public speaking to share, discuss, and advance SCORE’s mission.
QUALIFICATIONS
SCORE is looking for a Postsecondary Program & Engagement Manager who:
- Demonstrates commitment to SCORE’s mission and SCORE’s core values of student focus, collaboration, optimism, excellence, and innovation.
- Has a bachelor’s degree and demonstrated success in project management, specifically in developing, launching, and managing new initiatives.
- Demonstrated ability to build and maintain strong professional relationships and effectively engage stakeholders to accomplish common goals.
- Comfort and evidence of ability to collaborate effectively with a wide range of stakeholders including both those in academia and senior level leaders is necessary.
- Experience managing multiple tasks simultaneously with high attention to detail in a fast-paced, rapid-growth, and intellectually-demanding environment.
- Strategic thinker with ability to execute on tasks while ensuring work is targeted and aligned with organizational priorities.
- Strong analytical skills, with the ability to think in innovative ways and the ability to communicate with a variety of audiences.
- Demonstrated track record of being nimble and flexible, with a growth mindset and ability to manage ambiguity and collaborate across an organization.
COMPENSATION
SCORE offers a competitive salary commensurate with experience.
BENEFITS
SCORE deeply values team members and their well-being and is proud to offer a comprehensive benefits plan. All full-time SCORE employees are eligible for benefits, including:
- Medical insurance, including access to a high-quality network with SCORE paying for the majority of medical coverage costs; dental insurance options; vision insurance options; employer-paid disability, life insurance, and EAP benefits; access to Flexible Savings Accounts (FSA) and Health Savings Accounts (HSA) benefits
- Eligible for participation in a 401K program with employer match after one year of service
- Paid parental leave time, including paternity, maternity, and adoption leave, available after six months of service
- Paid time off, holiday office closures, and paid floating holidays
- Professional development, including participation in expert-led management workshops
- Free on-site parking
