Operations / Administration Director of Program
Job Description
Organizational Overview:
At Literacy Trust, we believe education is a basic human right and access to high-quality literacy instruction is a cornerstone of our democracy. Our mission is to leverage what already exists in school communities to increase educational capacity in order to create fluent, motivated, self-confident readers.
Through our signature program, Reading Rescue, we provide professional development for teachers, paraprofessionals, and other school community members. Simultaneously, students are provided literacy intervention, particularly students of color in high-poverty neighborhoods. We strive to implement sustainable intervention models that eventually become a core component of the school’s literacy ecosystem. Reading Rescue is currently partnering with 120 New York City schools, reaching over 900 educators and 1500 students, throughout the five boroughs.
Literacy Trust is an organization that values diversity, equity and inclusion. We demonstrate this by ensuring that services reflect our values. Our focus is on promoting self-empowerment for educators, by providing additional resources and support, and by providing more students with opportunities to become readers (since we believe the ability to read is a basic civil right).
At Literacy Trust, we promote events, ideas, thinking, programs, and communities that inspire action in pursuit of universal access to literacy. To learn more about Literacy Trust, please visit: www.literacytrust.org. To learn more about Reading Rescue please visit: www.readingrescue.org.
Position Description:
Literacy Trust’s Program Director is part of a small but growing team working towards alleviating the early literacy crisis in New York City. The Program Director’s primary role is to oversee all aspects of the Reading Rescue program in up to 120 schools. The Program Director manages programmatic staff (6 – 10 people), directing the day-to-day operations of our professional development including onsite PD, coaching, school support and data management. The Program Director is an inspiring team leader who is goal-oriented; excited by both strategic and direct service-related work; and is savvy at managing people and projects remotely.
Program Implementation, Strategic Planning, Leadership, and Quality Control:
- Recruit new school partnerships and maintain high retention of existing school partners
- Become an expert in the Reading Rescue program
- Ensure high fidelity of Reading Rescue program model
- Monitor student achievement data as well as programmatic consistency and address growth areas immediately with school partners.
- Use both qualitative and quantitative data to ensure the maximum number of students reach grade-level proficiency in reading.
- Compile monthly reports related to program progress to goals and submit said reports to key external stakeholders, including but not limited to the Department of Education and the Young Men’s Initiative.
- Communicate strengths and areas of improvement on an ongoing basis to Literacy Trust’s Leadership Team and programmatic staff.
- Manage programmatic budgets by tracking expenses and creating quarterly financial reports, in collaboration with the Leadership Team.
Talent Management:
- Hire, develop, coach and support program team members.
- Design and implement monthly internal professional development that includes collegial inquiries and interactive workshops that benefit the entire team.
- Develop individualized plans for staff members that include targeted professional development.
- Track staff progress to goals and hold the team accountable to goals.
- Performance manage all team members using our performance management system.
Remote Project Management:
- Design and implement measures to track remote staff’s daily work in schools.
- Demonstrate an ability to manage time effectively, balance multiple competing priorities at once while remaining adaptable, flexible, and positive while navigating challenges.
- Anticipate challenges/questions and proactively act to address them.
- Understand organizational priorities and make measurable progress against these larger goals.
- Take on special projects as needed and work towards creating new systems that will positively impact the organization.
Requirements:
- Deep belief in our mission
- At least two years as a senior leader or 5+ years of people management experience with full-time staff
- Master’s degree in education or a related subject area
- Leadership experience with a proven track record of success meeting and setting ambitious goals
- 3+ years working with elementary-aged students in an educational setting; teaching experience and expertise in early literacy
- Expertise in analyzing and reporting on student data
- Knowledge of literacy assessments, evidence-based teaching strategies, and student data analysis
- Excellent computer skills, including MS Office, familiarity with Google Docs, and online project management tools such as Asana
- Access to reliable transportation to travel throughout the five boroughs
- The Program Director is expected to be in the field at least 50% of their time
Preferred
- Experience in nonprofit management
- Experience in remote settings, preferably experience as a manager of a remote staff
- Experience using Salesforce
- Expertise in DIBELS/Acadience assessments
- Some flexibility and adaptability in your work schedule, including early mornings and occasional night time
- Knowledge of and a connection to the New York City elementary education community
- US Citizenship or Permanent Resident Status
