Operations / Administration Manager of Partnerships
Job Description
About SPED Strategies
SPED Strategies believes every student with a disability deserves access to a high quality
education in an environment where they can thrive. We support leaders and educators across all levels of the education system and community by connecting the dots between policy, funding, and academics to advance outcomes for students with disabilities.
The Opportunity
Long-standing inequities have driven poor educational outcomes for students with disabilities. SPED Strategies is on a mission to change this through meaningfully designed professional learning for school systems, leaders and educators. We are seeking a Partnership Manager to sustain existing partnerships, while working closely with our Executive Leadership team to cultivate new partnerships that drive systemic change in service of improving outcomes for students with disabilities.
SPED Strategies has experienced rapid growth, and we are looking for someone who wants to bring their ideas, entrepreneurial spirit, and skills to our growing organization. The successful candidate for this role will have a relentless focus on improving outcomes for students with disabilities, a deep understanding of the strengths and opportunities in a given region, and an unbelievable ability to cultivate relationships with people from various backgrounds and belief systems and inspire them to change practices.
To apply for this position, please submit your resume and optional cover letter here:
https://bit.ly/47SeHfo
A SPED Strategies Manager of Partnerships will:
● Cultivate and Sustain Relationships to Drive Change. You thrive in collaborative settings and believe in the power of co-construction. You will cultivate relationships with school system staff in a given region to refine and enhance our approach for supporting systems change. In tandem, you will sustain internal relationships to support the development and refinement of a shared vision for and the effectiveness of the professional learning and coaching offered to our partners in your assigned region.
● Transform Professional Learning. You firmly believe effective facilitators are made and not born. In pursuit of transforming professional learning for the region you support, you will maintain pre-established processes, tools and strategies for the development of our part-time professional learning facilitators. As you implement the systems, you will reflect on what is working and what can be improved to more strategically work in alignment with our project and organizational goals. You will use these reflections to drive continuous iteration to enhance the systems that drive our shared work.
● Engage in Strategic Planning. You find joy in identifying the new and innovative
approaches to enhance our impact. In service of this, you will research and present
opportunities to further our work in the region you support. You will leave no stone
unturned in pursuit of expanding our reach and impact on students with disabilities
What You Bring
SPED Strategies is looking for amazing people who believe in the full potential of students with disabilities, and the ability of systems to change to meet that potential. SPED Strategies may be a good fit if you are someone who is constantly learning and growing; are both comfortable with a team oriented environment and have an independent work ethic; and believe in the power of constructive collaboration to elevate our collective efforts.
A SPED Strategies Manager of Partnerships will be someone who can:
● Influence leaders to act: You thrive in listening to others, identifying and understanding root causes, and investing in supporting others to a shared vision for solutions to the challenges they face. You can effectively translate partnership conversations into next
steps both internally and externally. You will regularly interact with, and be expected to
influence, high level clients at the district and school levels – motivating them to implement
both small and significant recommendations.
● Lead strategic initiatives: You are able to manage large-scale implementation efforts. You are able to both see the big picture and manage the small details. You know how and when to adjust your approach to maintain focus on key priorities. You use this to implement systems to manage and communicate across key aspects of an initiative.
● Value continuous growth and feedback: You believe that feedback is a valuable tool for
continuous growth, development and overall improvement. You actively work to solicit feedback from a variety of stakeholders in service of improvement. You must have proven abilities in integrating diverse stakeholder and cross-functional team feedback into a cohesive narrative.
● Embody flexibility / adaptability: You thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment that requires you to adjust quickly to changing priorities and conditions. You enjoy responding to complexity and change, and know how to use ambiguity as an opportunity for innovation and advancement. You are excited to work in a new role, and know that role will evolve over time.
Experience
SPED Strategies is seeking a regional Partnership Manager with a demonstrated commitment to improving outcomes for students with disabilities. The successful candidate will have:
● Bachelor’s degree required; advanced degree is a plus
● 5+ years of experience in K-12 education with time focused on special education.
● Experience in leadership roles and team management within district offices, state
agencies or other educational organizations
● Experience in facilitating adult professional learning within a state, district, school or other educational organization.
● Proven commitment to equity for all students, including students with disabilities
● Efficient planning skills with demonstrated ability to manage competing priorities and a
dynamic schedule
● Comfort with ambiguity and complexity; ability to assess challenges, identify flexible
solutions, and adapt as necessary.
● Strong oral and written communication skills
● A demonstrated commitment to working through obstacles to achieve individual and team goals and following through on all tasks, big or small
Location & Compensation
This is a full-time position located from a home office in Northwest Arkansas. Travel to local state, district and school agencies is expected and a significant portion of this role. The salary range for this position is $75,000-85,000. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and midpoint depending on experience, qualifications, and in alignment with internal equity. We offer competitive benefits including a 401(K) with employer match, full medical, dental, and vision coverage for employees, generous vacation time, family friendly policies, flexible work environments, and other benefits.
Equal Opportunity Employer
SPED Strategies is an equal opportunity employer. All applicants will be considered for
employment without attention to disability, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, or veteran status.
