Operations / Administration Program Associate
Job Description
The Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) is seeking a Program Associate to provide event support and project management across multiple projects. The ideal candidate for this role brings strong organizational skills and incredible attention to detail while balancing the need to be flexible and nimble in the execution of projects. This candidate sees our learning and project events as ways to create welcoming and meaningful experiences for educators; builds relationships and works effectively with a range of stakeholders with a high degree of customer service; is excited about helping CEI’s project teams effectively translate big ideas into reality; and seeks growth opportunities in project design and management, facilitation, and educator development.
About Colorado Education Initiative
Colorado Education Initiative (CEI) envisions a near-future in which every student in Colorado is prepared and unafraid to succeed in school, work, and life. We believe that all students, without exception, deserve an education that serves their academic, personal, professional, entrepreneurial, and civic needs. This requires accelerating educational improvement and innovation across Colorado to reimagine the K-12 education system for the 21st century in a way that promotes and prioritizes equitable outcomes for students.
CEI is a statewide nonprofit that has worked with educators as an inspired and supportive partner on the ground in more than 150 urban, suburban, and rural school districts over the past decade. CEI has a multi-faceted role serving as implementation expert, innovation thought leader, and state-wide convener and trusted partner.
Of note, we are also on an organizational journey to more deeply prioritize diversity, equity, and inclusion in the work we support across Colorado. We are beginning to identify and embed promising practices in our culture and talent systems and are making a focused set of investments in the professional development of our team. We believe our work demands this because of the historic and current experiences in the school systems in which we operate and because we believe the outcomes we seek for students requires the prioritization of equity. In all roles, we welcome candidates who are eager to participate in and contribute to this work and whose lived experiences deepen our perspectives on the education system.
Responsibilities
Event Support:
- Lead event planning and on-site support for project events
- Ensure that events are planned and implemented successfully, embody CEI standards, and are of high quality
- Represent our organization and serve as the primary point of contact for participants throughout an event
- Manage and coordinate all event logistics; anticipate and solve problems that emerge
- Coordinate and support event team members, external partners, and contractors to fulfill their roles in all events
- Carry out event and project participant data collection activities
Project Management:
- Create detailed project plans with support from project team members
- Manage daily project activities against project plans
- Provide budget management support to project leads as needed
- Document project team notes and manage follow-up activities
- Manage and route incoming communications with school and district partners
- Identify, elevate, and solve for project needs
Knowledge Management and Continuous Improvement:
- Schedule and participate in project debrief and reflection activities
- Support teams in using tools, templates, and resources to document our process and work throughout a project
- Coordinate with Project Leads to ensure that CEI integrates organizational learnings into projects
Qualifications
A successful candidate will have at least two years of experience assisting with project management and event logistics, including the preparation of materials and participant communications. They will have experience with event registration software or similar software tools. In addition, they will be highly organized, detail oriented, an outstanding verbal and written communicator, and able to manage multiple projects simultaneously. A demonstrated interest in and commitment to public education is preferred. The person in this role must be available and willing to travel for multiple days at a time for an estimated 25% of their time each month, primarily within Colorado.
Competencies
This position requires strong project management, organizational, interpersonal communication, collaboration, relationship building, multi-tasking skills, and the ability to anticipate and take initiative to predict and solve problems.
Compensation
- Full-time position
- Salary commensurate with experience in a range of $40,000-$55,000
- Competitive benefits package and some flexible scheduling available
