Operations / Administration Program Director
Job Description
ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW
The Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders, Inc. (School Leaders) was created in 2015 based on the belief that Philadelphia’s strength as a city depends on its ability to deliver quality educational opportunities for all 215,000 students in its district, charter, and faith-based schools. Realizing this vision requires strong leadership in our schools. Recognizing that principals are the catalyst for change, School Leaders invests in leaders across district, charter, and faith-based schools in Philadelphia.
The Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders is a nonprofit organization that develops, engages, and retains principals and system leaders who transform schools, dramatically improve student outcomes, and drive systemic change to prepare all Philadelphia students for college, career, and life. Our programs develop principals – and the system leaders who supervise and support principals – by providing hands-on, relevant, and actionable training and cultivating collaboration among a network of outstanding peers. We provide school and system leaders with the necessary tools, skills, and networks to elevate their performance and improve school and student outcomes. Now in our seventh year, School Leaders serves nearly one-third of Philadelphia’s principals, the critical mass needed to drive systemic change for our city’s schools and students.
POSITION OVERVIEW
The Program Director will play an instrumental role in supporting School Leaders’ vision of achieving educational equity in Philadelphia so every child in every neighborhood attends a school that prepares all students to attain their dreams. This requires a highly effective principal in each Philadelphia district, charter, and faith-based school who ensures every student is prepared for college, career, and life. The Program Director will design, lead, and implement a portfolio of School Leaders’ programs to ensure participants experience engaging and impactful leadership development opportunities that build their capacity to improve schools and dramatically increase student outcomes.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The Program Director’s responsibilities will include, but not be limited to, the following:
Lead program design
- Directly design, lead, and implement a portfolio of School Leaders’ programs (initially including the Performance Partners Program, Leaders of Leaders, and new program/service development)
- Develop or refine program-specific goals and session objectives aligned with organizational metrics
- Prioritize competencies for development and design aligned scope and sequence
- Manage towards annual program metrics aligned to School Leaders’ mission, strategies, and goals
- Support program evaluation and incorporate findings into program design and implementation as part of a continuous improvement process
Ensure high-quality program implementation
- Develop program content and delivery aligned to program goals and prioritized competencies
- Design sessions that model effective adult learning principles
- Identify and partner with faculty – either internally within School Leaders or external individuals or organizations – to plan, develop content and delivery, and debrief sessions
- Directly facilitate sessions and other activities with program participants as applicable
- Coach a caseload of program participants in the Neubauer Fellowship and Senior Fellows (alumni)
- Support program-specific participant recruitment and selection
- Oversee stakeholder communication with participants, faculty, school system partners, and others
- Supervise event logistics to ensure seamless, efficient, and effective program delivery
- Manage program-specific budgets – monitor budget to actuals and anticipate future needs
- Supervise and support related program staff to ensure program quality and consistency
Develop cross-sector partnerships
- Cultivate relationships with school and system leaders across charter, district, and faith-based school systems as well as educational nonprofits
- Collaborate with school and system leaders to identify needs, align programs to address those needs, and coordinate program implementation
- Assess the Philadelphia principal landscape to identify potential candidates for our programs
- Develop content for communications and updates for external partners, funders, and stakeholders
- Identify strategic opportunities for new partnerships or programs
Provide organizational leadership
- Support development and implementation of organizational priorities and strategic plan
- Serve as a thought-partner in developing and refining School Leaders’ overall program portfolio
- Lead design and implementation of systems to promote sharing of strategies, tools, and resources across participants and programs
Additionally, the Program Director will fulfill any other responsibilities as needed or assigned by the Executive Director.
QUALIFICATIONS
The ideal candidate will demonstrate the following competencies:
- Passionately believes that all students can achieve at high levels
- Exhibits a strong focus on goals and results – including a track record of meeting or exceeding goals – and holds self personally accountable
- Develops, articulates, and builds buy-in to a clear vision
- Builds positive relationships with diverse stakeholders and maintains a service orientation
- Motivates, inspires, and moves other adults to action to achieve ambitious goals
- Communicates effectively in both written and verbal communication – actively listens and tailors message for audience, context, and mode of communication
- Plans strategically and offers innovative solutions to challenging problems
- Demonstrates excellent project management and implementation skills – works efficiently, maintains attention to detail, and is able to plan, multi-task, adapt, and balance requests from many stakeholders
- Exhibits a commitment to and action to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion
- Demonstrates an entrepreneurial mindset and ability to work in a fast-paced environment
- Maintains a positive attitude, flexibility, and humor
The ideal candidate will have the following experience:
- Experience as a K-12 principal or school leader
- A proven track record of training, developing, and/or coaching adult learners to improve practice
- A minimum of 5 years of strategic leadership and management experience in a K-12 education setting
- Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office and Google-based applications
- Bachelor degree required. Master’s degree in education, public policy, management, or related field preferred.
Compensation is competitive and based on experience. The Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders, Inc. offers a comprehensive benefits package to all employees.
The Philadelphia Academy of School Leaders, Inc. is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
For more information about School Leaders, please visit our website at phillyschoolleaders.org.
