School Network Staff Project Manager, Education Partnerships
Job Description
CareerWise New York (CWNY), powered by HERE to HERE (H2H), is an innovative new initiative, modeled after the Swiss Apprenticeship model, that is shaping New York’s workforce through innovative, business-led youth apprenticeships. We are helping New York businesses fill high-demand positions through apprenticeships that create value to both students and the companies that employ them.
CWNY was established by HERE to HERE to address both the skilled worker shortage and the unrealistic expectation that K-12 schools alone can adequately prepare students for today’s in-demand jobs without the involvement of industry and practice in the real world. In partnership with the New York City Department of Education, partner public high schools and the City University of New York (CUNY), CWNY will organize employers who will work side-by-side to help train high school juniors and seniors in high-growth, high-demand 21st Century skills in jobs. The CWNY 2019 pilot program will connect up 80-100 public high school students with three-year apprenticeships.
The Role
Reporting to Vice President, K12 Partnerships, the Project Manager, Education Partnerships will develop and sustain productive relationships with our current and future K-12 education partners. We work with our education partners to develop systems and strategies that result in increased access and success for students, strong value for businesses, and strong foundations to scale success in the CWNY apprenticeship model.
What will you do?
- In collaboration with the H2H CWNY Team, develop strong relationships with current and future K-12 districts, charter schools, and community colleges:
- Work with K-12 partners to manage student recruitment, plan logistics, engage parents and maintain effective and aligned communications across systems.
- Manage the development of student data systems, monitor progress towards goals and provide responsive support for unanticipated challenges.
- Collaborate with the CWNY team to develop support resources requested by partners.
- Ensure that continuous lines of communication keep colleagues and stakeholders informed of current plans and new initiatives.
- Ensure regular reporting and communicate critical issues across departments when needed.
Who are you?
You are an inspiring leader and facilitator of change driven by our bold vision. You have deep experience in education, but you also understand and can represent the perspectives of our stakeholders. You are entrepreneurial by nature. You enjoy learning and problem-solving alongside our K-12 and higher education partners, and can help them manage change and build on success. You are a strong collaborator on the education team and can serve as a valued contributor on an agile cross organizational team.
You believe that working with us will give you an opportunity to innovate and drive changes you have been hungry for in our education system and community. You feel best about your work when you are challenged, working hard and making a meaningful contribution. You enjoy the complexity of partnership management and systems change. Ultimately, you have the tenacity and creativity to deliver results.
Other useful skills and experience in this role:
- You have succeeded in other fast-paced, rapidly changing environment where you may propose an idea on Monday and execute it on Thursday (we mean it – it’s why this is first on the list);
- You can think in both systemic and strategic ways, and provide our partners with creative and productive insights about how to make our partnerships work;
- You have a passion for youth development and a curiosity about a wide range of 21st century career trajectories;
- You have credibility with K-12 education faculty and leadership, and the ability to gracefully navigate their distinct cultures;
- You have strong project management skills – you can prioritize activities and work in an independent, self-directed manner against tight deadlines as well as manage a team’s progress and keep them accountable to results;
- You are a confident and competent facilitator and participant in conversations with a variety of different audiences;
- You effectively and persuasively speak and write and can create and deliver compelling presentations and you can facilitate reflective conversations to promote learning;
- You have proficiency with or an ability to quickly learn and master Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Salesforce, Burning Glass, and project management software;
- Most importantly, you thrive in a high energy, dynamic team like ours. And we mean TEAM. We collaborate, engage in healthy debate, and jump in where ever our skills are needed.
What we are looking for:
As part of this unique team, you will be most successful if you possess most of the following:
- Postsecondary degree in education (or 4+ years professional experience in youth development, K-12 and/or higher education);
- Five years of K-12 and/or higher education experience;
- Demonstrated expertise in leading change efforts;
- Relational strength – able to quickly build rapport with a variety of people;
- Polished client management skills – you have composure and confidence in meetings with high-level staff of schools, districts, higher education institutions, businesses and state agencies;
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills;
- Unwavering commitment to service and social justice; willing to engage with and support colleagues and partners in addressing systemic barriers to youth success and racial inequity; personal commitment to young people growing up in low-income communities.
What is it like to work on the HERE to HERE CareerWise team?
You will be part of an innovative, action-oriented team that is agile, responsive, and collaborative. You will be fully immersed in the challenges of implementing and managing change. Each person in our organization plays a key role, and each team ensures that critical work moves forward in alignment with shared goals. When needed, we all roll up our sleeves to greet a new opportunity or tackle an unexpected challenge. The job description provides an overview of the core work but rest assured, there will be many new things along the way. We are agile, we can tolerate risk and ambiguity, we embrace new challenges, and we prioritize the importance of time devoted to reflection and learning.
About HERE to HERE:
HERE to HERE enhances paths to rewarding careers for young people by uniting employers, educators and community-based organizations in the Bronx and across New York City. Our vision is a thriving, inclusive economy, in the Bronx and elsewhere, driven by meaningful partnerships between young people and employers. We work closely with high schools, postsecondary programs (particularly CUNY Central and its Bronx campus), community-based organizations, public officials, and employers. Through partnerships, we are amplifying proven best practices to drive systems change that will help all young people access family-sustaining careers and choice-filled lives.
By 2020, 65% of American jobs will require some sort of postsecondary credential and for jobs that offer a family sustaining wage, the percentage will be even higher. In many low-income neighborhoods such as the South Bronx, a young person’s chance of getting a degree and credential—so critical for accessing a family-sustaining job—is, at best, 20%. In response to this issue, HERE to HERE is building a network of partner institutions who are committed to enhancing career pathways for in-school youth and young adults. We work to ensure that young people are on guided pathways to a promising career. Students will build their personal networks and essential and transferable skills through career exploration, internships, and summer employment. They will make informed postsecondary decisions and continue their career development by identifying and securing industry-recognized certification and degrees.
