Operations / Administration Saturday Programs Manager
Job Description
Bridge to Enter Advanced Mathematics (BEAM), a project of the Art of Problem Solving Initiative, Inc., is seeking a Saturday Programs Manager to lead our ongoing support for students through Saturday programming in New York City. This includes pre-semester hiring and logistics setup, overseeing Saturday staff during classes, helping shape Saturday class curricula, and leading change to improve and scale Saturday programs. This role will also be an integral part of our core summer programs by training for and serving as a (co-)Site Director. You’ll be part of a close-knit team that makes sure our programs run smoothly and are helping kids reach their full potential.
COVID-19 Note: BEAM programming is currently being offered online, and all staff are working remotely. We are planning on our Summer 2022 programs to run in-person, as well as student events starting in the fall. When our office does reopen for in-person work, it will open with a vaccine requirement in place (and may have other safety precautions, including social distancing and/or a masking requirement depending on the progression of the pandemic). Proof of vaccination (and a booster shot when eligible) will be required before working in-person at the office or BEAM events/programming.
About BEAM
The mission of BEAM is to help students from low-income and historically marginalized communities with talent in math enter a realistic pathway towards becoming scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and programmers. Led by staff with these same technical backgrounds, BEAM believes that pathways to STEM careers are created through access to advanced work that typically lies outside most school curricula. Hence, we work to transition our students to the same enrichment programs as more affluent students typically access.
BEAM’s model provides continuous support from middle school through college graduation, including intense academic summer programs for middle school students (after 6th and 7th grade), weekend classes and mentoring, and STEM-focused support to enrolled college students. Our program includes not just access to learning advanced math but also support finding and applying to other opportunities, including college admissions and financial aid. In addition to our academic content, bringing students into an intellectual community is a key part of our mission and all of our work is designed around that goal.
BEAM has grown from a small summer program serving 17 students in the summer of 2011 to a year-round, national program, serving 420+ students in summer 2021 at six program sites and 600+ students in year-round programming in New York City and Los Angeles this school year. In addition, our BEAM National pilot program is working with schools across the country to make our programs available to students everywhere and begin providing services in elementary school. BEAM’s work has been featured in the New York Times and the Atlantic. The Times article, in particular, is a good description of the experience for students. You may also find it helpful to view our most recent annual report.
Your Role
The Saturday Programs Manager is a unique opportunity to not just run a program but also help to shape it and develop its vision. You will be involved in creating curriculum, shaping how students interact with the program, and co-developing the vision with other BEAM staff. At scale, two full-time staff members will report to the Saturday Programs Manager, and this role will also hire and supervise seasonal part-time staff who teach and TA the Saturday classes.
As the Saturday Programs Manager, your responsibilities will include:
Pre-fall semester work (April–August):
- Saturday program setup logistics, including securing a space for Saturday classes and overseeing advertising / sign-up for students,
- Manage hiring and onboarding for part-time Saturday teaching staff.
Fall and Spring semester work:
- Keep track of Saturday program operations and manage the staff who execute operational / logistical tasks, as well as the instructors and TAs,
- Overseeing training for (full-time and part-time) staff working in Saturday programs; observe and evaluate Saturday part-time staff,
- Evaluate space and staffing needs throughout the year, and adjust as needed,
- Ensuring adherence to COVID-19 policies and procedures in Saturday classes,
- Oversee proper data collection, storage, and transfer to year-leads.
Summer program work (July–August):
- Act as a (co-)Site Director for BEAM Discovery, our five week day program for rising 7th graders. An experienced staff member will be on site during your first summer to ensure you are thoroughly trained.
- Supervise the program leadership team, implement all aspects of program procedures, and troubleshoot the program to ensure it runs smoothly,
- Guide messaging to students, families, and staff through presenting info session before camp, presiding over assemblies and staff meetings, phone call home to families, and more,
- Lead with empathy and mediate conflicts at the site with a foundation of restorative justice.
Ongoing / year-round work:
- Collaborate with the Executive Director, NY Programs and other staff to recommend and implement updates for the Saturday curriculum,
- Propose process and / or policy improvements for Saturday program design and operations, and manage the Saturday programs team to implement improvements after approval.
This position reports to BEAM’s Executive Director, NY Programs.
Qualifications
Above all, we’re looking for people who believe in the importance of the work we do, have the ability to dive into details while still looking for high-level process improvements, and love supporting youth. Given the managerial nature of the work, we expect you to work well independently and supervise team members to enable them to work as well.
We also have some technical qualifications in mind. We expect that if you are ready for this role, you will have:
- At least 5 years of relevant work experience, with some project management experience, or comprable,
- Experience developing curriculum or lesson plans, instructional design, or comprable,
- An ability to keep track of many operational and logistical details, think through multi-stakeholder eventualities and implications, and plan ahead,
- Strong organization skills with attention to detail,
- Ability to provide guidance to staff as needed to address and support student needs,
- A strong connection to the “why” of our work for both you and the team you will lead,
- Demonstrated commitment to BEAM’s mission and values.
Significant pluses may include:
- Experience with youth from historically marginalized and/or low-income communities,
- Experience guiding students in developing skills for success in high school (e.g. time management, organizational skills, etc.),
- Tangible experience (e.g., former work as a teacher) or formal exposure (e.g., specific education) in high school math education,
- Experience with math enrichment or advanced math,
- Work at a summer camp, especially in a position of leadership,
- Prior managerial experience,
- Fluency in a language spoken by our families, such as Spanish, Mandarin, or Cantonese,
- Mediation training and/or experience,
- Restorative justice training and/or experience.
Salary, Benefits, and Other Details
The salary range for this role is $60,000-$75,000 depending on experience. BEAM provides a number of benefits, including health, dental, and vision; pre-tax commuter benefits; educational loan repayment assistance; and discounted health club membership. We provide 12 paid holidays/office closures, 7 dedicated sick days, and an additional 15 days of paid time off. Paid time off will increase by one day for each year worked for your first five years of employment.
One unique aspect of our organization is our highly-flexible work policies. Time off is very flexible and it is easy to work from home (both before and beyond COVID-19) so long as you are keeping up with your responsibilities (some of which, of course, will eventually have to be done in person). Many of us shift our work times (doing work earlier or later in the day) to gain flexibility during the day to take extra time for appointments or errands. However, please be aware that this position will require regular Saturday work based on BEAM’s weekend class schedules. Most staff choose a Tuesday-Saturday schedule to allow for two consecutive days off, but there is flexibility in deciding your weekly schedule. In general, we are all very dedicated but also very relaxed, and we care deeply that the work environment is pleasant for everyone.
As an organization, we are dedicated to the growth of our staff members. We will pay for training to supplement your skills when appropriate, and we encourage all of our staff to learn from each other. (We are, after all, an education organization!)
We would like this position to start by June 15, 2022. For someone leaving a teaching and/or school administration position, we would also be amenable to a start date later in June to accommodate the school year calendar.
Application Process
The initial application is to submit your resumé and application via our online portal. When your application is complete, we will follow up with next steps.
Next steps in our process may include a short 30-minute phone interview and/or sample projects so you can show us your work. We believe in the importance of demonstrated ability and work samples and give candidates opportunities to demonstrate relevant skills for the role throughout our process.
The final step of our process is a final interview with the team. We recognize the time you put into the process and we won’t load you down with any unnecessary bureaucracy.
For accommodation requests related to the job application process, please contact Human Resources Coordinator Emily New-Cruse at emily@beammath.org.
This role has a priority application deadline of April 15, 2022, but we will review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.
Finally
We believe strongly in communication and collaboration. In the spirit of that collaborative atmosphere, we strongly encourage you to ask questions about the position! You can contact the hiring manager, Ruthi Hortsch, at ruthi@beammath.org.
We’re very excited that you’re interested in the program. Thank you for applying to BEAM.
Sincerely,
Ruthi Hortsch, Executive Director, NY Programs
And the Entire Staff at BEAM
