Operations / Administration Vice President, Work Based Learning Labs
Job Description
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 (and particularly CUNY 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. HERE to HERE believes that its ultimate success will be determined by the extent to which high schools, postsecondary institutions, and employers adopt and implement a set of new practices and policies that radically improve the preparation of young people for careers, amplify their ability to obtain promising entry-level positions, and enhance the experiences of participating partner employers.
What is it like to work on the HERE to HERE 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 posting provides an overview of the core work but be 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.
The Role
The Vice President of Work-Based Learning Labs will lead HERE to HERE’s demonstration work across a network of high schools, postsecondary programs, summer placements and internships, and other work-based learning (WBL) experiences in the Bronx and New York City. You will manage 5-7 staff who make up the Work-Based Learning Labs Team (WBLL). As a member of the senior leadership team, the Vice President will also provide strategic guidance for all aspects of HERE to HERE’s work and organizational health. Along with all members of the HERE to HERE team, the Vice President of Work-Based Learning Labs will work with employers and educational institutions to examine root causes of injustice and build equity into our education and workforce systems. This position reports to the CEO.
The WBLL Team works with high schools, postsecondary partners, CBOs, public agencies, and worksites to implement and improve work-based learning opportunities that prepare in-school youth and young adults for family sustaining wages, with the opportunity to scale. Demonstrations might include technical assistance to implement WBL platforms, coaching and student-centered supports in high schools, pitching and supporting pilot programs to implement WBL at the postsecondary level, brokering school-year and summer opportunities for youth, and collaborating with CBO partners to offer student-centered programming at the HERE to HERE Hub.
What will you do?
The Vice President, Work-Based Learning Labs will manage the WBLL Team in its efforts to integrate work-based learning in schools throughout New York City, starting in the Bronx with HERE to HERE network schools. You will set and lead the WBLL strategy and vision, and work with internal and external stakeholders to advance work-based learning at scale. This work will include, but is not limited to:
- Setting strategic vision of WBL demonstrations across high schools, postsecondary programs, and summer placements and internships with a keen focus on what will drive systems change.
- Managing the WBLL Team, whose work spans a network of high schools, postsecondary programs, summer placements and internships, and other work-based learning experiences in the Bronx and New York City.
- Develop strong relationships as a trusted advisor to key educational, community based, and government partners.
- Work in concert with the other senior leaders to achieve HERE to HERE’s organizational goals.
- Support the professional development of WBLL Team members and contribute to organization-wide learning and growth.
- Manage special projects as they arise, in partnership with internal and external stakeholders.
- Oversee, manage, execute, and analyze all WBLL Team grants.
- Work closely with the VP of Policy to inform HERE to HERE’s work-based learning policy agenda.
- Inform data management, data tracking goals, and analysis work, alongside HERE to HERE’s research team.
- Collect and report progress of WBLL demonstration work to relevant stakeholders.
Who are you?
You are an inspiring systems-level leader and facilitator of change who is driven by our bold vision. You have deep experience in education and can understand and represent the perspectives of all our stakeholders, including employers, young adults, teachers, principals, and community members. You are entrepreneurial by nature. You enjoy learning, problem-solving, and problem-finding alongside our employer partners, and can help them manage change, build on success, and develop innovative solutions. You are a strong collaborator 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 and work-readiness 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 as part of HERE to HERE’s performance-oriented culture.
What are we looking for?
As part of this unique team, you will be most successful if you possess most of the following:
- In-depth knowledge and understanding of the NYC education system (NYC DOE and CUNY).
- Unwavering commitment to service, racial equity, and social justice; and a personal commitment to young people growing up in low-income communities.
- Leadership experience in public education and or workforce institutions (ideally, working with secondary or postsecondary populations) and demonstrated success advocating for change within these systems.
- 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 accountability to obtaining results.
- Experience managing a team with a variety of experiences and expertise.
- Willingness to engage with and support colleagues, employers, and other partners in addressing systemic barriers to youth success, and ability to facilitate reflective conversations to promote feedback and learning.
- Demonstrated ability to build and manage relationships internally and externally and strong interpersonal skills – able to quickly build rapport and trust 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 government agencies.
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
Other useful skills and experience in this role:
- 10+ years of work experience in education, including at the systems level (some direct eductation service experience also a plus).
- Demonstrated experience working in fast-paced, changing environments where you may propose an idea on Monday and execute it on Thursday (we mean it – it’s why this is high on the list).
- Passion for youth career development and curiosity about a wide range of 21st century career trajectories.
- Ability to think in both systemic and strategic ways, and provide our partners creative and productive insights about how to make our partnerships work.
- Demonstrated credibility with higher education, high school, business, and workforce leadership, and the ability to gracefully navigate their distinct cultures.
- Confident and competent facilitator and participant in conversations with a variety of different audiences and stakeholder groups.
- Effective and persuasive speaker and writer- you can create and deliver compelling presentations and you can facilitate reflective conversations to promote learning.
- Proficiency with, or an ability to quickly learn and master, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Suite, Salesforce, and other 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.
