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Program Manager-New Jersey & Pennsylvania

Who We Are
Center for Supportive Schools is an anti-racist, fast-paced, collegial, and team-oriented organization wholly committed to helping schools become places where students want to be. Our work directly addresses student disengagement, a root cause of diminished academic performance, students dropping out of school, and other high-risk student behaviors. We partner with schools in three areas: developing all students into leaders; empowering teachers to collaborate with each other and with students; and engaging entire school communities to improve how learning happens.
 
We are committed to antiracism. Our vision for students will n to be realized absent the dismantling of systemic racism that permeates schools and society. Schools are not safe, supportive, engaging, and inspiring unless they address all areas of marginalization and eradicate all the many interconnected forms of oppression. CSS’s focus on antiracism results from the outsized role that racism has played in shaping the United States and its institutions, from the fact that racism intersects with all other forms of oppression and given that which we learn and develop – tools, frameworks, resources – in dismantling racism can be leveraged to abolish all other forms of oppression.
 
CSS is driven by the vision that one day, all students will thrive in schools that graduate them prepared for the rigors of college and lives filled with meaningful work, active citizenship, and personal fulfillment. Founded in 1979, we are a national organization currently impacting 65,000 students annually and committed to supporting every K-12 school in the country. Most of our partners are economically disadvantaged communities where the consequences of student disengagement can be most devastating.
 
For more information, please visit www.supportiveschools.org. For more information about CSS’s commitment to antiracism, please visit www.supportiveschools.org/antiracism-resources.
 
Who You Are
You are passionate about implementing research and evidence-based programs in schools and value fidelity to existing proven models. You are a lifelong learner and are always seeking opportunities to grow your coaching and facilitation skills so that you can be of service building the capacity of others. You treat your work as a craft and are excited about joining an organization that will immerse you in robust opportunities for developing deep programmatic knowledge as well as learning and honing advanced facilitation skills. You crave regular opportunities to be reflective about your practice and look forward to receiving regular feedback to support your continued growth. You are a thoughtful planner and communicator and strive for excellence in all that you do. You find energy in working directly with schools and collaborating with colleagues in service of implementing and advancing best practices.
 
You are comfortable working in diverse school settings, with students, family members, teachers, principals, and other school staff. You thrive in an environment where collaborating with colleagues is valued and also thrive working independently. You are highly emotionally intelligent, and believe that developing students' social and emotional skills is integral to supporting students’ academic achievement. You are committed to diversity, inclusion, and equity. More than anything else, you want to make a difference. You care deeply about creating a more just society and believe that improving schools is fundamental to that effort.
 
The Role
As the full-time Program Manager-New Jersey & Pennsylvania, you will be primarily responsible for: 
·        Coaching school staff (teachers, counselors, social workers, administrators, and other school staff, etc.) in our partner schools who are serving as advisors and mentors as they implement our programs in their schools. Similar to the training role described immediately below, coaching is characterized by a facilitative approach that mirrors the ways that faculty are trained to work with their students.
·        Facilitating at training events, which includes co-facilitating small groups in an experiential learning setting at both residential (overnight) training experiences as well as 1-day training experiences at designated training site locations and schools. 
 
Through these two key responsibilities, you will provide day-to-day management of a portfolio of CSS’s leadership solutions throughout New Jersey and Pennsylvania. The Program Manager will be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with partner schools and providing technical assistance and coaching to teams of administrators and faculty to plan for successful program implementation. The Program Manager will assist schools in developing implementation action plans, troubleshooting implementation obstacles, and planning for program sustainability. Based on grant opportunities, you may also support school participation in a rigorous evaluation study. The Program Manager will ensure that CSS’s programming is implemented at exceptional levels of quality.
 
These two primary responsibilities will be grounded in the following foundational principles that will be applied to all of your coaching and training work: 
·        Groups as the Unit of Change: The unit of change with which CSS works is at the group level, grounded in the belief that safe, supportive, engaging, and inspiring groups enable social, emotional, and academic growth.
·        Facilitation as the Key to Change: Our work is grounded in a commitment to expert facilitation of activity-based experiences on multiple levels: our facilitation with educators, the facilitation of educators with their peer leaders/educators, and the facilitation of peer leaders/educators with their groups of younger students.
·        Professional Feedback & Continuous Improvement: While CSS hires deeply skilled professionals, we are also committed to continuous improvement for both ourselves and our partner schools. You can expect that you will be continually challenged to articulate both your successes and your areas of challenge/growth opportunity, and to participate in a variety of internal learning opportunities that rely on collegial collaboration, feedback, and reflection.
 
What You’ll Do
School-Based Program Implementation Coaching
·        Support the successful implementation of CSS solutions in select CSS partner schools, primarily Peer Group Connection (PGC), an evidence-based, school-based program that supports and eases students’ successful transitions into middle and high school by tapping into the power of older students to create a nurturing environment for incoming students, and Teen PEP, an evidence-based, school-based, comprehensive sexual health program that utilizes peer-to-peer education to increase students’ knowledge, attitudes, skills, and behaviors associated with healthy decision-making. Please note that Program Managers may grow to support up to all of CSS’s solutions.
·        Build and maintain relationships with partner schools 
·        Coordinate, plan, and facilitate on-site (and phone/video) coaching sessions with school staff, including administrators, faculty, and other school staff. Through these coaching sessions, the Program Manager will observe school staff facilitating CSS programs and conduct debrief sessions, helping school staff to be reflective about their practices and to continue building their facilitation skills, program implementation prowess, and other skills that support program implementation fidelity and sustainability
·        Coordinate, plan, and facilitate on-site meetings with administrators, faculty, and staff on a regular basis throughout the school year to plan for program implementation next steps, problem-solve implementation obstacles, and ensure program fidelity and sustainability
·        Regularly assess and identify coaching needs of partner schools, develop coaching calendar, and ensure necessary support has been provided to each school
·        Develop comprehensive knowledge of program curricula in service of advising schools around how to leverage and implement program curricula to meet student and group needs and implement programs with fidelity
·        Assist schools that are implementing a CSS solution with high fidelity in applying to be acknowledged as a CSS certified school
Facilitating at Training Events
·        Facilitate at training conferences designed to build the capacity of school staff to effectively implement CSS’s solutions at their schools
·        Lead client schools through stakeholder training that fosters a team approach to implementing a new initiative by focusing on both foundational logistics and relationships/communication with the school community
·        Balance CSS’s tried and true training and facilitation practices with continuous attention to innovation and improvement
·        Fully participate in and contribute to internal meetings to effectively prepare for training conferences and to debrief and learn from the trainings after they have occurred
·        Fully participate in internal professional development opportunities and feedback sessions to continue to hone and develop facilitation skills
Program Management 
·        Maintain regular contact with partner schools to track implementation progress
·        Create regular records of coaching support provided within established CSS systems 
·        Support the collection of program implementation data and student demographic data from each school 
·        Support program evaluation activities
·        Work in coordination with other program support staff to support school needs and implementation fidelity
·        Interface with partner schools to ensure compliance with research protocols and assist with evaluation activities
·        Build and maintain collaborative working relationships with other organizations in support of CSS’s work
 
In addition to the responsibilities detailed above, the Program Manager will regularly collaborate with other Program Managers to assess needs and trends across school partners and participate in internal processes designed to continuously improve the quality and efficacy of our work in schools. Other responsibilities will also be assigned, as needed. 
 
What You’ve Done
Education: You’ve likely earned a bachelor’s degree and potentially also hold a master’s degree in a related field, such as education, psychology, or social work. 
 
Professional Experiences and Personal Qualities/Skills: You likely have at least 2-5 years of experience in educational coaching and/or training facilitation, including experience working in schools and/or non-profit organizations. You likely have extensive knowledge of and experience working in public schools; exceptional abilities to problem solve, plan, and prioritize; a “roll-up-your-sleeves” entrepreneurial, startup attitude; knowledge of and experience working in education reform and student support services; proven ability to work in a fast-paced environment managing multiple projects; and demonstrated high level interpersonal and cross-cultural skills, including the ability to build relationships internally and externally and to manage effective teams.

In addition, you have likely had the following experiences and have demonstrated the following attributes:  
·        Strong relationship-building skills and the ability to work collaboratively with people of diverse backgrounds
·        Strong public speaking and group facilitation skills; you likely have served in a training facilitation role in educational and/or other social service settings 
·        Excellent listening, writing, and speaking skills
·        Highly effective time-management, organizational, goal-setting, problem-solving, and decision-making skills
·        Ability to gather, analyze, synthesize, and communicate information from various sources
·        Knowledgeable in issues related to K-12 schools and education; experience in urban educational settings is a plus
·        Knowledgeable in student support services
·        Ability to obtain and utilize client data to drive decisions
·        Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively
·        Flexibility, resourcefulness, and willingness to work evenings and weekends when required for successful and timely completion of projects
·        Ability to use discretion and judgment in handling confidential and sensitive information
·        Commitment to the mission and core values of CSS and our solutions
·        Experience in school counseling or social work strongly preferred
·        Experience with school-based program evaluation preferred
·        Program implementation experience preferred
·        Knowledgeable in technology
·        Remarkable references
 
Location
The Program Manager-New Jersey & Pennsylvania will be based in New Jersey or Pennsylvania.
 
Schedule, Salary, and Benefits
The anticipated starting date for this position is July 2021. The salary range for this position is $50,000-$60,000 per year. CSS offers a comprehensive and competitive benefits plan, including health, dental, and vision insurance and a 403(b) plan with employer match.
To Apply
Interested applicants are requested to apply immediately by emailing a cover letter and CV/résumé to ssimonetti@supportiveschools.org. Please include (1) the title of the position in the subject line of your email and (2) where you found the position posting in your cover letter. If possible, please email all documents in PDF format. People of color are strongly encouraged to apply.
 
Center for Supportive Schools is an equal opportunity employer committed to inclusive hiring and dedicated to diversity, inclusion, and equity in its work and staff. CSS’s Equal Employment Opportunity and Affirmative Action related policies are available upon request.