Managing Director, Program Strategy and Implementation

Start Date: Immediate

Reports to: Associate Chief of Staff, School Teams 

Team: Academic Operations & Strategy

Location: Hybrid - NYC, RI, CT (must be committed to being on site in NY/CT/RI during July & August)

Salary: $150,331

About Achievement First

Achievement First (AF) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization that currently supports 41 public charter schools in New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island. Consistently rated as one of the top charter school networks in the country for almost 25 years, AF is committed to continuous improvement, programmatic evolution for enhanced student outcomes, and sustainable growth. The majority of AF students are Black and Latinx children from low-income families who will be the first in their families to graduate from college. AF currently employs more than 2,200 staff — 64% of whom identify as Black, Indigenous, and People of Color — who collectively educate nearly 15,000 students in Brooklyn and Queens, NY; New Haven, Bridgeport, and Hartford, CT; and Providence, RI.

The mission of Achievement First is to deliver on the promise of equal educational opportunity for all of America’s children. AF knows that every child—regardless of race, zip code, or economic status—deserves access to great schools. At AF, students realize their potential and develop the skills they need to graduate from high school, succeed in college, thrive in a competitive world, and serve as the next generation of leaders in their communities. At AF, students and staff embark on a shared journey to fulfill their incredible potential.

We are looking for a Managing Director of Program Strategy & Implementation to join our Academic Operations & Strategy team. 

Your Impact

The Managing Director of Program Strategy and Implementation will serve as a senior project manager and operations expert partnering with the Senior Instructional Team to deliver on the redesign & implementation of Achievement First’s school model & instructional priorities. This role is ideal for someone who has a deep knowledge of schools both as instructional institutions but also the intersection with funding, finance, operations, and talent practices. The Managing Director of Program Strategy & Implementation will partner with the Associate Chief of Staff and Superintendent to deliver on a cohesive & coherent experience of our school model and the change management involved in refining our model to align to our aims for our Achievement First graduates anchored in knowledge of self & community, college, career, & life readiness, and purpose & leadership. The Managing Director of Program Strategy & implementation does not need to be the content expert in any given domain, but should be a fast learner able to bring people together to solve challenges & inspire change, and be able to communicate across a variety of stakeholders including school leaders & school based staff, as well as leaders of functional teams in the organization. 

Reporting directly to the Associate Chief of Staff you will be responsible for:

Managing the multi-year development & implementation of our school design 

• Oversee the multi-year timeline for design & implementation of a school design aligned to our graduate aims
• Partner with Superintendent, Chiefs of Schools, Chief Academic Officer & Chief of Support Services to gather input to determine a school design model, build out the program elements, and design a plan for implementation. 
• Design and lead effective stakeholder engagement processes with both internal and external stakeholders
• Identify, collect, and analyze key data & research needed to inform decisions around school design, including research into potential external partners and vendors. 

Partner with the Finance, Grants, and Compliance Team to ensure our instructional vision & strategic work is effectively communicated to external audience & we are able to fund it 

• Develop language for grants (ESSER, Title funding, outside grants) & for compliance reports to articulate key strategies & provide updates on progress, partner with Chief of Schools, CAO, and Chief Support Services Officer
• Key liaison with Grants & Finance Teams to determine how to leverage funding to match the needs of the strategic plan 

SEL Special Services Initiatives Management & Support 

• Project management for SEL Initiatives and partnering with Chief of Support Services to manage pilots, evaluate efficacy, and expand initiatives over multiple years (i.e. JED, Cartwheel, Effective Solutions, restorative practices)
• Project management of RI Special Services multi-year shifts to better serve students with IEPs and multilingual learners
• Co-facilitate stakeholder engagement & work across multiple teams to move work forward 

Strategic Leadership and Cross-Functional Project Management (yearly & ad-hoc)

• Serve as a key thought partner to the Associate Chief of Schools and other senior leaders to ensure efficiency, effectiveness and optimal use of all available resources and personnel. 
• Strategize with the Chief Strategy and Growth Officer and other senior leaders on organizational planning, policy development, and problem resolution; ensure implementation plans are effectively communicated and managed.
• Partner with the Executive Team and other senior leaders to ensure there is effective change management with strong communication and cascading mechanisms.
• Drive execution of priority projects, as needed and required by the Executive Team and the organization. 

Manage Cohesion of Annual Planning & Readiness for School Year

• In partnership with the Associate Chief of Staff, oversee and manage a cohesive approach to planning for the upcoming school year. Deliverables include school regional calendars, comprehensive network policies/consistent practices for schools, serving as a gatekeeper on additional school based tasks & events, and developing an overview of cohesive development structures & engagements for leaders & teachers.
• Develop and implement systems to regularly seek feedback on the strategic planning processes and make annual improvements 

Support leader & teacher training operations 

• Plan and manage operations of leader and/or teacher training at one of our regional sites
• Provide on-site support for Summer PD and other training sessions during the year 

Additionally, this role will support the work of the team with ad hoc needs, including building operational documents, peer review of detailed resources, data entry, etc.

Candidate Profile

All candidates for this position will have a bachelor’s degree and experience managing large or complex projects across multiple stakeholders. An ideal candidate will have two plus years of successful teaching experience, and/or a background in operations and/or school leadership. There is a preference for candidates based in the regions where our schools are located (New York, Connecticut, and Rhode Island). The successful candidate must commit to being on-site in New York, Connecticut and/or Rhode Island during the months of July and August. 

In addition, the following characteristics are required to be successful on this team:

• Knowledge of project, product and knowledge management
• Experience with event planning and managing a budget 
• Confident in interacting with and influencing individuals at all levels within the organization 
• Ability to thrive in a fast‐paced, complex environment; 
• Flexible, able to work autonomously as well as take direction as needed 
• Ability to work with different external partners including state departments of education and external vendors and contractors
• Exceptional eye for detail, follow-up skills, and organization 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills with a proactive communication style and ability to communicate complex ideas simply
• Belief in the Achievement First mission and educational model 

Travel Expectations 

This is a hybrid role. The expectation is that the person in the role would be able to come into the Network Support office (NYC, CT, or RI) at least once a week. There may be additional travel to regions outside of your own on a monthly basis.

Compensation

Achievement First sets salaries are set through a lens of equity, and based on the requisite skills, education, and experience relevant to the role. The salary for this position is $150,331 with no flexibility. Additionally, Achievement First offers to all regular, full-time employees a comprehensive benefits package that includes paid time off, medical, dental, vision, and life insurance, a 403(b) retirement benefit package with match, and paid Family Leave.