What are the responsibilities and job description for the Out-of-School Time Network Assistant Manager position at Cambridge Public Schools?
Position: Out-of-School Time Network Assistant Manager, Middle Grades
40 Hours per Week, 12 Months
Out-of-School Time (OST)/Office of Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging
Role Overview
The Middle Grades OST Network Assistant Manager will lead a collaborative, dedicated coalition of Cambridge OST providers, schools and community partners. Together, MSN is guided by its mission to create equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities beyond the school day and year for 6th–8th grade youth.
As a district-level administrator based at the Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) Central Office, the MSN Assistant Manager will convene and unite Network and community partners while serving as a key member of the Cambridge Agenda for Children OST (AFCOST) team across the district and city of Cambridge.
Position Purpose
The Middle Grades OST Network Assistant Manager provides strategic, proactive coordination to ensure equitable access to year-round enrichment and out-of-school time (OST) programs for 6th–8th grade students and families, particularly those with the highest need. The Assistant Manager builds, sustains, and aligns a collaborative network of OST providers, school personnel, community partners, and Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) parents and caregivers to champion and support the needs of middle grade youth.
Middle School-OST Network Assistant Manager Purpose
To provide effective, strategic and proactive coordination of efforts to ensure equitable access for families and children in grades 6-8, particularly those with the most need, so that they can benefit from engagement in out-of-school time (OST) opportunities, programs and enrichment throughout the year. To build and sustain a network made up of OST providers, school-based and other community stakeholders __ including CPS parents and caregivers __ focused on supporting the needs of 6th-8th grade students.
Key Attributes & Core Competencies
Support Students and Families:
As the incoming Middle School-OST Network Assistant Manager, you will ideally possess a combination of the following qualifications and skills:
Apply online at www.cpsd.us. Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter outlining how your experience, leadership philosophy, and commitment to equity align with the qualifications of this position, and indicate how you learned about this opportunity.
At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.
40 Hours per Week, 12 Months
Out-of-School Time (OST)/Office of Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging
Role Overview
The Middle Grades OST Network Assistant Manager will lead a collaborative, dedicated coalition of Cambridge OST providers, schools and community partners. Together, MSN is guided by its mission to create equitable access to high-quality learning opportunities beyond the school day and year for 6th–8th grade youth.
As a district-level administrator based at the Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) Central Office, the MSN Assistant Manager will convene and unite Network and community partners while serving as a key member of the Cambridge Agenda for Children OST (AFCOST) team across the district and city of Cambridge.
Position Purpose
The Middle Grades OST Network Assistant Manager provides strategic, proactive coordination to ensure equitable access to year-round enrichment and out-of-school time (OST) programs for 6th–8th grade students and families, particularly those with the highest need. The Assistant Manager builds, sustains, and aligns a collaborative network of OST providers, school personnel, community partners, and Cambridge Public Schools (CPS) parents and caregivers to champion and support the needs of middle grade youth.
Middle School-OST Network Assistant Manager Purpose
To provide effective, strategic and proactive coordination of efforts to ensure equitable access for families and children in grades 6-8, particularly those with the most need, so that they can benefit from engagement in out-of-school time (OST) opportunities, programs and enrichment throughout the year. To build and sustain a network made up of OST providers, school-based and other community stakeholders __ including CPS parents and caregivers __ focused on supporting the needs of 6th-8th grade students.
Key Attributes & Core Competencies
- Commitment to Equity: Deep personal and professional dedication to antiracism, racial equity, and dismantling opportunity gaps.
- Inclusive Facilitation: Strong group facilitation skills with a proven track record of creating welcoming, inclusive, and collaborative spaces.
- Stakeholder Engagement: Exceptional relational skills to connect and build trust across ages, cultures, languages, identities, and organizational roles.
- Community Leadership & Mobilization: Ability to bring positive energy to rally and align diverse stakeholder groups around shared goals.
- Youth & Family Advocacy: Passionate advocate for out-of-school learning, committed to centering student and family voices—particularly communities of color—in decision-making and overcoming systemic barriers.
Support Students and Families:
- Build Support Systems: Establish and oversee streamlined case management processes to connect students with out-of-school time (OST) programs.
- Facilitate Collaborations: Lead cross-partner workflows to proactively identify middle school students and families needing OST resources.
- Provide Direct Assistance: Guide and support students and caregivers directly in navigating, selecting, and enrolling in OST opportunities.
- Build Staff Capacity: Provide assistance and support school and community-based staff delivering case management so they can effectively navigate and leverage the full landscape of out-of-school time (OST) resources.
- Expand Outreach & Awareness: Drive ongoing awareness and accessibility of year-round OST opportunities across the Cambridge community.
- Streamline Placements & Support: Coordinate and document high-priority student referrals, program placements, and financial scholarship distribution.
- Embed Equity in District Systems: Partner with CPS educators, family liaisons, counselors, and leadership to integrate OST into district equity practices and student support protocols.
- Drive Participation & Retention: Boost and sustain participation in developmentally responsive programs (afterschool, summer) for middle grade students with the highest need.
- Engage & Mobilize Stakeholders: Identify key community constituents and bring together providers, school staff, caregivers, and youth to systematically identify and eliminate barriers to access.
- Broaden Stakeholder Engagement: Build and maintain active partnerships across Cambridge’s youth-serving ecosystem, including OST providers, CPS district and school staff, families, youth resource officers, and health/social service providers.
- Coordinate Localized Events: Plan and facilitate student-centered events that connect network partners, support case management efforts, and engage CPS families.
- Drive Network Governance: Explore and establish a Network Steering Committee to guide strategic initiatives and ongoing efforts.
- Facilitate Meetings: Lead inclusive, collaborative meetings across network groups and with partner organizations and efforts.
- Develop OST Resources: Assist in creating comprehensive resource guides, slides, postcards and other tools to support students, families, educators and OST practitioners.
- Manage Network Communications: Establish and manage communication systems across the MSN network to share progress and updates with diverse stakeholder groups.
- Promote Program Awareness: Build community-wide understanding of Cambridge’s OST landscape, available offerings, scholarship options and processes, and enrollment processes.
- Enable Network Data Sharing: Promote and support responsible data-sharing practices across network partners.
- Analyze Needs & Trends: Collect, input, and analyze data to better understand the interests, needs, and preferences of 6th–8th grade youth and their families.
- Leverage Best Practices: Research and integrate promising evidence-based models for school-to-OST partnerships and networks.
- Drive Quality & Continuous Improvement: Utilize databases, dashboards, and reporting tools to measure outcomes, support program planning, and evaluate overall impact.
- Establish Goal Frameworks: Help define and monitor key performance indicators (such as target OST participation growth, event frequency, and reporting deliverables).
- Collaborate with AFCOST Core Team Leadership: Serve as an active member of the AFCOST Core Management Team.
- Partner Across AFCOST Roles: Work closely with the AFCOST Network Team, including the Co-Executive Director, Elementary School-OST Network (ESON) Coordinator, Youth Connector, and Network Associate.
- Cross-District Alignment: Engage regularly with the CPS Family and Community Engagement Team, Office of Equity, Inclusion and Belonging, and Cambridge’s Reaching All Youth Network.
- Support Safety Net Initiatives: Participate in the citywide Safety Net Collaborative to align case management, referral pathways, and diversion strategies for high-risk youth.
As the incoming Middle School-OST Network Assistant Manager, you will ideally possess a combination of the following qualifications and skills:
- Education & Experience:
- Bachelor’s degree preferred.
- Minimum 4 years of experience working with cross-system intermediaries, public school districts, municipal departments, or community-based organizations.
- Proven track record working with middle-grade youth (grades 6–8) and families in diverse urban communities.
- Deep understanding of youth development, family systems, OST programs, and school operations.
- Exceptional interpersonal, written communication, and group facilitation skills.
- Demonstrated commitment to equity, inclusion, and working effectively across diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds.
- Experience with data collection, progress tracking, program evaluation, and documentation.
- Proficiency (or demonstrated adaptability) with Google Workspace, virtual collaboration platforms (Zoom, Teams), graphic design (Canva), and digital communication tools.
- Schedule: Full-time (40 hours per week, 12 months per year).
- Work Location & Model: In-person position based at the Cambridge Public Schools Central Office, with occasional opportunities for remote flexibility as operational needs allow.
- Flexibility Required: Position requires occasional evening and weekend availability to attend community meetings, network events, and family gatherings.
- Compensation & Benefits: Competitive salary scale and district benefits package provided in accordance with Cambridge Public Schools administrative guidelines.
Apply online at www.cpsd.us. Please upload a resume and thoughtful cover letter outlining how your experience, leadership philosophy, and commitment to equity align with the qualifications of this position, and indicate how you learned about this opportunity.
At the Cambridge Public Schools, we are committed to cultivating an environment where diverse perspectives and backgrounds are embraced, acknowledging that a team reflecting diversity of race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, and veteran status allows us to serve our communities better. To that end, we welcome and encourage applicants to bring their authentic selves when considering employment opportunities within our school district.