Do you want to work for an organization that makes a difference in the lives of children? 

Can you welcome and support volunteers to be part of a phenomenal statewide effort?

Then we invite you to come help make a difference at SMART Reading! We seek someone to support our Rogue Valley (Josephine & Jackson) team. The ideal candidate will have volunteer management and recruitment experience and can help maintain our programs and local office. 

SMART Reading is Oregon’s largest volunteer-based nonprofit literacy organization focused on the state’s youngest children. At SMART Reading, we believe that reading is the gateway to learning and opportunity for Oregon’s kids. For over 31 years, we’ve been mobilizing our statewide community to make a direct impact by connecting kids, books, and volunteers who understand that education creates a brighter future for all. Our model provides two essential ingredients for early literacy and learning success: shared reading time and access to books. Without those supports, it’s almost impossible to become an excited, confident reader, or be prepared for learning and success. By helping thousands of children build confidence, literacy skills, and a love of reading—right in our own neighborhoods—we can reduce the negative ripple effects of illiteracy and help children realize their full potential.

When you join SMART Reading, you join a team that shares your commitment to making this important work happen. Your position as a Program Manager for the Rogue Valley Area will focus on leading a caseload of around 26 SMART Reading program sites; recruiting, training, and managing volunteers; creating strong partnerships with schools; and ensuring SMART Reading Program Standards are met.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for supporting children’s literacy, a strong commitment to equity, and strong relationship skills to support volunteer management and school relations.

The Program Manager will be based out of our Medford office, reporting to the Rogue Valley Area Director. 

If this is you, please apply:

• Personal character, which guides the ethical practice of your work.
• Experience working in partnership with communities of color
• Well-organized and adaptable to changing conditions; self-starter and able to prioritize and multi-task across a range of activities
• Ability to recruit supervise, develop, and evaluate volunteers and build community partnerships
• Excellent oral and written communication skills
• Ability to represent the program and implement quality improvement and other program changes
• Ability and means to travel to the Medford office daily and Rogue Valley Area SMART sites as needed
• A sense of service and commitment to helping the children of Oregon learn to read

Bonus Qualifications: Bilingual, Spanish Speaking; Bachelor’s Degree

APPLICATION PROCESS

This is a temporary position, scheduled to continue for 6 months. (There is a possibility of a permanent position) The position pays $20.00 an hour through an employment agency. 

Please submit a cover letter including answers to the following:

1. How you meet the qualifications
2. Your commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
3. Your availability to work on site

This position will remain open until filled but to be considered for the first round of interviews, please apply by Jun 14, 2024. We will begin phone interviews after this time. Selected applicants will be invited to move forward to in-person (or video) interviews. At this point in our process, we will ask for professional references and make an offer shortly thereafter. We would like to have the selected candidate start as soon as possible. 

People of color, people living with disabilities, veterans, and LGBTQ candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.  

SMART’s Commitment to Equity As an early literacy program focused on helping children succeed with reading and learning, SMART can’t ignore that deep racial, cultural, social, and economic inequities in our country and state make it harder for some children to succeed compared to others. SMART’s vision is an Oregon in which every child can read and is empowered to succeed, and we are making equity a top priority. As part of this, we particularly seek staff members, volunteers, and board members whose personal or professional background gives them a unique perspective to further SMART’s work in serving children of color and children from other marginalized groups.