Special Projects Associate, Stakeholder Engagement - Washington DC

Reading Partners is changing the education landscape. We are a leader in working to solve the literacy crisis in our country by leveraging community volunteers in under-resourced schools. Our diverse and expansive volunteer base provides one-on-one tutoring to students twice weekly, and our program is proven to help children master the reading fundamentals they need to unlock their potential as successful, happy, and confident readers in school and in life. Our people are our heartbeat and our greatest resource; we are all passionately rallied around our mission to help children become lifelong learners by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction that works. Reading Partners is also committed to building a culturally competent and representative team to advance social justice through our service in schools and communities.  Join our stellar team leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service. Watch this video to learn more about Reading Partners.

 

The high level:

The Special Projects Associate-Stakeholder Engagement (SPA-SE) is a new position that is part of a regional team of leaders rallied together to eradicate the early literacy crisis. The Special Project Associate’s main role is to mobilize and engage the community in support of our Reading Partners Beyond suite of program offerings, as well as to support the program team in the implementation of our traditional tutoring program (RPT) and our Reading Partners Connects (RPCx) virtual tutoring program. SPA-SE’s accomplish this by communicating with families and working closely with the Regional Program and Community Engagement teams to identify the needs and desires of the community to support school-wide literacy that will include parents, caregivers, students, and tutors. They will also work closely with the regional leadership team to plan and conduct site visits for major donors, civic leaders, and/or members of the legislative delegation. The SPA-Stakeholder Engagement will ultimately be responsible for meeting the student and community Impact goals for each school community. 

Reporting directly to the program manager, the SPA-SE supports and manages all aspects of the Reading Partners Beyond program offerings at one or more schools or community-based organizations and will build sustainable partnerships in the community and the school focused on literacy.

 

What you’ll do 

Support regional Program initiatives

  • Support high-level data auditing to ensure audits managed by Program Coordinators and Program Managers are up to date and correct
  • Substitute Reading Center coordination in the event of a Program Coordinator absence
  • Substitute Reading Partners Connects and Reading Partners Traditional tutoring sessions when volunteer tutors are out
  • In partnership with Program Managers and AmeriCorps Program Coordinators, support Reading Partners Program goals for the region; substitute with the day-to-day operations, as needed

 

Support regional Community Engagement/External Relations initiatives 

  • Distribute and collect the Family Input survey to all students at partner schools
  • Use results from the Family Input Survey to determine how Reading Partners can best provide resources and services that families most want
  • Act as a point of contact and establish relationships with key regional donors and governmental stakeholders
  • With the support of the regional program team, strengthen relationships with donors, tutors, students and their families
  • Build community-based partnerships with local stakeholders to support literacy-related activities outside of our traditional evidence-based tutoring program (could include family and caregiver literacy workshops, take-home learning packets, curriculum nights, after school tutoring, digital library enrollments, and summer camp activities)

 

 

How you’ll do it: 

Relationship Management & Communication

  • Forge and maintain positive relationships with the surrounding school community, student families, tutors, funders and government stakeholders to engage the community in building a community of literacy. Cultivate strong internal relationships with peers, and mentor or support AmeriCorps members and support managers as needed. Demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively as an ambassador of Reading Partners externally, specifically with school and community leaders and staff. 
  • Possess a strong aptitude for effective communication, remotely and in person, with program team members, school stakeholders, and other Reading Partners staff. Be able to set up strong systems for communication and messaging, tailor communication to audiences, and contextualize messaging. Demonstrate an ability to break down complex topics for a variety of audiences.  Employ excellent written communication skills. 

 

Project Management:

  • Demonstrate an ability to effectively manage time, balance multiple competing priorities at once, and, above all, and remain adaptable, flexible, and positive while navigating challenges. Anticipate challenges and/or questions, and proactively act to address them. Understand larger strategic priorities and make measurable progress against these larger goals. 
  • Demonstrate a strong detail orientation, a strong drive for accuracy, and the ability to manage projects independently, and as part of a team. Execute all work in a highly organized, analytical, and data-driven manner. Demonstrate the ability to prioritize, problem-solve.

 

​​Innovative Thinking:

  • Demonstrate an ability to create processes and systems to streamline internal operations in the region. Demonstrate a high level of comfort with ambiguity, and an ability to create order. Demonstrate an aptitude for framing problems as opportunities, and always pushing to further streamline.

 

About you!

You’ll be successful in this role if you:

  • Boast a deep belief in and passionately promote our mission, vision & values
  • Can problem-solve through challenges and failures
  • Are flexible given the ever-changing environment of serving in public schools, and are adaptable in both work style and work environment?
  • Demonstrate a passion for working with children
  • Possess a natural ability to connect with people
  • Are eager for a dynamic schedule
  • Demonstrate an eagerness to train and manage volunteers
  • Take initiative in meeting goals and seeking professional growth
  • Can quickly learn new technology systems like Salesforce and have a high level of comfort with Google Apps and Zoom Conferencing 
  • Have excellent written and verbal communication skills
  • Possess a high school diploma or GED
  • Prove eligibility to work in the US legally
  • COVID-19 vaccination is required unless a medical or religious accommodation is requested and approved. Please review our Vaccination Policy.

Bonus Points if you:

  • Have experience working in the launch phase of projects or programs
  • Have knowledge of and a connection to the DC elementary education community

 

 

What we offer:

Reading Partners offers the full package – great benefits, a great place to work, and the opportunity to have a glowing and growing career.

  • We offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience. This is a Full-time (up to 40 hours per week), non-exempt, hourly position with an end date in June 2023. Pay for this position is at $21.50 per hour.
  • We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, flex spending accounts, generous paid time off, commuter benefits, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and currently a 403(b) match option. 
  • We offer an exciting and dynamic culture, and we commit to investing in and supporting our amazing people to grow their careers with us.

The other things you need to know:

  • Travel: This position travels occasionally as needed throughout Washington, DC. 

What’s Next?

If you’re interested in joining our Reading Partners team, please submit the following application materials to our online job posting:

  • A cover letter describing your interest in Reading Partners and how your past experience has prepared you for this role. Please include your salary needs.
  • Resume

 

At Reading Partners we respect and honor the diversity in our workforce, and we are an Equal Opportunity Employer.
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