Program Associate - New York City (East New York/South Jamaica Queens)

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 and community spaces. 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. 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 Program Associate (PA) is part of a growing team of program staff working together to solve the early literacy crisis. The Program Associate’s main role is to lead, develop and mobilize a small team of AmeriCorps members and volunteers to deliver high-quality, effective one-on-one instruction to our students in up to 3 reading centers. Reporting directly to the Senior Program Manager of Brooklyn & Queens in New York City, the Program Associate manages and/or supports all aspects of program quality, delivery, and implementation in reading centers. The Program Associate directs the day-to-day operations of a portfolio of reading centers, manages internal and external relationships, leads and supports a team of 4-6 AmeriCorps members, coaches and supports volunteers, drives processes and strategies to maximize literacy development in our students, and uses data to drive decision-making and progress. The Program Associate is an emerging leader, is savvy at the art of mobilizing people and projects, is goal-oriented, and is excited by both strategic and on-the-ground work.

What you’ll do:

Execute Reading Partners program in up to 3 sites in South Jamaica, Queens with fidelity and quality 

• Ensure that our program is implemented and executed with fidelity 
• Ensure the program is implemented and executed to the highest quality to have the highest impact for an average of at least 50-55 students per reading center in your portfolio
• Supervise program implementation so that students enrolled achieve their literacy goals 
• Manage systems to ensure student success (e.g. students are properly placed in the curriculum, every student is enrolled in 2 sessions per week)
• Support the design and supervise the implementation of individualized learning plans
• Manage execution of the Reading Partners program, so students are receiving the necessary academic intervention as it pertains to literacy through our program 
• Analyze data to inform program next steps and adjustments 

Effectively manage a team of up to 6 AmeriCorps Members (ACMs) to execute the Reading Partners program successfully in up to 3 reading centers

• Support the execution of AmeriCorps onboarding and training
• Support the execution of AmeriCorps professional development training
• Ensure AmeriCorps Members are executing their roles and responsibilities
• Coach AmeriCorps Members on all job competencies and seek support from supervisor when needed 
• Model effective management practices including: organization, time management, task management, communication, problem solving 
• Coach AmeriCorps members in their individual roles and as professionals (as above)
• Create a community among team members that supports a culture of feedback and transparency 
• Support the hiring process and retention of AmeriCorps Members including recruitment, selection, training and coaching 
• Build a strong, positive and productive culture across the AmeriCorps Member team

Ensure student impact throughout the program year

• Ensure all student enrollment benchmarks are met throughout the year
• When student benchmarks (enrollment or student progress) are off track, create and execute a plan for course correction
• Ensure that 90% of students are target students who are properly enrolled in our program
• Enroll 3rd and 4th-grade students early to have the largest impact
• Ensure each student is assessed, enrolled and placed properly in the curriculum
• Ensure every student completes milestone assessments
• Maintain 90% attendance at each site
• Monitor student progress by creating academic interventions and using progress-monitoring tools
• Share student impact information with the school or community space throughout the year (notably with the Principal, a student’s teacher, and/or site administration)
• Analyze student data with both formal and informal progress-monitoring tools
• Coach AmeriCorps Members to use student data to make informed decisions that will improve student outcomes

Create and cultivate Reading Partners champions within each school and each community

• Support the regional program leadership team in maintaining principal relationships and ensure 90% principal or site supervisor satisfaction with the program
• Support AmeriCorps Members on building relationships with teachers and other school stakeholders 
• Model customer service skills for all staff and AmeriCorps Members by coaching and supporting volunteer tutors within our program
• Advocate for what Reading Partners needs to be successful within each school or reading center site at all times
• Ensure 90% tutor satisfaction and retention so that we can retain ~30% of tutors 
• Support the regional program leadership team to ensure continued program partnership and collect the fee for service

Support the development of your peers and the overall regional team

• Share best practices with team members
• Be an active participate in team spaces 
• Work with the team to share vision, develop strategies to meet overall goals and contribute to a growth mindset culture
• Be a partner to the Community Engagement team to support overall volunteer experience by supporting volunteer recruitment and engagement events
• Be a partner to the Development team to support our fundraising goals by supporting development events
• Support with any organizational operations goals
• Support/lead special projects as delegated by the Program Director or Senior Program Manager 

Other duties as needed. 

How you’ll do it:

Leadership & Management: 

• Demonstrate a genuine interest in coaching, inspiring, and developing emerging professionals toward goals. Demonstrate an ability to provide clear guidance and goals, delegate, and provide growth opportunities while supporting progress along the way. Be able to recruit, hire, onboard, and deliver high-quality training to AmeriCorps members. Provide on-site support to AmeriCorps members and tutors at school sites weekly. Support our national network of Reading Partners program staff through biweekly calls, best practice sharing, etc.

Relationship Development & Communication: 

• Cultivate strong internal relationships with peers, direct reports, and managers. Possess a strong aptitude for effective communication, remotely and in person, with direct reports, school stakeholders, and other Reading Partners staff. Demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively as an ambassador of Reading Partners externally, specifically with school leaders and 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.

Educational expertise: 

• Lead implementation of our organization’s assessment and curriculum and serve as a local subject matter expert on Reading Partners’ curriculum. Ensure high fidelity of the Reading Partners model at all reading center sites. Possess a high level of knowledge and competency in literacy strategies and behavior management. Demonstrate an ability to assess student performance using observations, to analyze data, and to create subsequent strategies aimed at increasing student achievement.  Analyze data and create action plans to improve student results.

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. Show an ability to make quick, sound, and on-the-fly decisions that consider all stakeholders. See the bigger picture and be able to drill down to smaller details and connect the dots.

About you!

You’ll be successful in this role if you:

• Have up to 2 years of experience with literacy assessments, teaching strategies, and student data analysis or working with children in a formal capacity
• Have experience working with volunteers, interns, and/or emerging professionals
• Have access to reliable transportation or the ability to navigate public transportation to travel within a defined geographic region on a daily basis
• Have some flexibility and adaptability in your work schedule, including some night and weekend time
• Demonstrate a deep belief in our mission, commitment to race, equity, diversity and inclusion (REDI), and root your work in our core values
• Ability to prove eligibility to work legally in the U.S.

Bonus Points if you:

• Hold a degree in education or a related field
• Have successfully completed 2+ terms of AmeriCorps Service 
• Have 1+ years working with elementary-aged students in an educational setting. 
• Have experience working in the launch phase of projects or programs
• Have knowledge of and a connection to the New York elementary education community
• Are an AmeriCorps, Peace Corps, or other national service alum/alumna 

What we offer:

Reading Partners’ compensation and benefits programs are designed to attract, motivate, engage, and retain top talent to propel our mission forward. We aim to set salaries based on objective, external, high-quality market data. Our salaries are adjusted for candidates in different geographic regions. We do our very best to ensure that we’re bringing our best offer - therefore we do not engage in salary negotiations.

• This is a full-time, exempt, and salaried position. The pay range for this position is $53,053 - $62,415 per year.
• 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.
• Professional development reimbursement fund up to $1,000 per year.
• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) benefits for regular employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week
• 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 will focus on providing direct, in-school support at sites in East New York/South Jamaica Queens. This position occasionally travels to other Reading Partners sites or the regional office in New York City, and attends community events, and conducts partner visits throughout New York City. We are in four out of the five boroughs (except for Staten Island). We will follow safety protocols set by the city and the school district. We may modify our travel schedules and expectations accordingly.

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