Enrichment and Education Manager

Amara is committed to positive long-term outcomes for children and families. We drive systemic change, promote healing, and advance racial and LGBTQIA+ equity by offering programs and services to families engaged in the child welfare system.

At Amara, we believe that a supportive, equitable and inclusive workplace, where everyone feels valued, trusted, and nurtured, is key to shaping organizational culture and investing in underrepresented communities. Amara believes that a diverse workforce and inclusive workplace culture enhances our ability to fulfill our mission. We strongly invite candidates from diverse backgrounds, including communities of color, the LGBTQIA+ community, veterans, and people with disabilities to apply.

We are seeking to hire an Enrichment and Education Manager to lead Amara’s various programs including our Youth, Caregiver and Parent support groups. The Enrichment and Education Manager will report directly to the Director of Family Support and will work collaboratively across the organization.

Position Summary

The Enrichment and Education Manager is essential in developing and implementing workplans to create opportunities for enrichment learnings across organization programs that includes parents, youth, and caregivers. This work is grant based and includes contract oversight, operations and deliverables, and reporting of service delivery. The Enrichment and Education Manager works closely with other Program Managers and Directors within the organization to ensure successful program implementation and be able to reassess if there are outcome changes. The Enrichment and Education Manager plays a key role in the development and ongoing promotion of Amara’s mission, vision, philosophy and culture.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities: To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform the following satisfactorily; other duties may be assigned. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• In collaboration with the Director of Family Support and the Director of Resource care, lead the creation of an organizational enrichment workplan, including annual enrichment events and opportunities across program areas and tapping into key partnerships to include youth, caregiver and parents.
• Assess training needs for Amara staff, parents, caregivers, and service providers (e.g., parent attorneys, judges, CASAs, etc.) on an ongoing basis. Look for gaps in available enrichment opportunities, what consumers indicate they need and what program staff indicate is needed. Build a plan to fill gaps where needed and identify existing resources.
• Lead the design and implementation of all Amara-led Support Groups (determine audiences, needs, structure, and evaluation). Be able to support and evaluate data and assess ongoing needs and be available to facilitate as needed
• Work with Amara program area experts to support the creation of enrichment curriculum content and learning objectives for all enrichment activities and events (such as Support Groups, Speaking of Change, Tidbit Trainings, etc.) by updating historical content as well as identifying new content
• Identify a functional and fiscally sustainable online training platform for use across enrichment workshops (like Rise360).
• Work with Leadership and Human Resources to review and update Amara Staff Enrichment Plans/Requirements to support staff learning and to meet contractual requirements.
• Ensure consistency in the design and development of workshops and support groups across both in-person and online learning environments.
• Lead the curriculum design, implementation and facilitation of developmental screening training for providers and caregivers working with foster children
• Lead performance measurement, evaluation, and continuous quality improvement activities to enhance program effectiveness.
• Participate in regular meetings internally and with external partners to discuss curriculum design and implementation.
• Submit narrative progress reports in a succinct and concise language that evaluates program progress.

Enrichment & Education Implementation:

• Coordinate and Implement Enrichment opportunities identified in the organizational enrichment workplan (e.g., Amara support groups, trainings, etc.) which focuses on the needs of children/youth/families that have been chronically underserved.
• Work with Amara programs to identify and support facilitators as needed.
• Work with Client Services & Compliance Manager to effectively coordinate group/event Registration, certificate tracking, SAM entry.
• Collaborate with Associate Director of Program Impact and Evaluation to ensure effective evaluation of Amara enrichment opportunities.
• In collaboration with Amara’s Communication Team, promote and build referrals for Amara Enrichment Opportunities (ensuring sufficient enrollment and equitable community access)
• Identify available trainings, both internal and external, for various groups (caregivers, parents, youth, etc.). Create and maintain a resource list that is easily accessible by staff and clients.
• Lead the implementation and migration to the identified online platform for web-based aspects of enrichment opportunities.
• Implement Amara Staff Enrichment Plan in collaboration with HR.
• Collaborate with Human Resources to implement Amara’s annual Human Rights Campaign (HRC) training plan.
• Track and report on various project statuses, identifying any issues that need to be escalated to ensure timely completion of program objectives.
• Create and manage a calendar of in-person, online and on-demand enrichment and training activities for Amara staff and program participants.
• Prioritize projects based on departmental and organizational goals.
• Attending and representing Amara as appropriate at key training-focused community meetings.
• Inform Director of Family Support of budgetary needs associated with Education and Enrichment work and make budgetary adjustments as needed.
• Ability to communicate (verbally and in writing) to families and youths whose primary language is Spanish.
• Ability to create and translate documents from English to Spanish as needed.

Qualifications: The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Knowledge of youth and adult learning theories and principles
• Knowledge of child welfare, foster care, and kinship care policies and current best practices.
• Expertise in Trauma Informed Care
• Experience with curriculum development for programming across all ages
• Experience leading/facilitating workshops and training with diverse audiences, in both in-person and virtual formats.
• Ability to work with all groups across age, religion, race, culture, socioeconomic status, sexual orientation, and gender identity.
• Experience designing, coordinating, and managing programs or services.
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) skills are highly preferred, including the ability to read, write and speak fluently in Spanish.
• Highly organized with good communication and problem-solving skills including skills in Informational Technology.
• Ability to handle multiple projects and juggle priorities while meeting varying deadlines.
• Strong communication skills; experience communicating through verbal and written formats with a wide variety of stakeholders across cultures.
• Ability to lead with initiative, discretion, maturity, flexibility, and independent judgment.
• Demonstrated awareness of and sensitivity to the various cultural and socioeconomic characteristics of clients and staff
• Demonstrated leadership in promoting the advancement and development of diversity, equity, and inclusion in oneself, staff, and within program development.
• Strong decision-making skills, including critical thinking skills. Demonstrated ability to think globally.
• Flexibility to work some evenings and weekends to meet the scheduling needs of youth and families.
• Knowledge of teen specific needs to consult on case specific needs and to inform additional training opportunities is a plus.
• Ability to collect, organize and utilize data for program improvement purposes.
• Experience with MS Word, Outlook, and Excel required.
• Knowledge of web delivery tools (Zoom, Teams) preferred.

Education: Associate of Arts degree in education or social services with minimum of 5 years of experience providing direct service within the child welfare and/or education fields OR bachelor’s degree with minimum of 3 years of experience providing direct service within the child welfare and/or education fields OR master’s degree in social work, education, or allied field with minimum of 1 year of experience providing direct service within the child welfare and/or education fields. (A practicum may take the place of one year of experience).

Supervisory Responsibilities: Not applicable

Salary and Benefits: This is a full-time position with an annual rate of pay between $70,000-$84,999 depending on experience. Generous personal leave and benefits package, including paid time off, paid sabbatical, health, vision and dental insurance, 401k with a company match, life, and disability insurance. Amara supports a hybrid work schedule with some flexibility to work from home. Occasional travel between our King and Pierce County offices will be required.

Criminal Background Check:

Amara conducts background checks appropriate to the contractual requirements of the position. A previous conviction will not necessarily bar individuals from employment at Amara.

Specific clearance requirements can be discussed with the Hiring Manager or Human Resources.

Vaccination Requirement:

Amara requires that all employees be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. This requirement is designed to prioritize the safety of the children and families we serve. Exemptions may be sought only for documented medical or religious accommodation.

To Apply:

To express your interest in this position, please send your resume and a one-page cover letter indicating why this position is the right opportunity for you in Smart Recruiters. https://smrtr.io/pgP_m

Applications will be reviewed until the position is filled.