Position: Senior Manager 

Location: Indiana (Flexible)

Our preferred application deadline is October 11, 2024.  Please note that we do not guarantee review of applications received after this date.
 

Position Summary

As a Senior Manager at Empower Schools, you will lead and contribute to local- and state-level projects and initiatives that apply innovative solutions to better meet the needs of students. Working closely with your teammates and partners, this position will primarily support Empower’s growing work and impact focused on early college and career pathways and rural innovation in Indiana. In this role, you will help cultivate partnerships, design and implement projects, and join our movement to dramatically increase positive outcomes for students who have been traditionally underserved. 

This position is based in Indiana with the ability to work remotely within the state. Applicants must be willing to travel up to 30% of the time (primarily within Indiana) to support the growth of our statewide work and to provide on-the-ground support in communities across the state, particularly in rural areas. As part of this role, you will receive coaching, mentorship, and guidance from experienced leaders inside and outside of our organization.

Who We Are

Empower Schools envisions a country where every student – especially those in underserved communities – has the opportunity to succeed in school and life. As a national non-profit, we partner with educators and communities to help catalyze innovation and support the design, launch, and successful implementation of sustainable solutions to local education needs. While the specific work varies in response to local context, all of our projects are grounded in our deep commitment to improving school and life outcomes for predominantly Black, Hispanic, and low-income students. We focus on three key areas:

• Innovation Schools: Creating local and state conditions for the development and sustainability of empowered school models that are flexible and adaptive, serving the diverse and unique needs of communities.

• Early College and Career Pathways: Creating and codifying policies and practices that blend high school, college, and career, preparing students to thrive in higher education and excel in the workforce.

• Rural Innovation: Partnering with state leaders and rural community champions to create and scale enabling policies and localized partnerships that expand postsecondary opportunities for rural students and accelerate rural economic development in their regions.

To date, we have supported the design and launch of empowering partnerships across seven  states. We are supported by an ecosystem of partners and stakeholders in each community, often organized at a state-level in partnership with state agencies. Developing both site and state-specific strategies and relationships is key to our work.  

Empower has been partnering with districts and communities in Indiana since 2019. In 2021, the Indiana Department of Education launched the Next Generation School Improvement Grant Initiative (Next Generation SIG). Empower Schools has been selected as one of two Expert Partners, supporting districts through the planning and implementation of these efforts. Currently Empower is partnering with five communities to design and implement transformative approaches to support their lowest performing schools and is positioned to partner with additional districts and communities in the coming year. 

How You’ll Help

You will support an array of important initiatives and relationships, playing a key role in enabling schools in the state to make the best decisions for students in communities across Indiana. Your work will vary based on the needs over time and will include the following:

• Lead execution and project management of design and launch partnerships with school systems, higher education, and industry partners 
  • Serve as project manager; successfully manage and track workflows and activities of staff, consultants, and partners for successful execution of implementation and design projects
  • Work closely with superintendents, cabinet-level system leaders, civic, higher education, and industry partners to plan and implement bold school transformation plans and collaborative efforts
  • Create custom community-focused presentation and communication materials for various stakeholders (e.g., district, higher education, and industry partners, school-based staff, community members, state policy champions, etc.)
  • Lead the creation of clear and compelling written deliverables to enable partnership approval and facilitate strategic planning (e.g., application documents for district or state authorization, concept papers, needs assessment data analysis, strategic plans)
  • Prepare for and facilitate strategic meetings with senior district, higher education, industry, and community leaders
  • Work with teammates to support the design and implementation of programmatic strategy in new partnerships, including supporting partnership leadership teams and governing boards, supporting recruitment of partnership staff, cultivating school improvement partners, and communicating progress
  • Travel to district and community partners to support project implementation in person 
• Cultivate partnership development and execution of state and district partnerships
  • Develop and cultivate relationships with potential and existing state and district partners in Indiana and across the country in collaboration with teammates 
  • Research district context and community dynamics to support the development of new initiatives
  • Build productive and professional working relationships quickly with various stakeholders
  • Develop project proposals, project plans, and partnership documents
  • Support cultivation of potential philanthropic supporters for local partnerships
• Additional support as needed
  • Provide leverage and capacity on additional growth projects outside of Indiana as needed 
  • Contribute to Empower Schools' organizational growth as a go-to for innovative education work that prompts structural, sustainable, locally-led change that benefits traditionally underserved students and communities 

Qualifications

• At least 4-8 years of work experience
  • Experience in early college and/or dual enrollment and career pathways, K-12 public education, higher education, preferred
  • Successful experience in consulting and/or strategic planning work valued
• Strong alignment with the mission and goals of Empower Schools including anti-racism, diversity, equity & inclusion, and a commitment to centering racial and socioeconomic equity
• Track record of successfully managing ambiguous and complex projects and initiatives involving multiple components, stakeholders, and deadlines to high standards while engaging and incorporating the perspectives of others along the way
• Commitment to using leadership skills and creative thinking to develop local and regional solutions to address systemic challenges and create better educational opportunities for students and families
• Demonstrated ability to build successful relationships and collaborate with teammates, partners, external organizations, and education leaders and to navigate partisan and politically challenging environments and differing viewpoints to build consensus and influence others  
• Dynamic and effective prioritization skills, enabling  strong, on-time completion of multiple projects with shifting timelines
• Demonstrated ability to successfully manage stakeholder relations with partners, external organizations, policy makers, and education leaders
• Possession of an entrepreneurial mindset (i.e., flexible, resourceful, and creative) and deep motivation to drive toward high-quality outcomes with a consistently positive attitude
• Excellent written and oral communications skills, including the ability to translate ideas into clear, compelling documents (e.g., in PowerPoint and Word formats)
• Knowledge of state and federal grant management practices preferred 

Salary and Benefits

The salary band for a Senior Manager is between $93,000 and $117,000 annually. Empower Schools uses a transparent formula that factors in years of experience to determine initial placement in the salary band. New hires should expect to be placed closer to the start of the band with opportunities for meaningful increases over time. Empower Schools offers a comprehensive benefits package, including health and dental insurance, retirement benefits, parental leave, life and disability insurance, and flexible spending accounts.

Application

Interested and qualified applicants should apply here. Note: the application deadline for this position is October 11, 2024. We do not guarantee review of applications submitted after this date.

We support equal opportunity and value building the diversity of our team as we grow. We seek individuals of all races, ethnicities, abilities, and creeds to support our organization’s work and encourage individuals from historically under-represented backgrounds to apply.