Program Director

Status: Full-Time Exempt (40+ hours/week), Annual Salary

Salary: $60,000-$70,000, negotiable based on qualifications

Benefits: Generous employer-covered health, vision, and dental plans; 12 paid holidays, generous PTO, and “Summer Friday” schedule; Flexible work schedule and remote work opportunities; Dynamic team and engaged organization culture; Regular professional development and personal growth opportunities; Employee Assistance Program (EAP); Opportunities to engage with Minnesota sports teams and events; Dog-friendly office; Vacation savings plan; Fitness incentive program.
Location: Minneapolis, MN

  Position Description

Reporting to the Executive Director, the Program Director is responsible for the overall strategy, leadership, and implementation of ACES’s educational and youth development programming. Specifically, the Program Director executes a comprehensive program strategy, leads the team of Site Coordinators and Academic Coaches who deliver classroom instruction, and ensures all ACES students receive high-quality instruction and mentorship. The Program Director works to ensure the ACES program model meets community needs, is aligned with current education standards and research, and is implemented consistently and effectively across sites. As a primary ambassador for the organization, The Program Director reflects organizational values in the communities we serve, builds strong relationships, manages key partnerships with schools and community organizations. As a team leader, the Program Director develops a positive, collaborative staff culture, coordinates and delivers ongoing training, and provides ongoing feedback, support, and coaching. A key member of the leadership team, the Program Director also contributes to ACES’s long-term growth and vision.

Key Functions & Responsibilities

Program Strategy:

• Set overall strategy for and lead ACES program
• Provide input for strategic plan creation with the Executive Director and staff, including program expansion;
• Maintain organizational staffing by recruiting, orienting, and training employees;
• Lead a high-performing program team by further developing and implementing recruitment, training, and retention strategies;
• Plan, facilitate and lead weekly program meetings;
• With the Evaluation Manager, implement a continuous quality improvement process, focusing on systems/process improvement;
• Ensure that all program activities operate consistently and ethically within the mission and values of ACES;
• Serve as the staff lead for the Education Committee, acting as a liaison between ACES staff and the Board of Directors, and planning and leading committee meetings;
• Advise curriculum development team to ensure alignment with organization goals and outcomes;
• Use evaluation outcomes to set goals and make decisions regarding program strategy and direction;
• Use up-to-date research on best practices and community needs to inform future direction of programming.

Program Management:

• Plan and oversee the delivery of ACES’s programming, curriculum, and activities;
• In collaboration with the Evaluation Manager, conduct implementation and program quality observations to determine consistency and effectiveness of the ACES program model across classrooms and sites, recommend programmatic changes based on observation data;
• Regularly review, update, and/or create new curriculum to improve student outcomes and advance program goals;
• Champion the use of program data to make student-centered decisions;
• Build a program site partnership system that includes exploration criteria, agreements/contracts, communication processes, and grievance policies;
• Explore potential new, mission-aligned partner sites and establish strong partnerships to support program expansion;
• Build and manage relationships with partner site administrators and staff to align program and site cultures;
• Maintain an annual program calendar in collaboration with school and community sites;
• With the Executive Director, establish infrastructure, systems and policies necessary to implement a highly effective program, including maximizing potential of resources and partnerships.

Staff Supervision & Development:

• Build, manage, and develop a team of full-time and part-time staff;
• Supervise, coach, support 6 Site Coordinators as leaders at their sites, ensuring delivery of high-quality programming;
• With Site Coordinators, supervise up to 18 part-time Academic Coach and Math Coach afterschool instructors;
• Develop and implement a coaching and performance evaluation system; supporting Site Coordinators as they provide observation, coaching, and feedback for Academic Coaches, and supporting staff members’ growth
  • Create and implement an annual staff development plan that includes developing and delivering trainings on program curriculum, student engagement, instructional methods, classroom management, and culture-building techniques. Engage in critical conversations about effective educational practices;
  • Develop, coordinate, and deliver monthly in-service training sessions to Site Coordinators and Academic Coaches to ensure ongoing development and continuous improvement;
  • Work with external trainers and consultants to provide additional training opportunities for Site Coordinators and Academic Coaches as needed.

About You

The ideal candidate is proactive, collaborative, strategic, motivated, diligent, supportive, and brings a positive attitude and good sense of humor to their work. The Program Director keeps youth at the center of their work and embodies ACES’s values: growth-mindset, teamwork, equity, empathy, and responsiveness. The Program Director is committed to ACES’s mission and works to eliminate education disparities and ensure all students have access to high-quality learning opportunities.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree or higher
• Substantial management experience required
• Experience working in youth programming or education
• Ability to initiate and follow through on ideas; strong leadership and organizational skills
• Excellent interpersonal and facilitation skills
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Strong computer and data management skills (experience with Excel preferred)
• Ability to work effectively with a wide variety of personalities, ages, and situations

Desired Skills & Experience

• Bilingual in English and Spanish, Somali, or Hmong 
• Experience in teaching, lesson planning, or tutoring, especially in math
• Experience working with or living in underserved and historically marginalized communities
• Current Minnesota teaching license or desire to pursue one

About ACES

ACES (Athletes Committed to Educating Students) is an innovative out-of-school time program that brings math and social-emotional learning to life for Twin Cities students. Our mission is to reduce the academic opportunity gap and improve the likelihood of success for students in traditionally underserved communities. ACES’s programming consists of three primary, synergetic components: group classroom sessions, one-on-one mentorship, and unique experiential learning opportunities. Our unique, project-based curriculum engages students through sports-themed, real-world applications. ACES partners with mission-aligned Twin Cities organizations and schools, as well as Minnesota’s professional sports teams, to deliver transformational programming for hundreds of students every year.

Equal Employment Opportunity

ACES is an equal opportunity employer and makes employment decisions based on merit. ACES strives to build leadership, staff, and volunteer teams that reflect our values of equity and inclusion with regard to race, ethnicity, class, culture, religion, physical ability, age, gender, gender identity, and sexual orientation. We respect the value that diverse life experiences bring to our leadership and are committed to being nondiscriminatory and providing equal opportunities in all areas of our work. People of color and those from other marginalized communities are strongly encouraged to apply.

Apply
Please submit your resume and cover letter to Christina Saunders, Executive Director, at christinaes@ACES4Kids.org by Monday November 8th, 2021.

Questions? Contact Christina Saunders at christinaes@aces4kids.org or 612-331-3454.