Position Summary

Mastery is seeking an exceptional leader to serve as our network Senior Director of Post-Secondary Strategy (SDPS). The SDPS is responsible for building a comprehensive post-secondary program strategy that ensures all students are prepared and placed in quality post-secondary pathways including two and four year colleges, technical programs, trades, or military service. The goal of the SDPS is to ensure our students are placed and persist through graduation at their chosen post-secondary educational institution or vocation. Mastery is a national leader in effective college and career placement programming in low-income urban schools. We are proud that Mastery students graduate college at 3x their peer averages. Our College and Career program has been refined over 10 years and has supported over 4,000 Mastery graduates. The network Post-Secondary Team includes the SDPS and three other professionals who support college advising and internship programming at 7 Mastery high schools.

The SDPS is responsible for ensuring effective strategy that encompasses 3 programming areas:

High School Design & Programming

The SDPS will be a primary driver of revising our high school program model to ensure all students are academically prepared for their chosen post-secondary placement. Mastery has begun laying out a strategy to greater differentiate our high school course structure to ensure students are prepared for their particular post-secondary path. Among other initiatives, the SDPS will be responsible for implementing a STEM honors program across all of our high schools. We are also considering CTE programming, expanding our dual enrollment program, and designing coursework to support students who plan to enroll in Community College. In this design effort, the SDPS will work closely with the Academic Team and Executive Schools Officer.

Mastery also prepares students with the personal skills and experiences they need for post-secondary success. As such, we operate an internship program at each Mastery high school serving nearly all students in their sophomore or junior year.

Post-Secondary Placement

The network Post-Secondary team is responsible for ensuring our high school College Advisors effectively place students in two and four year colleges, technical programs, trades, or military service where they will thrive and persist to graduation. The college advisors are also responsible for delivering a year-long seminar course for all seniors. In addition, the network Post-Secondary team coordinates college fairs, and partnerships with colleges and technical schools.

Alumni Support

The network Post-Secondary Team is responsible for supporting students through their transition to college. The team manages a network of staff and Mastery graduates who provide this support.

This position is a fantastic opportunity for an extraordinary leader - the opportunity to create a best-in-class public school post-secondary preparation and placement system that aligns to a variety of post-secondary options. The ideal candidate will demonstrate a relentless commitment to excellence and will share a deep belief in Mastery's mission. The right candidate will have a track record of program development, experience managing programming at scale, and familiarity with public school operations. The ideal candidate must be both a visionary leader and an outstanding team manager. The SDPS will create and implement the strategies that position Mastery to thrive in the donor community, with policy makers, and with our parents. Accordingly, sky-high standards and intense focus on executional quality are prerequisites for the position. The SDPS reports directly to the CEO and is a member of Mastery's senior Executive Team.

About Mastery

We believe educational inequity is the most pressing social problem facing our country and the civil rights issue of our day. Mastery exists to help solve this problem. Our ultimate goal is to create a model urban school district that serves all students with excellence. We are organized around one driving mission: All students learn the academic and personal skills they need to be truly prepared for post-secondary success and able to pursue their dreams. To fulfill this mission, we attend to the whole child - academically and emotionally - matching high expectations for students with high levels of support.

Mastery Charter Schools http://www.masterycharter.org/ is a nonprofit network of more than 20 schools http://www.masterycharter.org/app/uploads/2017/12/MCS.Locations.and_.Map_.2017.pdf serving over 13,500 students in Philadelphia and Camden. We are the largest turnaround school operator in the nation and have been lauded by President Obama and the US Department of Education for our ability to dramatically boost academic achievement in historically low-performing schools. We know neighborhood schools matter, all students deserve access to a great education, and the people in our building can grow and develop sustainably to make the biggest impact possible in this work.

Mastery Charter Schools is an equal opportunity employer and actively encourages applications from people of all backgrounds. Compensation is competitive and commensurate with experience. We offer a full benefits program and opportunities for professional growth.

Duties and Responsibilities

Secondary Program Strategy & Execution: Create and execute a secondary program model that ensures students are prepared for a quality post-secondary placement. Coordinate with the Academic Team, Schools Team, and High School principals to:Create academic program/course pathways that prepare students for two and four year colleges, technical programs, trades, or military service. Review options for CTE programming

Ensure students are prepared for the gateway assessment aligned to their post-secondary pathway; e.g. ACT, Community College Placement exam, etc.

Develop programming and/or coursework that prepares students for their post-secondary pathway

Develop & implement STEM honors programs across all Mastery secondary schools. Create program model for STEM honors program

Post-Secondary Placement Strategy & Execution: Supervise Post-secondary Team to ensure planning process leads all students to quality placementsSupervise Post-Secondary Initiatives Director responsible for overseeing our high schools' College Advisors and the student placement processEnsure placement process is effective in placing students in two and four year colleges, technical programs, trades, or military service programs where they succeed and from which they graduate

Ensure College Advisors & Internship Coordinators implement the College and Career Curricula through senior seminar and internship program

Ensure internship program is effectively implemented at all campuses and delivers a quality experience for students and internship mentors

Ensure post-secondary readiness programs are effective, including a robust representative visit program, summer pre-college programs and other exposure opportunities.

Supervise Alumni Support Assistant Director: Ensure Alumni are supported to succeed and graduate from their post-secondary placement. Ensure data on our graduates' placement and outcomes is collected and lessons learned shared.

Program Supervision & Support

Ensure the post-secondary program is effectively implemented across the network

Create student performance metrics

Monitor program quality

Intervene and redirect when program is not effective

Leadership Coordination

Coordinate with Mastery leadership team to ensure our program is effective

Coordinate with finance team to ensure budget is feasible

Coordinate with communications team to ensure program is marketed effectively to parents and students

Coordinate with Development team to seek grant support for program development and roll-out

Qualifications

Excellent Team Management and Supervisor Experience: Manage a team effectively, and coach team members to grow professionally.

Strategic Thinker: Able to think in terms of systems, and develop program strategies that account for the strengths and weaknesses of existing systems.

Analytical Thinker: Able to analyze programs and understand what drives program effectiveness.

Relationship Builder: Able to see the world from the point of view of our constituents, garner buy-in and move the ball forward.

Organized and Execution Obsessed: Focused on execution and quality.

Exceptional Project Manager: Understands how to get things done and scale programs across large organizations. A wizard at implementation and planning. Can take complex problems and break them down to implementable steps.

Smart: A quick learner who is insatiably curious, and able to figure things out.

Resilient and Adaptable: Doesn't get stuck by obstacles and resource constraints.

High Expectations: Demands quality in his/her work and throughout the organization.

Mature & Self-Aware: Has the ability to reflect and adapt to diverse environments.

Values Driven: Unwavering commitment to students' success and belief in Mastery Charter Schools' mission.

Education and Experience

Minimum 7 years of senior leadership experience leading in a large organization environment. Experience in an educational setting is strongly preferred, but not required.

Experience managing programming at scale; successfully developing and implementing programming in a large education, government, or non-profit organization.

Experience managing teams and driving organizational change.

A proven track record of achieving measurable results.

Excellent oral and written communication skills.

BA/BS required, relevant advanced degree preferred.
Primary Location:
Central Office
Salary Range:
Per Year
Shift Type:
Full-Time