Civic Engagement Manager

About Citizen Schools

Citizen Schools partners with middle schools to expand the learning day for low-income children across the country.We mobilize a second shift of afternoon educators, who provide academic support, leadership development, and "apprenticeships"—hands-on projects taught by volunteers from business and civic organizations. At Citizen Schools, students develop the skills, knowledge and beliefs they need to succeed in middle school, advance towards college, and become leaders in their careers and communities.

Citizen Schools' approach is innovative, rigorous, and evidence-based. Recent research has reported that high attendance and academic success in middle school are critical indicators of high-school graduation and college completion. We work intensively with students to develop their academic and leadership skills, and forge strong partnerships with students' families, classroom teachers, corporations, and community organizations to create a network of supportive adults in each student's life. Citizen Schools offers an array of hands-on learning opportunities that make learning relevant, and introduces students to diverse colleges and careers through trips and projects that connect current learning with future opportunities.

In the 2012-13 school year, Citizen Schools operated in seven states (California, Illinois, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina and Texas), serving approximately 5,000 students and engaging 4,000 Citizen Teachers. Building on seventeen years of programming innovation and results, Citizen Schools is in the midst of a strategic plan that will place this model at the center of school transformation. Nationally, Citizen Schools is scaling its Expanded Learning Time (ELT) model to reach 10,000 students by 2017.

Citizen Schools has been recognized as a national model program by the U.S. Department of Education (recently winning the Investing in Innovation (i3) grant), has been named a national winner of Fast Company Magazine's Social Capitalist Award, and has been chosen by the Skoll Foundation as a winner of the Skoll Social Entrepreneurship Award.

About the position

The Civic Engagement Managerwill be responsible for recruiting individual volunteer Citizen Teachers and managing a portfolio of relationships with organizations that provide a pipeline of volunteers, with a particular focus on non-profits, universities, and corporations in New York City. Specifically, the Civic Engagement Manager will plan and execute recruitment events, steward existing relationships, research and cultivate new relationships, and provide operational support to the Director of External Relations. The Civic Engagement Manager will work closely with the Director of External Relations,the New York Executive Director, and other members of the regional leadership team to meet goals for Citizen Schools' brand and presence throughout the region. The Civic Engagement Manager will also work closely with peers in other regions and members of the national Civic Engagement team.

This position reports directly to the Director of External Relations, New York, and will be based in Manhattan.

Responsibilities Include:

Development of strategic partnerships

• Develop volunteer recruitment targets for each campus and each portfolio organization
• Develop city-wide and state-wide partnerships with nonprofits, civic organizations, and corporations interested in providing volunteers to Citizen Schools
• Create strategy and systems to effectively manage partnerships and ensure achievement of volunteer targets
• Manage communication with individuals who have expressed interest in volunteering
• Support the development and execution of ongoing engagement activities for volunteers in order to create champions of Citizen Schools who assist with recruiting other volunteers, raising money for the organization, and supporting policy initiatives
• Work with the national Civic Engagement department and Civic Engagement colleagues in other regions to develop partnerships that advance Citizen Schools' program and civic engagement goals (e.g. partnerships related to STEM subjects)
• Support the Director of External Relations in the planning and execution of a variety of events, including follow-up with event attendees to drive them to become volunteers

Placement, Training and Engagement of Citizen Teachers

• Engage in planning with volunteer Citizen Teachers to conceptualize apprenticeships that will meet targeted student and school needs
• Share an understanding of each volunteer's background and needs to allow Citizen Schools campus staff members to differentiate support for each individual volunteer
• Coordinate local placement process for volunteers, compliance with local licensing regulations (including criminal background checks), and a state-wide volunteer tracking system

Support of New York Regional Staff

• Support local Citizen Schools campus staff in their own recruitment of volunteers
• Develop communication plans with each Campus Director with respect to volunteer stewardship to ensure that all Citizen Teachers feel supported throughout their apprenticeships
• Lead program staff in collaborative efforts to build and share a network of apprenticeships, and WOW! events in which students showcase what they learned during their apprenticeship
• Coordinate logistics of volunteer trainings and coach other regional staff in delivery of training and support to volunteers; work closely with Program Director to align volunteer training with program quality goals and staff training
• Navigate and manage cross-functional projects, particularly the planning and execution of WOW! events

Qualifications:

·Passion for closing the achievement gap, with a fundamental belief that all students can succeed on an absolute scale

·2-3 years professional experience; experience with sales and/or external relations a plus, but not required

·Outstanding project management skills with a demonstrated ability to ensure on-time completion of long-term projects

·Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to produce a variety of attractive and compelling materials for external audiences, and advanced proficiency with PowerPoint and Excel

·Strong team orientation, ability to provide and accept feedback, and ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people

·Sense of humor and enthusiasm

·Knowledge of New York City institutions and community leadership would be helpful, but not necessary

·Creativity, initiative and entrepreneurial zeal

·Ability to model &internalizeCitizen Schools' core values: Pride, Joy, Respect, Courage, Teamwork, Perseverance, and Vision

·Bachelor's degree from an accredited institution required

Compensation and Benefits:

Salary commensurate with experience. Full benefits include health care, 403B retirement plan, paid vacation, and professional development opportunities.

Next Steps:

Please complete an online application (including cover letter and resume) at www.citizenschools.org/careers. Candidates will be reviewed on an on-going basis.

Citizen Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status.