Reach Out and Read -- National Books Administration Manager

The Opportunity

Reach Out and Read (ROR) seeks a National Books Administration Manager, to support the re-design and implementation of ROR’s overall books model and processes, focused on equity, quality, and sustainability. As ROR seeks to create more access to inclusive and culturally-responsive books across our footprint nation-wide, this key position will support the achievement of this vision. You will have the unique opportunity to help shape the future direction of ROR’s books work overall, to ensure that millions of books make it into the hands of children and caregivers annually to support strong early relationships. This position reports to the National Director of Books Strategy and Partnerships, is a key member of the National Programs and Operations team, and works collaboratively across the ROR network and with books vendors and partners. 

Role Summary

You will tackle several key pieces of work as a pro-active, solutions-focused, and well-organized leader with experience in designing and implementing effective administrative processes, gathering and analyzing large amounts of data in Microsoft Excel, collaborating and communicating with key stakeholders, managing book donation processes, providing key support to a books-focused committee, and helping to incorporate diversity, equity and inclusion into books work.

As a Reach Out and Read team member, you will be part of a vibrant group of professionals serving communities across the country. We will honor your lived and professional experience as key aspects of your candidacy for the role and prioritize applicants with experience dismantling the structural inequities that disproportionately impact children and families with traditionally marginalized identities.

Your key responsibilities will include:

Books administration support to the National Director of Books Strategy and Partnerships (35%)

• Support and collaborate to ensure that the Books Committee work runs smoothly
• Help run the monthly Books Committee meeting: scheduling, notes capturing, liaising with committee members, and liaising with books vendors to make sure that books are distributed to key stakeholders for meetings
• Co-design and document new processes for Books Committee sub-committees, including helping to define key projects, and collaborating with the Research and Innovation department to manage parts of the volunteer engagement process
• Attend internal and external meetings with the National Director of Books Strategy and Partnerships, and provide thought-partnership around the book administration of key strategic areas, including vendor partnerships, Books Committee codification, and books policies roll out and implementation
• Co-create, document and help implement book administration processes for current and future book coalitions with Reach Out and Read network and external partners
• Provide support to the annual book catalogue curation process by gathering and analyzing key insights from the Affiliate network and Books Committee discussions
• Liaise with External Affairs department to ensure key books information is communicated in time for inclusion into monthly network bulletins and social media postings

Co-design new administrative processes to improve book ordering and purchase order reconciliation (25%)

• In close collaboration with the Director of Procurement and Administrative Services, coordinate and track affiliate purchase orders, respond to affiliate purchase order queries, review, reconcile related purchase order invoices and record in system database
• Using provided data, liaise with Affiliate Program Managers and affiliate leadership on pre-paid account status, and ensure that the National Director of Books Strategy and Partnerships is kept up to date using data from vendor-generated weekly reports
• In collaboration with the National Director of Books Strategy and Partnerships and the Director of Procurement and Administrative Services, help co-design and implement new efficient purchase order processes
• Occasionally co-present on network webinar calls to support communication of new book ordering or purchase ordering processes
• Source and order books as requested by the National Director of Books Strategy and Partnerships, and process and submit monthly Chief Operating Officer credit card book expenses to the Finance Department
• Monitor and manage the organization’s books email account daily, ensuring all emails are responded to within an agreed-upon service level agreement response time; ensure that queries that need escalation are forwarded to the correct staff member
• Where appropriate, create email template responses to regular books email queries in an effort to streamline processes

Administration and improvement of book donations and processes (20%)

• Oversee the allocation of small book donations, working closely with vendor partners and the affiliate network to determine issuance of book quantities based on need
• Co-manage the allocation of large-scale annual book donations liaising with vendor partners and the National Director of Procurement and Administrative Services to ensure donated titles meet the needs of the affiliate network and reflect the communities they serve
• Identify any operational gaps, propose new processes, and document approved procedures for small scale book donations; serve as the main contact point for all queries related to small-scale book donations
• Work with partner vendors to obtain book donation shipping and tracking information, and communicate details out to the network in a timely manner

Co-create resources and manage the book selection of internal network platform (20%)

• Help review existing book selection and book use guidance resources and consider opportunities for improvement and creation of additional resources
• Liaise with Affiliate Program Managers and the Research and Innovation team, and in collaboration with the National Director of Books Strategy identify best practice guidelines to help the network select appropriate books that support the organization’s DEI and Books strategies
• Develop and publish approved book guidance resources on the organization’s resource library
• Manage the book content on resource library platform, ensuring that it is up to date and in line with current book guidance and book policies 

Qualifications and Experience

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We’ll honor your lived and professional experience as key aspects of your candidacy for the role and prioritize applicants with experience dismantling the structural inequities that disproportionately impact children and families with traditionally marginalized identities. We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• 3 to 5 years of professional experience in publishing, healthcare, early childhood, non-profit, education, or other relevant fields, with a focus on running efficient administrative processes and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders
• Experience working with BIPOC communities and depth of experience working to end the systematic inequities experienced by people with marginalized identities
• Highly proficient in MS Excel including formulas, functions, VLOOKUP, data tables and pivot tables
• Passion for books
• Self-motivated worker with exceptional time management abilities and organizational skills to juggle shifting priorities
• Ability to use data to inform decision-making by identifying prospective solutions based on analysis and an understanding of the risks and rewards associated
• Communicates in a positive and productive way that elicits interest and support for core ideas and beliefs
• Fosters strong interpersonal relationships with colleagues and external stakeholders that are grounded in a sense of belonging and commitment to a shared mission
• Willingness to speak promptly, directly, and with compassion to colleagues who are both junior and senior when disagreements arise or there are opportunities to provide positive or adjusting feedback
• Demonstrated ability to examine personal biases and foster inclusive spaces for individuals of all identities and backgrounds
• Proactive attitude, out of the box thinking, and ability to thrive in a fast-paced environment 

Position Specifications

This is a full-time (40 hour/week), exempt position, with a flexible location working from a home office anywhere in the country. Travel to 1-2 national meetings per year is required, with the possibility for occasional travel for team meetings.

Compensation and Benefits

The salary range for this position is $70,000-$75,000, commensurate with experience. ROR offers a robust benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan with match, paid time off, and more.

Making the Decision to Apply

To apply for this position, please submit a resume and answer a few questions through the application portal run by our recruitment partners at Positively Partners. For confidential inquiries or for assistance in completing the application, please contact Jung Yun at jyun@positivelypartners.org. All applicants will receive a response to their application.

Candidates who advance should expect to have a phone interview with the recruitment team at Positively Partners, followed by a virtual interview with the hiring manager, Angela Cunningham, National Director of Book Strategy, and a final interview which will include opportunities to meet and engage with the Reach Out and Read team more broadly. Expected start date for this position is Summer 2024.

Commitment to Diversity

Reach Out and Read is committed to building an organization that embraces diversity, pursues equity, and fosters an environment of inclusion. ROR sits at the intersection of health and education, uniquely positioned to play a critical role in addressing systemic disparities and inequities in the public health framework. ROR strives to be an antiracist organization, using its influence to fight against social injustice by supporting a culture of learning, empowerment, equity, and a deep appreciation for the unique experiences that we each bring to our communities. And, we believe that changing the world begins with holding ourselves and our workplace to that same standard.

About Reach Out and Read  

Founded in 1989, Reach Out and Read is a national non-profit organization working to ensure all families have the opportunity to create meaningful everyday moments through shared reading aloud and building relationships. By leveraging pediatric care to champion the positive effects of reading daily and distributing books, Reach Out and Read gives young children a foundation for success and reaches 4.4 million children across the county – half of whom identify as BIPOC and a quarter of whom come from low-income families. 

Reach Out and Read’s tens of thousands of trained pediatric providers use books as a diagnostic tool during regular check-ups and teach parents how to engage their child with a book to promote positive parent-child interactions during the rapid brain growth between birth and age five. The daily practice of reading aloud with a parent supports children’s literacy and math skill development, and their social-emotional development and prepares them for future success in school. Working with our sites and providers, we leverage our three decades of expertise, build on our literacy foundations, and engage our shared networks as a catalyst for change, focusing on equitably strengthening and deepening our impact on the children, families, and communities we serve. 

The Impact:

• Reach Out and Read program sites are located in more than 6,100 clinics, safety net hospitals, medical systems, and other healthcare settings in all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
• Reach Out and Read serves 4.4 million children and their families annually.
• More than 7.1 million new, developmentally appropriate books are integrated into well child visits with families annually.
• 36,000 clinicians currently participate in Reach Out and Read
• Our peer-reviewed body of evidence demonstrates that Reach Out and Read parents are two-and-a-half times more likely to read regularly to their children, and that children experiencing Reach Out and Read show enhanced language development.

To learn more about Reach Out and Read, visit www.reachoutandread.org.

--------------------------------EQUAL OPPORTUNITY EMPLOYER--------------------------------

Reach Out and Read 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. We value diversity and are committed to equal opportunity in employment. Members of all racial and ethnic groups, people with disabilities, and veterans are encouraged to apply. Reach Out and Read is compliant with the American with Disabilities Act and we are committed to making special accommodations for your interview or work as a member of our team. If specific accommodations are needed, please notify hr@reachoutandread.org and we will work to accommodate your needs.