Associate Program Director

Literations envisions a day when all students, regardless of zip code, enter the fifth grade as proficient readers poised for academic success. Our mission is driving educational equity through experienced community volunteers empowering young readers for lifelong learning. We serve communities where opportunity gaps exist to ensure all students have the resources to become literacy proficient. Our experienced community volunteers are matched 1:1 with early elementary students from one of our 16 partners. These pairs meet weekly throughout the school year to accelerate students’ reading growth. Our highly-effective programming annually supports over 500 children to help them succeed in school and beyond. Literations is an affiliate of AARP Foundation Experience Corps, a national leader in engaging older adult volunteer coaches to improve grade 1-4 student literacy.

Overview of Position

The Associate Program Director is responsible for the implementation and oversight of the Literations program. This entails providing support and guidance to program staff and volunteer teams to ensure the continued delivery of our high quality, evidence-based program model and maintaining valuable relationships with our partners. This position will include local travel to and from our site locations as well as regular downtown office days. The Associate Program Director reports directly to the Deputy Director and supervises the program department. This position collaborates closely with recruitment, training, and operations staff to ensure that volunteers are properly trained and provided with ongoing support. They will also frequently collaborate with the Database Coordinator, Operations Manager, and the Leadership Team.

Literations is seeking applicants who can demonstrate experience in department and diverse personnel management and have an interest in utilizing their skills to enhance and uplift Literations’ data driven program model. We are seeking strong managers and/or former educators, preferably familiar with youth literacy, who are seeking opportunities to use their skills and experience in a new way. Ideal candidates are comfortable taking initiative, possess strong analytical and process management skills, and should be comfortable engaging with and coaching on conflict resolution. They can be mission focused yet able to translate vision into tactical action.

The Associate Program Director will provide strategic in-person support to program staff in our Boston, Chelsea, and Framingham locations with mostly virtual office work throughout the month.. Additionally, the Associate Program Director will be expected at in-person program and staff meetings in Boston (1-2x/month, depending on the time of year) as well as at several organization-wide events throughout the year. The Associate Program Director will also attend Leadership Team meetings once per month and provide insight into field operations, successes, and challenges.

Responsibilities

Program Management

• Ensure the planning, implementation, and execution of Literation’s high quality programming, under the oversight of the Deputy Director
• Serve as a literacy and child development content expert in support of Literations’ program
• With the Deputy Director, set and ensure that program goals are being met across all Literations program sites
• Create, review, hone the processes, systems, tools needed for efficient roll-out, delivery, evaluation of Literations program
• Collaborate with Deputy Director on site partnership renewal process and execution
• Oversee timely and accurate programmatic data collection and manage data quality control
• Oversee creation of monthly and ad hoc reports to track progress of programmatic goals and to inform program team of successes and/or the need for real-time course correction
• Maintain positive and healthy relationships with partners at district- and executive-level to ensure the maintenance of a high functioning program
• Facilitate standing virtual and in-person program team meetings as well as once monthly meetings with volunteer leaders
• Other duties as assigned (can include but not limited to): staff-wide gatherings, supporting fundraising events, etc.

People and Financial Management

• Supervise the program staff to reach program goals
• Assist in goal setting, skill enhancement, and performance reviews for program staff
• Ensure program staff are Literations program experts and can fully support the successful implementation of the program model with consistency across all sites
• Investigate and resolve any issues resulting from performance of program staff and volunteers
• Provide structure, support, guidance, and training to program staff, as needed: including monthly Leadership Friday team leadership meetings
• Manage programmatic budget including overall budgeting recommendations, purchasing of materials, supplies, etc. and supporting program team in managing their portfolio budgets
• Responsible for cross departmental collaboration, including regular meetings with recruitment, training, and operations departments as well as regular and ad hoc reporting and analysis

Qualifications

• Proven success managing a team and projects and developing others
• 5+ years management / supervisory experience (managing a diverse team of 5+ preferred)
• Demonstrated experience in the education field; experience with youth literacy (grades 1-4) highly desirable
• Exceptional ability and success in performance management: job coaching, skill development, goal setting, conflict resolution, etc.
• Experience with creating detailed, tactical work plans from strategic priorities and goals
• Constantly looks for improvements in work processes and results by anticipating and dealing with problems and encouraging others to suggest innovations and improvements
• Skilled in facilitation and fostering dialogue and reflection
• Highly adaptable to changing environments and situations
• Strong interpersonal skills and a self-starter
• Ability to interact with a diverse population in terms of age, economic status, and cultural background
• Current and valid driver's license and regular access to a vehicle is essential for this role

Literations is an English based program and all applicants should have a strong command of written and spoken English. We serve several communities whose primary language is not English. Applicants with a strong grasp of spoken and written Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian-Creole will be prioritized.