Associate of Academic Programs

ORGANIZATIONAL OVERVIEW

Launched in 2007, the Partnership is a nonprofit organization that serves 13,550 students across 20 campuses in Watts, Boyle Heights and South Los Angeles, California. The Partnership is one of the largest, in-district public school transformation organizations in the U.S., and is not a charter organization. Our priorities are supporting great school leadership, developing highly effective teaching, and engaging families and community partners. Over the past decade, our high schools have seen their graduation rate more than double from 36% to 86% in 2021 and since 2015 the four-year college acceptance rate for students at our five high schools grew from 32% to 46% in 2021. Suspension rates across the network are at less than 1%, compared with 21% when we started our work. Learn more about us at https://partnershipla.org/.

POSITION DESCRIPTION

The Partnership for Los Angeles Schools is seeking an Academic Programs Associate, who will serve as an administrative support for the Partnership’s 30+ person Academics Team. This team spends the majority of its time with teachers and school leaders and is set up for success with the support of a highly organized and proactive Associate. The Associate’s core duties include a blend of providing project management and logistics support for team events including large and small group professional development, developing plans for and executing key projects, communicating with school staff, managing purchasing and vendor relationships, and tracking team budgets. This individual will serve as a key member of the Partnership staff and have a significant impact on the team’s capacity to meet its ambitious goals.

Given the current and fluctuating public health response to the COVID-19 crisis, and the impact that it is having on the normal function of schools, the work of the Associate of Academic Programs will adjust accordingly, and may involve working remotely and/or at school sites and the office.   

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Academic Programs Associate’s key responsibilities include the following and may be adjusted based on Academic Team needs:

• Support Academics Team members by providing logistics support and any necessary materials for all scheduled meetings, professional development seminars, and events
• Logistics support includes comprehensive supports, such as management of catering, materials and supplies, coordination with vendors, reserving space, transport of materials to event locations as needed, volunteer coordination and training, printing, folder organization, event setup, managing communications with event facilitators and participants, and facilitating Academics Team meetings in preparation for events.  
• Work collaboratively with a broad range of stakeholders, including Partnership home office staff, school staff, LAUSD and other partners
• Prepare team meeting materials as requested
• Manage communications with external audiences, including school site staff, district officials, fundraisers, and other important stakeholders, and consistently serving as a strong ambassador for the organization
• Coordinate with school site staff at the Partnership’s 20 schools, handling requests and questions, and redirecting questions as needed
• Provide good stewardship of Partnership team budgets including managing purchasing, coding, invoices, teacher payments, and vendor coordination
• Administer and upkeep the Partnership home office’s knowledge management systems to ensure codification and archiving of our work
• Assisting in the development and execution of key project plans to ensure a high bar of excellence in all Partnership team events
• Other duties as assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

The ideal candidate will have:

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s Degree from an accredited university
• 1-3 years work experience (education organization or other professional setting preferred)
• Experience working in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment
• Exposure to public schools, school systems, or education support organizations strongly preferred (e.g. through work as a Teaching Assistant, City Year corps member, school staff member, etc.)

Transportation

• A valid driver’s license 
• Access to a vehicle that can be regularly used to travel to and from school sites/venues throughout the work day as necessary 

Skills

• Outstanding organizational skills, can manage many moving pieces at once
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Collaborative; works well with a diverse, talented team of educators and colleagues
• Ability to take direction and perform at a consistently high level
• Ability to manage competing demands and determine top priorities independently
• Ability to work under pressure and perform tasks with limited direction
• Great attention to detail; can provide high quality, error-free work at all times
• Proactive; takes initiative to move work forward
• Strong computer and technology skills; proficient in Microsoft Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, and Excel, as well as the suite of Google apps including Docs, Sheets, Forms, and Slides
• Interest and willingness to learn new skills and grow professionally
• Proficiency in Spanish preferred

Core Beliefs

• Strong belief in the Partnership’s mission, approach, and core values
• Enthusiasm to help build a strong, effective Partnership team
• Clear focus on providing excellent customer service
• Humility and respect for coworkers, principals, teachers, students, and parents
• Reflective about one’s own work and welcomes feedback in order to continuously improve performance
• Life-long learner

COMPENSATION AND BENEFITS

The Partnership has recently completed a thorough study of market-competitive salaries, and has applied the learning from that study to salary offers for all home office positions. Our goal is to ensure that pay is fair for all staff members, both considering the market and considering pay equity among staff in similar roles in the organization. The Partnership offers a robust benefits package including employer-paid health, dental, and vision insurance and a 403(b) retirement program. This is a full time, year-round position.

TO APPLY

Please prepare your resume and a cover letter tailored to this position. You will submit your documents using our online application system here.

For technical assistance or questions, please email jarvis.nash@partnershipla.org.

IMPORTANT NOTICE: Partnership for LA Schools is a contractor with Los Angeles Unified School District and has implemented a Mandatory COVID-19 Vaccine Policy. All new employees are required to be fully vaccinated a week before their start date unless they are approved for an accommodation due to a medical reason, or because of a sincerely held religious belief. 

For more information about this policy, please email the Manager of Home Office Talent & Organizational Culture at Melanie.Liu@PartnershipLA.org.