The Managing Director of Program (MDP) will play a pivotal role on the TFA Bay Area regional team and in the San Jose/South Bay educational landscape. You will manage a team of five to six directors who work with our new teachers (corps members) and alumni, impacting approximately 120 classrooms. You possess a coaching philosophy and theory of professional development grounded in your experience of what has been successful in the field. You view coaching as a skill-set and art-form and are able to tailor your support based on the strengths of coaches, as individuals and as a group, and will develop a scope and sequence of learning for them. You use research-based practices, develop coaches in and outside the field, build a strong team culture and help us actualize our vision for program in the Bay. You collaborate with our Chief Impact Officer and other MDPs in the region to influence vision, strategy, and design of our broader regional programming. We are prioritizing the pursuit of equity, exceptional coaching, and a thriving regional learning culture to accelerate our impact in FY19, and you are a model of these priorities.
You will develop and manage a group of 4-5 director-level coaches (50%)
- Set year-long and quarterly coach development scope of learning that leverages strengths and reflects an accurate diagnosis of learning needs.
- Lead and manage coach development through a variety of levers, including groups, 1:1, and on-the-job coaching that mirrors our broader programmatic model.
- Ensure coaches become top performers who see career paths for themselves at Teach For America.
- Build outstanding alliance with other members of the regional program team to seamlessly blend regional structures with community context.
You will lead the implementation of our regional program vision and strategy for the Bay in your community (20%)
- Manage our coaches to effectively lead program initiatives, including, but not limited to, new teacher orientation, professional development days, teacher professional learning communities
- Foster collaboration between our school partners and our coaching staff to better support the needs of corps members
You contribute to defining our regional programmatic vision and strategy (15%)
- Play a vital role on the program leadership team, including project managing regional initiatives
- Support the integration of multiple voices and perspectives into one cohesive program strategy
- Build strong relationships among program team leadership
- Model our organizational values and learning culture
- Comfortably lead and make decisions, even in ambiguity
You will contribute to the broader organizational vision and mission (15%)
- Engage in regional staff initiatives learning and development (non-program and program)
- Steward the mission and vision of Teach For America through corps member selection, matriculation, and confirmation.
- Serve on committees at the regional or national level as needs align with interests and talents.
- You learn towards and achieve outcomes: You value the nuance between growth and the absolute bar. You believe in the power of data to tell stories, foster learning and compel yourself and others to continuously improve. You are reflective, figure out what’s working and replicate it, and drive your own learning. You access resources around you to ensure you are learning and growing in your work. You model this in your own work and apply those same principles to the work you do while developing other adults.
- You are a gifted people manager: You believe in the intersection between strong people management and coaching. You believe in the power of people to learn, grow, and develop over time with rich feedback. You have experience providing people opportunities to best leverage their strengths and make a dramatic impact. You know and use research-based coaching practices. You feel like you win when the people you manage win.
- You are a relationship-builder and connector: You can quickly forge strong, trusting relationships with diverse sets of people and readily inspire others to action. You are naturally empathetic and can quickly understand people’s needs, perspectives and aspirations. You view relationships as a key strategy to achieve your outcomes and can make your relationships translate into action from others.
- You are a strategic problem-solver: When you face a large problem, your break it down into smaller, manageable pieces, identify trends, and prioritize root causes. You’re adept at designing experiences for others that address strategic opportunities and can take an idea. You have exceptional design and execution skills and can take an idea, build upon it, and execute it at a high level.
- You are innovative and flexible in pursuit of our goals: You set and hit audacious goals and balance your determination to get where you’re headed with a willingness to think outside the box about how to get there. You incorporate ideas and research from successful teacher development, are thrilled by developing adults. You align your work to our team outcomes and course-correct when needed.
- You are self-driven: You have superior written, organizational, and project management skills. You work with the highest degree of integrity, and follow-through on all facets of your work. You demonstrate personal responsibility and take initiative to do what it takes to achieve success.
Prior Experience
- Experience with planning and executing teacher professional development at scale
- Managing teams and/or coaches, as well as developing and leading learning communities with/for teachers and staff
- Ability to develop and manage complex project plans from inception of vision to final execution
- Knowledge of education/passion for education reform
Work Demands
- Teach For America generally assumes a 50 hour workweek for its non-exempt staff members. Work hours are flexible based on the needs of the team and the position
- Occasional weekend or evening work hours required
Technical Skills
- Proficiency in Microsoft Office and Google Suite