The Specialist, School Age Programs is the front line Save the Children (SC) staff member providing technical and management assistance to partners to ensure the effective coordination, implementation and monitoring of school based partnerships and programs such as literacy, nutrition and physical activity. Under the supervision of the State director/Deputy Program Director and working as a team member within a State office, the Program Specialist oversees the implementation of the integrated programming at the assigned partner sites. (The number of sites will vary by location and the levels of guidance and support required by partners depending on their respective needs.)
Specific responsibilities include managing relationships with assigned partner sites; lead partner planning; identify new partner sites and conduct site assessments; guiding new partners through the start-up process of the programs; providing training and technical assistance to partners to ensure high-quality programs; monitoring partner progress and performance to ensure that they are achieving program objectives. The position holder regularly consults with other support teams such as Education Specialists and sub-grant management teams to resolve complex issues and ensure compliance with sub-grant terms and conditions.
- Take lead role for the partner planning process in assigned sites to support effective and efficient implementation of program goals (10%).
- Visit assigned sites as and when needed to providing adequate professional development and support to all partner staff members related to effectively implementing the afterschool, in-school, and summer programs with particular attention to the three components of the Literacy Block: read-alouds, fluency-building activities, and guided independent reading practice (25%).
- Monitor the appropriate implementation of all school based program components according to SC’s established standards; and provide training and/or technical assistance as needed (20%).
- Upon receipt from USP Finance staff, review for appropriateness partner requests for funds, quarterly financial reports and budget revision requests, and provide confirmation or questions to Finance and Subgrants staff for processing (10%).
- Support partner sites to comply with key sponsorship requirements (10%).
- Participate in the identification of new sites, work with team members to complete site assessments, and lead new site start-up procedures as needed (5%).
- Indirectly supervise the coordinators at assigned sites and ensure that they meet the performance standards and expectations (10%).
- Host visitors to the assigned sites and facilitate logistical arrangements for Donor, VIP or USP staff members (10%).
Required Qualifications
- Minimum of a high school diploma, 3-5 years of relative experience
- Experience working in or with school systems
- Willingness to travel extensively in the state or region and nationally as needed
- Excellent written and oral communication skills
- Ability to use MS Word, Excel, PPT and on-line technologies proficiently.
- Professional level of specialized knowledge to manage complex tasks, programs or projects.
Preferred Qualifications
- Knowledge of and experience with literacy programs
- Demonstrated organizational and management skills related to program implementation
- Experience developing and delivering training and technical assistance in-person and remotely
- Proven experience working effectively with limited-resource communities
- Working knowledge of financial and subgrant management
- Ability to be flexible and adaptable to dynamic changes in the work environment
- Meaningful work, with a knowledge that you are changing the lives of children all around the world
- A family friendly work environment
- Highly collaborative and innovative teams
- Generous paid vacation days, holidays, family leave days, and sick time
- Healthcare plans including medical, dental, and life insurance
- Retirement savings account with matching company contributions
- Extensive e-learning opportunities on a variety of topics offered through our affiliation with several prestigious universities and with the American Management Association, as well as language learning opportunities