In order to build an unstoppable movement to ensure educational excellence for all, Teach For America – Greater Philadelphia is seeking a Managing Director of Program (MD, Program). You will lead a team of staff members charged with developing and executing a transformative learning experience for Teach For America participants from the moment of their acceptance through their journey as corps members. This learning experience will cultivate their conviction about the need for and possibility of achieving educational equity in our city and country, develop their leadership skills as they deliver excellent results for students, and deeply engage them in a network of like-minded leaders working for change at all levels of the system.
A successful candidate deeply believes in the potential of our new teachers to lead students to realize their full potential. You have led students to achieve academic and personal success in the classroom, either directly in your own classroom or through others that you have managed. You are passionate about the perspective and power that highly effective educators bring to the movement to transform policies, practices and systems in pursuit of equity. You enjoy management and are excited to achieve results with your team.
You will ensure that the region achieves its student achievement, corps member retention, and stewardship goals, in pursuit of our vision. You will maintain our relationship with our university partners. The MD, Program will be a mission-critical senior leader and manager, playing a pivotal role in our work to achieve our vision. The MD, Program will be a member of the regional leadership team and report to the Executive Director.
Lead a High-Performing Program Team (40%)
- Ground your team of 7 staff members in the region’s vision and goals, an aligned programmatic charge, and strategies that align to producing the outcomes called for in the vision.
- Manage, coach and develop staff in alignment to values, skills, and time applications that will enable them to achieve their goals, maximize their impact across the team, and prepare them for additional levels of leadership aligned with our strategy. This includes regularly scheduled team meetings, individual check-ins, observation feedback loops, team retreats, and field time.
- Create an inspiring and inclusive team culture grounded in the core values and focused on delivering strong performance aligned to goals.
Inspire and Develop Our Corps Members (30%)
- Create and execute a vision focused on maximizing our impact on students’ immediate success and long-term life opportunities in life through strong leadership development.
- Develop and execute on a theory of corps member development that includes our organizational Theory of Leadership.
- Build a corps culture where corps members leave their corps commitment dedicated to advancing educational equity as a long-term pursuit. Regularly learn how we can best support them and strategically evolve our approach.
- Leverage the latest research and innovations in leadership development nationally at TFA and broadly in the field to evolve strategies.
Partner with Key Stakeholders (10%)
- Work with TFA-National colleagues to ensure validity of our internal metrics, and collaborate with local stakeholders to ensure alignment with student outcomes and track student progress.
- Support our Director, School & Regional Partnerships to understand our school placement partners and use these learnings to inform corps member support.
- Ensure the successful certification of our corps members and steward certification partnerships.
Serve as member of the Leadership Team (10%)
- Inform the strategic direction of our region as a senior leader of the region and member of Leadership Team.
- Establish strong partnerships with the community grounded in a shared vision of excellent education for all and to optimally advance our mission and strategy.
- Grow yourself as a leader by holding a clear, personal vision for impact and how it relates to your goals.
- Have deep knowledge of your identity and how race, class, and privilege influence your values, mindsets and behaviors and ability to work alongside lines of sameness and difference.
Collaboration with regional and national teams (10%)
- Participate in the National Final Evaluation process (Selection) for up to six days during the year.
- Matriculate incoming Greater Philadelphia corps members during 4-5 confirmation windows.
- Attend large-scale, full-day regional events such as all corps programing and Induction.
- Attend and participate in bi-monthly Stand-Up Meetings, quarterly All Staff Events, and any additional required staff programming.
- Track record of instructional excellence, as a school leader or similar role, and a deep knowledge of pedagogy, developing strong classroom culture, and developing effective teachers
- Demonstrated ability to manage others to effectively track tasks, assess progress, and follow through on the execution of plans
- Ability to motivate a team to perform against measurable goals
- Exceptionally skilled at developing and cultivating deep relationships and networks (with all types of people in all types of contexts) in order to achieve results
- Remarkable orientation towards collaboration and team building
- Ability to translate data into actionable solutions for a team
- Minimum of 7+ years’ work experience, with at least 3-5 years of successful teaching experience, and at least 2 years of successful management experience.
- Familiar with Relay Graduate School of Education programming as well as Leverage Leadership Coaching models preferred
- Experience with Danielson Framework for Teaching preferred
Work demands
- Evening or weekend work is often required. This role is centered on supporting new teachers, and their coaches, who are in highly demanding roles. Given the nature of this work, you will often need to work outside of the traditional business day. The ideal candidate will fully embrace the flexibility needed to perform at a high level in this role.
- Frequent travel throughout the city of Philadelphia
- Occasional conference travel 1-2 times per year