Description

About the Program

At HopeWell, we take on big, messy problems. We strive for a world where every child experiencing foster care has opportunities to live out their hopes and dreams and to learn, grow, and thrive. Academic opportunity gaps for children experiencing foster care are immense, so we are working toward educational equity.

RISE (Readiness, Inquiry, Scholarship, Education) is a first-of-its-kind program specifically designed to meet the distinct literacy and social-emotional needs of young children (kindergarten through 3rd grade) experiencing foster care. We provide personalized, 1:1 tutoring and promote caregiver engagement in their child’s education. We began serving youth in 2022 and are now in an exciting phase of further developing our program.

Who We Are Looking For

We are seeking a bold leader with strong operations skills and a passion for shaping meaningful change. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to innovate, iterate, and lead at the intersection of education, child welfare, and social justice. People with lived experience in the foster care system are encouraged to apply.

The Education Director will bring deep experience in the education and/or child welfare sectors and will approach the work as:

• An innovative leader with sound judgment, excellent communication, and a strengths-based orientation in the face of complex challenges.
• A courageous leader who leans into uncertainty and believes the best designs and solutions arise through collaboration.
• A strategic leader with a proven track record of successfully managing programs and teams through change, who excels at providing structure and systems so that the team has what they need to do their work effectively.
• A creative leader who guides by example and gets involved in all aspects of the work when it will help drive learning and implementation forward. 

The Impact You'll Create 

In this dynamic role, you'll lead and manage the day-to-day implementation of the RISE program. Additionally, through deep collaboration with HopeWell executives, senior staff, program staff, and external consultants, the Education Director will help identify opportunities for program improvement. This will ultimately drive shifts in service delivery that the Education Director will be responsible for implementing with the RISE team.

Your Impact Will Include (Job Responsibilities)

• Oversee the implementation of RISE program model. Implement high quality, youth-centered supports. Apply trauma-informed, evidence-based, and best practice approaches and literacy curriculum. Align with all applicable agency and state regulatory standards, as well as legal and ethical principles that govern practice, in regard to services provided, record keeping, and data collection and management.
• Build rigor and systems into program operations (i.e. training, infrastructure / tools, policies, monitoring) to ensure consistent service delivery with fidelity to the current program model and adapt as needed as program model evolves.
• Lead effective change management by providing ongoing guidance and support to the RISE team, helping them maintain enthusiasm, commitment to, and knowledge needed for the change process.
• Establish and maintain close and productive working relationships with schools, child welfare, and other public and private agency partners. Perform regular outreach to promote referrals, education about services, and utilization of programming and services as intended and represent the agency at all relevant meetings.
• Interview, hire, evaluate, and supervise a multi-disciplinary team of program staff. Provide on-going training, coaching, and performance management.
• Collaborate with VP, Program Impact and Strategy and Chief Finance Officer to develop budget. Monitor and ensure execution of approved budgets and staffing allocations. Ensure that financial paperwork is completed accurately and promptly. Ensure that accurate and prompt billing and payment for services rendered is achieved through monitoring and communication with referring agencies.
• While not responsible for raising funds, collaborate with VP, Program Impact and Strategy and Chief Development Officer to support fundraising activities.
• Other duties as assigned. RISE is an evolving program, and as such, the program model will be subjected to a continuous cycle of analysis and assessment. It will change iteratively as we learn more about how to best support youth needs, and as a result the roles and responsibilities of various team members will likely adapt and change as the program evolves. 

Requirements

The Expertise We Can't Do Without (Qualifications)

• Masters in education, social work, mental health counseling, or equivalent degree
• 7+ years of experience managing a team as an education or child welfare leader or related role

Additional Skills That Set You Apart (Competencies)

This is a comprehensive list of qualifications. While one candidate may not have deep experience in both the education and child welfare sectors, the ideal candidate will have the knowledge and skills to lead at the intersection of these two sectors.

• Experience with Massachusetts public education system and/or literacy, and knowledge of best practices in tutoring, curriculum, and special education
• Experience with trauma-informed approaches required; clinical training (e.g. social work, mental health counseling) and experience with child welfare system a plus
• Demonstrated ability to organize, plan, and prioritize activities with specific attention to simultaneously attending to higher-level strategies and daily program operations
• Decisive, effective leadership and management skills; strong interpersonal skills, with the ability to drive high levels of performance, engagement, and accountability
• Demonstrated flexibility and entrepreneurial spirit; thoughtful, curious, and open-minded approach to learning, growth, and change; exceptional change management thinking and implementation skills
• Advanced problem-solving skills and judgement; ability to gather and use information and data to monitor program outcomes and manage workloads
• Successful experience in strategic program development and growth
• Demonstrated understanding of and competence in serving BIPOC youth
• Highly effective oral and written communication skills
• Must be comfortable working in community settings and supporting a team that is consistently in the field and may encounter a range of complex situations
• Computer skills sufficient to perform essential functions

Other Essential Requirements

This role involves some home-based and community-based work, some office-based work, and some remote opportunities. During home and community visits, there are possible environmental exposures including pets.

• Daily access to an automobile is required.
• Driving is required in and out of the catchment area.
• A valid MA State Driver’s License.
• Clearing of background checks as required by state and federal law.
• Remain current in all required trainings.
• Staff schedules can shift over time as youth and caregiver needs, staff caseloads, and program needs change.
• Maintain availability to support the team up until 7 pm on weekdays, as most of the tutoring occurs in the afternoon and early evening.
• Other duties as assigned to support quality care.