Reading Partners is changing the education landscape. We are a leader in working to solve the literacy crisis in our country by leveraging community volunteers in under-resourced schools. Our diverse and expansive volunteer base provides one-on-one tutoring to students twice weekly, and our program is proven to help children master the reading fundamentals they need to unlock their potential as successful, happy and confident readers in school and in life. Our people are our heartbeat and our greatest resource; we are all passionately rallied around our mission to help children become lifelong learners by empowering communities to provide individualized instruction that works. Join our stellar team leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service. Watch this video to learn more about Reading Partners.

The high level:

The Legal Research Manager is a part-time/temporary position that is part of Reading Partner’s National Operations Team. The Research Manager’s main role is to support the Senior Legal Manager in ensuring compliance with local, state, and federal law, anticipating legislation and policy impacts to Reading Partners, and researching, documenting, and answering internal legal questions that arise in the course of Reading Parter’s work. The anticipated duration of this role is from September 2024 through December 2024.

The Research Manager will accomplish this by documenting and researching all legal queries, tracking legislation at the local, state, and federal level, and consulting on grant compliance issues. They will also be an administrator in Reading Partners’ contract database system, ContractBook, and its emergency communications network, RedFlag, to be able to administer the basic functions of these systems should the Senior Legal Manager be out of the office.

The Research Manager will also be responsible for collaborating on organization-wide compliance training and the creation of instructional materials to help regional leadership achieve and maintain compliance with all grants and applicable local, state, and federal laws. Some of this research and reporting will include the rapid rise of book bans and restrictions in Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion efforts in various states.. This work will also become relevant to all regions should these types of laws and policies be enacted at the federal level. Reporting directly to the Senior Legal Manager, the Research Manager supports all aspects of the Operations Department’s priorities and projects and will help pave the way toward new initiatives and discoveries.

(National Roles) Location: This position is remote but requires candidates to reside within one of Reading Partners’ markets. Reading Partners markets include Baltimore, MD, Denver, CO, Charleston, SC, Los Angeles, CA, New York City, NY, North Texas (Dallas and Fort Worth), San Francisco Bay Area, CA, Seattle, WA, Silicon Valley, CA, Twin Cities, MN, Tulsa, OK, and Washington, D.C.

What you’ll do:

Track Policies and Legislation that touch and concern Reading Partners

• Research pending bills and policies that, if enacted impact Reading Partners’ curriculum.

• Research what compliance with bills and policies would/could look like and collaborate with the Senior Legal Manager to design options for contingency compliance planning.

Support Operations Department Systems

• Become well-versed in ContractBook’s functions, policies, and protocols to be able to execute the lifecycle of a contract.

• Track sunsets of contracts, agreements, and leases within ContractBook and alert the relevant parties to these deadlines.

• Become well-versed in RedFlag functions, policies, and procedures, so that timely and effective assistance may be provided to regions experiencing an emergency situation.

• Use LexisNexus to conduct research and organize and annotate research findings within LexusNexus for easy access and review.

• Backup point of contact for Operations systems such as ContractBook and RedFlag.

Support Operations Department Legal and Compliance Priorities

• Translate the implications of new policies, bills and laws for Reading Partners to stakeholders to ensure compliance with new laws and policies.

• Create materials that guide stakeholders, step by step, on how to achieve compliance with current internal policies and procedures.

• Create material to include in the org-wide internal newsletter to share out any important legal or compliance issues/information from the Operations Team.

How you’ll do it:

Communication & Education:

• Distill complicated legal jargon and dense research into tangible, actionable how-tos for stakeholders and create materials and resources for continuing education.

• Possess a strong aptitude for effective communication, remotely and in person, to train and educate RP members in the areas of compliance and assist with the use of RedFlag and ContractBook

Project Management:

• Demonstrate an ability to effectively manage time, balance multiple competing priorities at once, and, above all, and remain adaptable, flexible, and positive while navigating challenges. Anticipate challenges and/or questions, and proactively act to address them. Understand larger strategic priorities and make measurable progress against these larger goals.

• Demonstrate a strong detail orientation, a strong drive for accuracy, and the ability to manage projects independently, and as part of a team. Execute all work in a highly organized, analytical, and data-driven manner. Demonstrate the ability to prioritize, and problem-solve.

Collaboration and Teamwork:

• Working hand in hand with the Senior Legal Manager to discuss research findings, to collaboratively create educational materials, and to brainstorm solutions to problems

• Work in partnership with regions to fully understand their legal and compliance issues and work tangentially to guide the resolution of those issues.

About you!

You’ll be successful in this role if you:

• Have 2-3 years of database and research experience in an academic or research organization.

• Display a passion for deep-diving into research questions and understand the importance of peer-reviewed sourcing and thoroughly documenting your research findings.

• Can problem-solve through challenges and failures.

• Can distill legal jargon or complicated policy into easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions.

• Are flexible given the ever-changing environment of nonprofits and are adaptable to changing priorities and projects.

• Demonstrate a passion for working toward a more racially equitable education system.

• Are eager to be a helpful resource to those who are doing the work on the ground.

• Take initiative in meeting goals and seeking professional growth.

• Can quickly learn new technology systems like ContractBook and RedFlag.

• Have a high level of comfort with Google Apps and Zoom Conferencing.

• Have excellent written and verbal communication skills.

• Demonstrate a deep belief in our mission, and commitment to race, equity, diversity, and inclusion, and root your work in our core values.

• Ability to prove eligibility to work legally in the U.S.

Bonus Points if you:

• Possess Juris Doctorate from an accredited Law School.

• Are an Americorps, Peace Corps or national service alum/alumna.

• Have experience working at a non-profit.

• Have a connection to the elementary education sector.

What we offer:

Reading Partners’ compensation is designed to attract, motivate, engage, and retain top talent to propel our mission forward. We aim to set salaries based on objective, external, high-quality market data. Our salaries are adjusted for candidates in different geographic regions. We do our very best to ensure that we’re bringing our best offer - therefore we do not engage in salary negotiations.

• This is a part-time non-exempt, hourly position up to 29 hours per week. The pay range for this position is $34.30 to $40.36 per hour and is contingent on geographic location. After applying, candidates who move forward in the hiring process are provided with the salary for their geographical location.

• We offer an exciting and dynamic culture, and we commit to investing in and supporting our amazing people to grow their careers with us.

The other things you need to know:

• This role is remote-based up to 29 hours per week.

What’s Next?

If you’re interested in joining our Reading Partners team, please submit the following application materials to our online job posting:

• A cover letter describing your interest in Reading Partners and how your past experience has prepared you for this role.

• Resume

At Reading Partners we respect and honor the diversity in our workforce, and we are an Equal Opportunity Employer.