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 truly works. Join our stellar, committed team leading the charge to deepen our impact and expand our service. Watch this video to learn more about the mission and core tutoring work of Reading Partners.

The high level:

The Program Associate (PA) is part of a growing team of program staff working together to eradicate the early literacy crisis. The Program Associate’s main role is to lead, develop and mobilize a small team of AmeriCorps members and volunteers to deliver high quality, effective, science-of-reading-based, one-on-one instruction to our students. Reporting directly to the Program Director, (PD) in Seattle, the Program Associate manages all aspects of program quality, delivery and implementation in up to three schools. The Program Associate directs the day-to-day operations of a portfolio of reading centers, manages internal and external relationships, leads and supports a team of up to seven AmeriCorps members, coaches and supports volunteers, drives processes and strategies to maximize literacy development in our students, and uses data to drive decision-making and progress. The Program Associate is an emerging leader, is savvy at the art of mobilizing people and projects, is goal-oriented, and is excited by both strategic and on-the-ground work.

What you’ll do:

Coach, manage and train a team of up to 7 Reading Partners AmeriCorps Program Coordinators toward successful program implementation across up to three schools.

• Ensure that the Reading Partners’ program is implemented and executed with fidelity with our school partners.

• Retain 100% of AmeriCorps members through their term of service.

• Collaborate with the program team to create and facilitate monthly AmeriCorps member and volunteer training.

• Achieve a rating of at least 90% program satisfaction from tutors, teachers and principal partners.

Manage all aspects of program implementation including serving as a local literacy program expert, conducting student data analysis and action planning, fostering school relationships, and directly managing AmeriCorps members and supporting AmeriCorps recruitment and onboarding.

• Achieve 100% enrollment of students by the end of February (40+ students/school).

• Achieve and maintain above 90% attendance for all students enrolled in the program.

• Lead team of AmeriCorps members to support at least 80% of students achieving end-of-year literacy growth goals.

• Support program operations in the Seattle region as needed, including managing Reading Centers at school sites as needed.

Manage AmeriCorps applicant interview process through spring and summer season.

• Support sourcing and tracking as the regional AC point

• Support onboarding activities for AmeriCorps members as needed.

Other duties as needed.

How you’ll do it:

Leadership & Management:

• Demonstrate a genuine interest in coaching, inspiring, and developing emerging professionals toward goals. Demonstrate an ability to provide clear guidance and goals, delegate, and provide growth opportunities while supporting progress along the way. Be able to recruit, hire, onboard, and deliver high-quality training to AmeriCorps members. Provide on-site support to AmeriCorps members and tutors at school sites weekly. Support our national network of Reading Partners program staff through biweekly calls, best practice sharing, etc.

Relationship Development & Communication:

• Cultivate strong internal relationships with peers, direct reports, and managers. Possess a strong aptitude for effective communication, remotely and in person, with direct reports, school stakeholders, and other Reading Partners staff. Demonstrate an ability to work collaboratively as an ambassador of Reading Partners externally, specifically with school leaders and staff. Be able to set up strong systems for communication and messaging, tailor communication to audiences, and contextualize messaging. Demonstrate an ability to break down complex topics for a variety of audiences. Employ excellent written communication skills.

Educational Expertise:

• Lead implementation of our organization’s assessment and curriculum and serve as a local subject matter expert on Reading Partners’ curriculum. Ensure high fidelity of the Reading Partners model at all school sites. Possess a high level of knowledge and competency in literacy strategies and behavior management. Demonstrate an ability to assess student performance using observations, to analyze data, and to create subsequent strategies aimed at increasing student achievement. Analyze data and create action plans to improve student results.

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. Show an ability to make quick, sound, and on-the-fly decisions that consider all stakeholders. See the bigger picture and be able to drill down to smaller details and connect the dots.

What We Offer:

Reading Partners’ compensation and benefits programs are 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.

• We offer a competitive salary commensurate with experience. This is a full-time, exempt, salaried position. The compensation range is $26.27 - $30.91 hourly.

• We offer a comprehensive benefits package, including medical, dental, vision, disability, life insurance, flex spending accounts, generous paid time off, commuter benefits, an Employee Assistance Program (EAP), and currently a 403(b) match option.

• Professional development reimbursement fund up to $1,000 per year.

• Unlimited Paid Time Off (PTO) benefits for regular employees scheduled to work 30 hours or more per week

• 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 an in-person role.

• Travel: This position travels regularly to the Seattle office and to Reading Centers throughout the Seattle area. Access to reliable transportation is necessary.

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.

About you!

You’ll be successful in this role if you:

• Have 1+ years working with elementary-aged students in an educational setting. Teaching experience is preferred.

• Have direct management experience of volunteers, interns and/or emerging professionals

• Have experience with literacy assessments, teaching strategies, and student data analysis

• Have access to reliable transportation to travel within a defined geographic region on a daily basis

• Have some flexibility and adaptability in your work schedule, including some night and weekend time

• Have excellent computer skills, including MS Office and database management

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

• Hold a bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience

• Boast a deep belief in our mission

• Root your work in our core values