Innovation Manager

Organization

Reports to:      Managing Director, Program Operations & Innovation       

Department:  Program

Supervises:     N/A

FLSA Status:     Full-time, exempt employee

Summary:  The Innovation Manager is responsible for designing program related to new key initiatives led by PeerForward’s Innovation Team. The Innovation Team is responsible for designing breakthrough solutions to further the mission of the organization and meet sustainability goals.  The Innovation Manager will serve as a primary expert within the organization on how to educate, train, and empower adults and High School students; in cultivating peer-driven youth engagement and activation; and in working successfully within complex learning environments, particularly but not exclusively in low income and underserved school communities.

While the school setting is the primary platform for delivering PeerForward’s program and materials, the Innovation Manager works within other contexts where students are served: directly at residential workshops, on-line, and through regional staff who serve PeerForward students. The Innovation Manager must have superior project management skills.  While a research background is not required, the Innovation Manager should be knowledgeable about current research on education reform and on what drives low-income students to achieve academically both in High School and post-secondary institutions.

It is essential that the Innovation Manager can navigate a variety of work settings, each with its own processes and cultures, with the aim of synthesizing the best of education and youth development with technology, business practices, project management, and research and evaluation into a coherent offering that will result in increased post-secondary achievement for our nation’s most underserved youth.

Responsibilities:

• Drive the continuous innovation and piloting of program related curricula to help improve PeerForward products in a rapidly changing environment.
• Contribute as a member of the Innovation team in developing, piloting, evaluating, and planning implementation of new service offerings in alignment with the organization strategy.
• Support the expansion of PeerForward’s core product while ensuring high quality curriculum development and implementation.
• Collaborate cross-functionally to develop content and training resources to equip and support partner schools in the implementation of the PeerForward program.
• Work directly with members of the Program team to support the trainings for Youth, Educators and program staff.
• Identify means of integrating technology into all curricula and products.
• Develop educational content for online platforms
• Design and implement monitoring and evaluation systems for all program elements including curriculum, reporting, implementation models, educator and youth training, and professional development activities
  • Keep up to date on and share latest research in the college access and success field
  • Contribute to grant proposals and reports as required
  • Identify evaluation and research metrics for innovation projects. Work directly with Director for Evaluation and Reporting to design comprehensive evaluation plans.

Qualifications/REQUIREMENTS:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Curriculum Development, Teaching Secondary Education, School Counseling, Education Policy, or a related field required.
• Work experience in an education environment serving high school and or traditional aged college students is required. Direct high school experience is a plus.

• Must be able to demonstrate a thorough knowledge of college-going and college processes, including two- and four-year application processes, as well as a thorough understanding of how to apply for financial aid.
• 5-7 years of educational and content/curriculum development experience, including experience designing content and or program resources based on principles of adult learning, youth engagement, community organizing, program-specific skills and instructional strategies, delivery mechanisms, and monitoring tools required.
• Demonstrated leadership and project management skills.
• Extensive knowledge of, and sensitivity to, cultural practices and issues of different target populations represented in the program required.
• Highly developed interpersonal, teambuilding, and teamwork capabilities.
• Experience with low-income or underserved communities and the equity challenges these communities face, particularly in the areas of college access and completion
• Ability to work with stakeholders from a variety of fields including business, analytics, technology and philanthropy
• Excellent writing and technology skills. Excel, Microsoft Word, PowerPoint skills
• Willingness to travel nationally, up to 25% of the time

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS:

The employee is frequently required to see, talk, hear, walk, and sit.  While performing the duties of this job, the employee may occasionally push or lift up to 20 lbs. such as boxes, supplies, etc.

Please apply by going to the following website: https://bit.ly/2wokusi

Organization Details