Program Manager (Learning by Scientific Design)

Program Manager (Learning by Scientific Design)

Remote, US

About Deans for Impact (DFI)

At DFI, we envision a future where every child is taught by well-prepared teachers. We support educator-preparation programs to bring the science of learning into teaching practice; partner with policymakers to ensure pathways into teaching are accessible, practice-based, and focused on instruction; and equip leaders with the tools to address today’s most pressing challenges in educator preparation. Guided by principles of learning science, we aim to help aspiring and early-career teachers create rigorous and inclusive classrooms where all children thrive.

Our Values

At DFI, we believe that a great workplace is one where you are inspired by your colleagues and deeply engaged in your work every day. Six core values guide us:

• Design for inclusivity – We take deliberate steps to foster inclusivity in everything we do, from hiring to program design to identifying leaders to collaborate with.
• Be good stewards – We care deeply about our culture and organizational health, and we expect everyone to positively nurture its growth and evolution.
• Practice good pedagogy – We use knowledge of content and how the human mind works to create rigorous learning experiences that foster a sense of belonging, agency, and purpose and we hold ourselves accountable for outcomes.
• Always seek solutions – We take a nimble approach to develop solutions to problems, test them, and then iterate based on what we’ve learned.
• Transform the system – We see the potential to shift mindsets and everyday practices to counter pervasive historical inequities.
• Model professionalism – We model professionalism by seeking out feedback and fostering growth through honesty and humility.

About the role of Program Manager

DFI works closely with teams from educator-preparation programs to redesign learning opportunities for aspiring and early-career teachers. At the core of this work are our efforts to redesign teacher-candidate experiences anchoring them in principles from learning science and with a focus on equity and justice.

Through our Learning by Scientific Design Network, we work with programs to ensure novice teachers understand the basic principles of cognitive science and how to apply these principles during instructional decision-making. The Program Manager will help launch our third network cohort, focusing on designing and delivering in-person and virtual learning sessions and providing individualized coaching to faculty to redesign coursework and clinical experiences so that they better support teacher-candidate learning. The Program Manager will also develop and maintain processes to ensure the smooth operation of the network.

Responsibilities

The Program Manager will be responsible for:

• Designing and facilitating meaningful, rigorous, inclusive learning experiences to support program faculty in building understanding of cognitive science – both their own and that of the candidates they prepare.
• Supporting faculty – through ongoing, individualized coaching – to develop a redesigned arc of experiences for teacher-candidates, implement those changes, and examine and reflect on evidence from implementation
• Pursuing your own continuous learning to deepen your understanding of cognitive science principles and provide faculty with expertise regarding how to translate these principles to rigorous instructional practice
• Actively building and sustaining positive, productive relationships with leaders and faculty at educator-preparation programs in the network
• Managing the day-to-day work of the network, managing a workplan, coordinating communications with network participants, developing structures to share learnings across the network, and collecting and analyzing data to ensure that the network is on track to achieve its goals
• Proactively stewarding a values-centered team and culture within DFI, including contributing to regular team activities such as weekly team meetings, bi-annual retreats, and other individual and organizational learning structures.

About you

We’re looking for someone who has experience designing and leading learning and coaching sessions for educators to improve their use of evidence-based instructional strategies.

We understand that people gain skills through a variety of professional, personal, educational, and volunteer experiences. We encourage candidates to review the key responsibilities and desired qualifications below. If you believe you have the transferable skills necessary to fulfill the responsibilities of this role, we encourage you to apply. We will consider candidates with greater seniority and are open-minded about adjusting the role to match experience level.

• Experience:
  • You have at least five years of professional work experience in teaching or teacher preparation, with at least two years of experience primarily focused on designing and leading learning and coaching sessions for adult learners
  • You have a proven track record of leveraging evidence-based instructional practices and knowledge of or a demonstrated interest in principles of cognitive science
  • If you have worked with teacher-preparation programs or have experience developing teachers on a large scale (e.g. for a district or cluster of schools), that’s a plus
  • If you have experience supporting multilingual learners or students with disabilities, that’s a plus

• Skills and qualities:
  • You are an effective facilitator and coach of adult learners and have a strong track record of using data and evidence to drive improvement
  • You are a strong project manager, able to juggle multiple tasks simultaneously; manage project teams, time, and resources effectively; and deliver high-quality work on time
  • You listen carefully, and think about how your history and experiences influence your perceptions
  • You take initiative, anticipate challenges, and proactively pursue solutions to problems ranging from the mundane to the complex
  • You recognize the connection between historical injustices and present-day inequities in education – and want to work to remedy them.

Location, Benefits, & Compensation

DFI is a national remote organization. The Program Manager will work flexibly from a U.S. based location of their choosing. Occasional travel for programming and team events (estimated to be 10%) is expected.

This is a full-time, salaried position with competitive salary and benefits and a flexible, mission-driven professional environment. DFI’s compensation and benefits are intended to support our ability to recruit and retain a diverse and talented team and ensure internal consistency and equity. The salary range for this role is $80-86K. New hires will be offered a salary at the starting point of the range. To ensure that starting compensation decisions are equitable and transparent, DFI does not negotiate starting salaries.

DFI offers a comprehensive benefits package that includes:

• 12 holidays plus a winter break from Dec. 24 - Jan 1.
• 20 PTO days, prorated during a new hire’s first year
• Generous parental, medical, and bereavement leave policies
• Medical, dental, and vision insurance (covered at 90% individual, 70% dependent-only), life insurance, short and long term disability coverage, health and dependent care Flexible Spending Accounts
• 401k plan with an automatic 4% employer contribution
• One-time stipend to support employees’ home office set-up and reimbursement of ongoing monthly internet and cell phone use, and
• Dedicated funds for each employee to support professional learning and growth

Application Process

There are six stages of our application process which combined take about six to nine weeks from mid October to December to complete. Our process is thorough because we want prospective team members to get to know our team and organizational values as much as we are getting to know who you are as a person and what you will bring to our team.

(1) Application review

(2) Initial conversation (via phone)

(3) Performance task and in-depth panelist interview (via Zoom)

(4) Finalist interviews where you’ll get to meet more of our team (via Zoom)

(5) Reference checks

(6) Verbal offer and offer letter

Visit https://www.deansforimpact.org/about/careers to apply.

 For more information, visit www.deansforimpact.org.

At DFI we believe that diverse perspectives and backgrounds create a rich work environment and enhance our ability to pursue our mission. We hope you will join us as we continue to build an organization where people from all backgrounds are welcomed and all identities are affirmed.

DFI provides equal opportunity in employment without regard to race, color, ethnicity, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, military status, pregnancy, or parenthood.