Director, Middle Start School Development and Support

FHI 360 is a global development organization with a rigorous, evidence-based approach. Our professional staff includes experts in health, nutrition, education, economic development, civil society, environment and research. FHI 360 operates from 60 offices with 4,400 staff in the U.S. and around the world. Our commitment to partnerships at every level and our multidisciplinary approach enable us to have a lasting impact on the individuals, communities and countries we serve–improving lives for millions. We seek qualified candidates for the position of Director, Middle Start School Development and Support in New York, New York.

Position Description:

Middle Start is nationally recognized program that improves teaching and learning and ensures students’ academic success and healthy development. Middle Start provides technical assistance, leadership development and other professional development and coaching to middle-grades schools, school networks, and districts.

The Director will work with the Center director, Middle Start team, and others, to manage the ongoing expansion and refinement of Middle Start’s work nationally, and will have primary responsibility for leading programs to improve teaching, learning and school leadership. This work will entail leadership and management of key Middle Start operations including outreach, program development, and quality assurance, and will entail close work with other senior staff of the Center and Group, to support implementation, research and evaluation, and budget monitoring.

The responsibilities of this position include but are not limited to the following:

• Direct services to schools, networks and districts, including the NYC school support network in NYC, complementary programs, and programs with other districts.
• Direct new school development through services to new-school planning teams and support for new-school implementation; develop our organization’s capacity in this area.
• Direct leadership programs, and leverage their support for instructional improvement, student achievement, and new-school development.
• Direct outreach to schools, networks and districts to expand current networks (e.g., the NYC school support network) and establish new networks and district partnerships; work with business director to develop and manage pricing and budgets; secure new school/district contracts.
• Direct Middle Start staff and consultants in developing and refining high-quality programs, services and materials; support the ongoing professional development of staff who provide direct services to schools, networks, and districts.
• Develop and manage a quality assurance strategy to improve and achieve greater consistency of practice across partner schools, networks, and districts. Ensure the documentation of Middle Start’s impact through the use of clear and measurable benchmarks.
• Establish partnerships with other educational and youth development organizations that can support the schools, networks and districts with which we work.

Minimum Requirements:

Master’s degree in Education plus 12 years of experience in education and program management, particularly in program development, leadership development, professional development and coaching, and other strategies to improve teaching, learning and school leadership. Experience in successful business development, pricing and contracting for educational services, staffing and budget management. Experience in middle-grades education and educational reform; familiarity with local, state, national policies and trends, including those related to acceleration of student achievement, early warning systems and interventions, new-school development and implementation, the linkages among middle-grades, high school, and postsecondary education. Deep knowledge of the developmental needs of students and how successful schools address their needs; demonstrated capacity to lead a team of staff and consultants in developing such knowledge among school administrators and teachers. Evidence of humor, creativity, strategic thinking, ability to manage multiple high priority objectives, strong communications skills and management skills. Evidence of capacity to relate well with senior education officials, school administrators, teachers, and the representatives of other educational organizations. Passion for working to support the academic and healthy development of students

FHI 360 has a competitive compensation package. Interested candidates may register online through FHI 360's Career Center at www.fhi360.org/careercenter or through the Employment section at www.fhi360.org. Please submit CV/resume and cover letter including salary requirements. Please specify source in your application.

AA/EOE/M/F/V/D