Manager, Operations

ROLE TITLE: Manager, Program Operations

POSITION REPORTS TO: Director, Program Operations, Stacey Brown-Smith 

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Friday, September 27, 2024 11:59 PM ET

LOCATION: Detroit and it’s expected that this role will be able to be in the office 2-3 days per week.

WHAT YOU’LL DO

Teach For America Detroit seeks an operations leader who will manage all core operations functions and will lead the design and delivery of best-in-class support services for our statewide program of over 300 educators. This operations leader will play a pivotal role in the daily operations of the Educator Program Participant Experience pillar for the regional team. We are looking for someone who has event planning and execution experience, the ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, and strong attention to detail and accuracy in data entry and record-keeping.  This work also requires a leader who can effectively manage relationships across a variety of stakeholders, including fellows, alums, and external partners. 

This position is a unique opportunity for an individual who thrives on supporting the work of others by helping them with the operational and logistical aspects of their work, demonstrates strong organizational and project management skills, and has experience using a variety of tools to get their job done. The ideal candidate will excel at building relationships and partnering with multiple stakeholders with competing priorities and have an orientation towards further developing their operations skills. 

THE MOMENT

TFA Det/MI is pursuing a ten-year goal that by 2030, twice as many economically disadvantaged children in Michigan will reach key educational milestones indicating they are on a path to economic mobility and co-creating a future filled with possibility. Our goal calls for us to recruit great educators; develop them into system-level leaders who can deliver for their students, schools, and communities; and connect them with one another and broader coalitions to advance state and local policies, practices, and innovations that drive toward greater equity and excellence. 

Over the past three years, TFA Det/MI has embarked on a new strategy focused on recruiting, retaining, and connecting high-performing early and mid-career educators in Detroit and across Michigan, including TFA alumni and non-alumni. TFA Det/MI has provided supplemental compensation beyond teacher salaries/benefits in the form of signing and retention bonuses, wellness and housing stipends, and access to high-quality professional development and innovation funds. The results have been strong.

In December 2021, the State of Michigan and philanthropy invested $20 million to expand our educator recruitment and retention work statewide. Every teacher recruited will receive between $15k-$40k in direct financial incentives over the course of three years, and will be placed in fellowship cohorts that will range in programmatic support. As directed by the Legislation, we will evaluate and report results to inform system-level educator recruitment, development, and retention efforts. Ultimately, we will be successful if we build a community of highly effective educators and leaders who inspire others to teach in Michigan, and who individually and collectively model and contribute to system change.

WHAT YOU’LL BE RESPONSIBLE FOR

You will play a vital role in supporting the operational functions that enable our organization to fulfill its mission. Working closely with the operations team and program managers, you will ensure the smooth execution of various initiatives and programs aimed at enhancing the experience of our educators.

Event Management (45%)

• Support large-scale events like our workshops and convening.

• Provide direct Project management, vendor communication, and coordination, manage the ordering of supplies and printing

• Coordinate travel for educators and staff hotel accommodations, airfare, buses, and other modes of transportation

Operations Management (45%)

• Provide operational support, including but not limited to processing reimbursements and honorariums, sending gifts to speakers, dispersing GrubHub credits

• Prepare and maintain contracts for coaches and fellows

• Develop systems to process reimbursements, honorariums, invoices, etc.

• Manage expense reports and support budget tracking

Ongoing Regional Responsibility (10%)

• Serve as an “all hands on deck” team member willing to support the region in various ways as needs and opportunities arise

• Engage in diversity, equity, and inclusion conversations for ongoing personal reflection and learning, acknowledging that we are never done learning and growing

• Participate in and support various regional and national efforts, including events and special projects that sometimes occur on nights and weekends

• Complete general administrative responsibilities accurately and on time

YOUR EXPERIENCE

Competitive Candidates will have the following characteristics and experiences:

• At least 3 years of professional experience

• Experience in learning management systems, event management, project management, and achieving ambitious goals

Skills

• Identifying and anticipating the needs of stakeholders who are looking for access to or support, especially when questions are unclear or ambiguous

• Ability to envision, plan, and project-manage multiple complex, collaborative projects simultaneously, with impeccable follow-through on execution

• Exceptional communication skills, both written and verbal

• Thinks big, sets ambitious goals, sees the full system and the next move, and is a problem-solver.

• Carries themselves with humility, curiosity, and generosity, and embraces the opportunity to learn along the way.

• Is a self-starter with strong project management skills and highly organized with impeccable attention to detail.

• Possess a track record of working across lines of difference to achieve results 

• Committed to embodying, and being a steward of, our core values and our commitment to diversity 

Work Demands

• Ability to work evenings and weekends when necessary

• Minimal Travel required – approx. 2-6 times per year to neighboring cities such as Saginaw, Lansing, Grand Rapids, Detroit, Traverse City, Flint

Education

• Bachelor’s degree required

YOUR FUTURE TEAM

In 2019, Teach For America Detroit adopted a ten-year goal with a statewide aim: by 2030, twice as many children growing up in poverty-dense communities across Michigan will reach key educational milestones indicating that they are on a path to economic mobility and co-creating a future filled with possibility. If achieved, the outcome would be significant– 20,000 more students would be on a path to greater economic opportunity and mobility. More importantly, because achieving this scale would require a system change strategy, the conditions will have been set in Detroit and across Michigan, both in policy and practice, in schools and beyond schools, to drive more equitable outcomes for a generation of children growing up in our state.

To achieve our 10-year goal, we will need to build a larger, more diverse team that can perform at a high level and move together. We will need to be in a relationship with a broad and diverse set of stakeholders. We will need to express humility and curiosity in learning and to be effective in capturing and sharing that learning and telling stories. We’ll also need to be courageous, dreaming big and letting go of the perceived limitations and deep orthodoxies in our pursuit of solutions. Recognizing that the world will continue to rapidly change around us, especially as we step into more complex spaces, we’ll need to be adaptable in crafting solutions, remaining obsessed with the problem, and agile in our solutions. 

Funding source and term: This is primarily funded through a federal/state grant, and therefore this strategy (and position) could sunset in December 2026. The details of how this could impact the role will be discussed with finalist candidates during the application process.

YOUR COMPENSATION

The applicable salary range for each U.S.-based role is based on where the employee works and is aligned to one of 3 tiers according to a cost of labor index in that geographic area. Starting pay for the successful applicant will depend on a variety of job-related factors, which may include education, training, experience, location, business needs, or market demands. New hires are typically brought into the organization at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budgeted amount for the role. The expected salary ranges for this role are set forth below. These ranges may be modified in the future.
 

Salary 

Tier A: $55,700- $83,500 

You can view which tier applies to where you plan to work here. If your location is not listed, please click here for additional total rewards information.