Program Manager
The Southern Center for Opportunity and Access
Growth Is in Our DNA!
The Southern Education Foundation, Inc. (SEF), located in Atlanta Georgia, seeks a Program Manager for the Southern Center for Opportunity and Access (SCOA). For more than 156 years, Southern Education Foundation has made substantial contributions to improving education at all levels; from pre-kindergarten through higher education for low-income and students of color in the southern states. SEF works to improve equity, excellence, and opportunity in education nationally. Research, policy analysis, advocacy, and programs are the primary means through which Southern Education Foundation pursues its mission.
The Southern Center for Opportunity and Access is one of four federally funded Equity Assistance Centers (EACs) and work in the areas of civil rights, equity, and school reform to help ensure that equitable educational opportunities are available and accessible for all children. EACs provide technical assistance and training upon request, in the areas of race, sex, national origin, and religion to public school districts, school boards, state and local education agencies, and other governmental agencies to promote equitable education opportunities. Currently, SCOA serves 11 states: Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, and the District of Columbia.
The Opportunity:
The SCOA Program Manager will be responsible for executing all elements of the project, including managing relationships with school districts and education agencies, collecting relevant data, completing reporting requirements and ensuring the development and dissemination of a series of tools and communication resources. Specifically, the Program Manager will oversee all day-to-day operations of SCOA, ensuring the Center meets all deliverables, is on-time, and within budget. This includes effective management of SCOA projects, ensuring quality of the EAC deliverables, and supporting the overall execution of SCOA’s mission. The ideal candidate will be detail oriented and organized, with an ability to manage up, while anticipating center needs and streamlining processes, as needed. The Program Manager will work collaboratively across the organization with program staff and various staff at all levels, as well as directly with partners and participating districts.
Candidates interested in this position should have strong program management skills and demonstrated experience coordinating multiple projects, priorities, and stakeholders to achieve high-quality results. The ideal candidate will have a working knowledge of and passionate commitment to improving educational opportunity, particularly for K–12 students, along with an understanding of fairness in K–12 environments. This person will be highly organized, proactive, detail-oriented, and solutions-focused, with an entrepreneurial and “can-do” approach to managing programs, solving problems, and getting things done.
This position reports to the SCOA Director.
TYPICAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
1. Develop overall project management structure, ensuring status and progress of project elements.
2. Monitor progress against outcomes and deliverables of the program, ensuring time, capacity and adequate planning align with programmatic and budget goals.
3. Develop, modify, or provide input to project plans, as outlined in cooperative agreements and/or annual Technical Assistance plans.
4. Coordinate and integrate project activities as identified.
5. Support and suggest process-related improvements (e.g., quality assurance measures) to SCOA staff and leadership on various projects, as needed.
6. Set up project documentation and platforms to capture documents and all meeting notes.
7. Support the planning, implementation, and facilitation of all virtual and in-person meetings.
8. Maintain pertinent contact and program information (including documentation) for potential and existing clients and partners, in relevant program management software (i.e. Smartsheet, Dropbox, SharePoint, etc.)
9. Manage reporting to funders and other entities, including drafting updates in collaboration with EAC leadership.
10. Coordinate and oversee partners and vendors for SCOA, including technical assistance providers and consultants.
11. Support the project and communications teams in making available any materials to be shared, internally and externally.
12. Represent SCOA in other networks of education advocates and organizations (i.e. NSBA, LDF, SPLC, etc.).
Performance Competencies
Performance will be assessed through the role-specific expectations below, with ongoing feedback from the SCOA Director.
Competency: Project Execution
Task: Delivers quality milestones on time and within scope while managing plans, dependencies, and risks.
Evaluation Frequency: Ongoing
Competency: Grant & Budget Stewardship
Task: Tracks program and fiscal performance, maintains documentation, and submits accurate reports.
Evaluation Frequency: Monthly; formal review quarterly
Competency: Partner Management
Task: Builds responsive relationships, clarifies commitments, follows through, and resolves issues.
Evaluation Frequency: Quarterly
Competency: Operations & Logistics
Task: Coordinates program logistics, meetings, events, scheduling, and administrative needs to ensure smooth and timely operations.
Evaluation Frequency: Ongoing
Competency: Data & Improvement
Task: Maintains accurate data, monitors deliverables, and improves quality and efficiency.
Evaluation Frequency: Ongoing
Competency: Communication & Facilitation
Task: Creates clear materials, facilitates effective meetings, and represents SCOA professionally.
Evaluation Frequency: Ongoing
Competency: Collaboration & Adaptability
Task: Prioritizes effectively, risks and decisions, uses sound judgment, and adapts to change.
Evaluation Frequency: Ongoing
Competency: Technology & Innovation
Task: Manages and maintains program applications and technology platforms and implements innovative solutions to improve operations and engagement.
Evaluation Frequency: Ongoing
Competency: Mission & Growth
Task: Advances educational equity, expands program visibility, seeks feedback, and develops professionally.
Evaluation Frequency: Ongoing
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE:
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1. Excellent oral and written communication skills, cultivating trusting relationships with district, community, and external partners.
2. The Program Manager will help shape a collaborative approach to problem-solving with districts and partners. This takes a deft hand; creative approaches; and a respectful, risk-taking posture.
3. This program will have lots of moving parts. The Program Manager needs to have a vision for how complex projects come together, comfort in managing complex projects, and flexibility when things do not go as planned.
4. Ideally, the Program Manager identifies opportunities for collaboration (to more districts) and for showcasing the work of the EAC (i.e., representing SCOA in conferences, identifying opportunities for education media to write about it, collaborating with Communications team on awareness opportunities).
5. Working knowledge of Pre-K-12 school systems, including how districts make decisions about programs and data collected to understand and address inequities.
6. Keen ability to organize and prioritize workload.
7. Clear and concise verbal and written communication skills to address a variety of audiences.
8. Attention to detail, and a deep commitment to relationship-building across diverse communities and geographies.
9. General knowledge of federal grant requirements for periodic programmatic and fiscal reporting, performance reviews, and status meetings.
10. Strong proficiency in Smartsheet, Microsoft Office Suite, Google Workspace, Dropbox, virtual meeting and webinar platforms (i.e., Zoom, Webex), federal grant tracking and management systems, and other applicable technologies.
11. Minimum of a Bachelor’s degree; Master’s degree is preferred.
Compensation is $80,000-$95,000 with a competitive benefits package. This is a five-year grant-funded position with annual renewals from the U.S. Department of Education. The Southern Education Foundation is an Atlanta-based organization. This is a full-time position, working Monday – Friday. Currently, SEF is working a hybrid schedule where employees work remotely, and in the office, based on business needs.
Interested candidates should submit an application for the position. Applications will be accepted until the position is filled.
