What are the responsibilities and job description for the Program Manager, Student Support and Engagement position at Chicago Public Schools - CPS?
Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is one of the largest school districts in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 600 schools and employing approximately 40,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life. In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity. Six core values are embedded within these commitments - student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.
The Program Manager, Student Support and Engagement will manage, coordinate and provide operational support for a variety of district programs on behalf of the Office of Student Support and Engagement (OSSE), with a strong focus on re-engaging students who become disengaged from school. This position will manage coordination across several district departments, ensure fidelity of processes and reporting, and oversee day-to-day operations of key projects and project team members. They will convene with and provide consistent, supportive follow-up to key stakeholders, including central office staff, principals and school leaders, vendors, and community-based organizations. This position will provide leadership to direct reports, proactively and expertly manage simultaneous workstreams and set appropriate priorities when faced with multiple important tasks. The Program Manager will report to the Executive Director of the Office of Student Support and Engagement.
The Program Manager will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:
In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Program Manager must possess the following qualifications:
Education Required:
Experience Required:
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
Conditions of Employment
As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:
The Program Manager, Student Support and Engagement will manage, coordinate and provide operational support for a variety of district programs on behalf of the Office of Student Support and Engagement (OSSE), with a strong focus on re-engaging students who become disengaged from school. This position will manage coordination across several district departments, ensure fidelity of processes and reporting, and oversee day-to-day operations of key projects and project team members. They will convene with and provide consistent, supportive follow-up to key stakeholders, including central office staff, principals and school leaders, vendors, and community-based organizations. This position will provide leadership to direct reports, proactively and expertly manage simultaneous workstreams and set appropriate priorities when faced with multiple important tasks. The Program Manager will report to the Executive Director of the Office of Student Support and Engagement.
The Program Manager will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:
- Establish and facilitate cross-functional working groups organized to develop and manage a cross departemental program for locating students who are not attending school, identifying disengaged students, connecting them with resources, and tracking their progress.
- Lead the start to finish design and release of the data tools for implementing the re-engagement program
- Regularly facilitate decision-making and collaboration among central office departments in order to drive re-engagement efforts forward; ensure all stakeholders are supported from an operational standpoint
- Develop and maintain a deep understanding of engagement initiatives happening across offices; design spaces, protocols, and processes to foster collaboration and convergence amongst and between teams working on re-engagement efforts
- Contribute to data reporting, connecting inputs and strategies to improve outcomes for disengaged students
- Integrate current, relevant CPS initiatives and prior programs into the new re-engagement program
- Regularly engage and coordinate key stakeholders and partners on process and progress of re-engagement efforts; ensure regular data reporting by appropriate stakeholders
- Create key written deliverables, memos, spreadsheets, data reports, and presentations for Senior Leadership
- Oversee project team members who execute daily operational responsibilities
- Lead, mentor, and manage the performance of direct reports
- Work with department Chiefs to designate project managers and owners for individual projects and workstreams
- Track deliverables for projects and ensure projects progress in alignment with designated timelines
- Manage project communications and provide project information as requested to internal and external project stakeholders including, but not limited to, the Mayor's Office, various Community Based Organizations; ensure all inquiries are addressed in a timely manner
- Lead special projects as assigned within the strategy team
- Develop actionable recommendations for the Executive Office based on annual performance results
- Other responsibilities as assigned
In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Program Manager must possess the following qualifications:
Education Required:
- Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or university
- Master's degree preferred
Experience Required:
- Minimum of five (5) years of relevant experience, including the following, is required:
- Minimum of 3 years of strategic planning experience
- Experience with direct supervisory responsibilities leading a team of direct reports
- Experience with advanced project management, handling multiple complex projects simultaneously, driving all to completion with positive results
- Experience working with CPS central office and school stakeholders preferred
- Experience working with Community Based Organizations serving youth in Chicago preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:
- Excellent interpersonal skills allowing for collaboration with all levels of CPS staff and leadership
- Effective strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish long-term vision and goals, and align/manage activities towards those goals
- Excellent self leadership, organization, and planning skills
- Ability to lead cross-functional teams to achieve project goals
- Strong leadership and team building skills, e.g. ability to develop high performing teams united around a clear vision for serving schools and achieving student success
- Excellent written and verbal communication skills
- Outstanding problem-solving and data analysis capabilities
- Self-starter who can anticipate problems and develop preemptive solutions
- Ability to be flexible and to adapt to a continually shifting environment
- Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office, specifically Excel, Power Point, Word
- Familiarity with Google suite, specifically Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Sheets, and Google Meet
- Knowledge of CPS e-platforms, preferred
Conditions of Employment
As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:
- Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district. The Chicago residency requirement does not apply to temporary/part-time positions, however, all CPS employees must be residents of Illinois.
- Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19 - Unless approved for a medical or religious exemption, all employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations, including boosters, and to submit proof of vaccination to the district within 30 days of hire. "Up-to-date" on vaccination is defined as being at least two weeks past all primary vaccine doses and any applicable boosters.
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