Senior Manager, School Partnerships

Position Summary

Reporting to and supported by the Director of Education, the Senior Manager, School Partnerships (SMSP) oversees all program activities associated with partnerships within public schools and parks across the city. The role includes oversight of school-day elementary and middle school programming for the Seeds to Trees and Learning Gardens programs, and summer groups programming for the Learning Gardens and Coastal Classroom programs. These programs are designed with experiential curricula and lessons that integrate science/STEM learning with environmental stewardship and positive youth development principles.

The primary functions for the position include development and supervision of teaching and learning across programs; staffing, evaluation and assessment; and related professional development. Outreach, recruitment and maintenance of partnerships are key to the position. The role involves significant innovative leadership in collaborating as a team member on the School-based Partnerships and Learn Growth: Curriculum & Expansion teams.

COMPENSATION $60 - $72,000 per year

Responsibilities

Staff Management

• Hire (when needed), train and supervise staff including full and part-time school day educators, and summer seasonal staff
• Support frontline staff in coordinating sites, schedules and field experiences for classes, and assist in implementation as needed
• Provide formal and informal mentorship to staff through regular site visits, ongoing feedback, lesson review and partner relations support
• Continually investigate best practices through professional development for yourself and your staff
  
  

Teaching and Administration, School Day Programs

• In collaboration with the program managers and Growth team, develop, refine and align all environmental science curricula, lessons and assessment for school day programs. Use Understanding by Design as curricular framework, as well as alignment with NYS Science Learning and Common Core Curriculum Standards
• Integrate youth development components and hands-on experiential learning that is age appropriate and differentiated for all learners. Ensure place-based learning in which the park/garden sites are integrated and used for teaching as much as possible
• Work with Director of Education and key staff to create and implement multi-level program evaluations and student assessments and support team to measure program impact and learner outcomes
• With the collaboration of key staff, ensure the maintenance, proper storage and collective use of all programmatic scientific equipment and educational materials as well as a living collection of organisms for use in the field and the classroom
• With the collaboration of key staff, integrate technology (open data sets, online resources, physical tools) relevant to STEM learning into school day instruction
• Build professional connections through citywide coalitions and groups that enhance program activities through collaboration and to stay abreast of changing models and developments in the field
• Assist program managers to design and lead professional development for school teachers and OST educators (2 sessions per year in the Learning Gardens and Seeds to Trees programs)
• Utilizing the SalesForce database, ensure maintenance of accurate, comprehensive records and statistics on all school day programs in partnership with program staff
• Support the maintenance of shared (department-wide) calendars that reflect all program activities
• Provide direct instruction in 1 school during the year and be prepared to support at sites where team members are absent, as needed
  
  

Partnership Development

• Research, identify, and recruit fee-based partnerships with elementary and middle schools for the school day Seeds to Trees & Learning Gardens programs in target neighborhoods across NYC
• Support program staff to build relationships and to manage these in order to create sustained, long-term partnerships with administrators and teachers
• Assist in the planning and implementation of periodic corporate/volunteer/staff service workdays for all sites
  
  

Summer Groups Administration (February - June)

• Collaborate with the Sr. Manager of STEM Pathways to oversee all outreach and recruitment of summer groups for the Learning Gardens and Coastal Classroom program areas. This includes..
• Maintenance of a visual schedule for team members to see the contracted groups by day/time slots
• Collaboration with the Sr. Manager of Operations to ensure smooth implementation of contracts, invoicing
• Supporting site leaders (Program Managers) in site preparation; hiring and training of youth staff (college & high school interns)
• Visiting sites throughout the summer to observe, provide support and give feedback in order to ensure high quality and fun programming for the summer students
  

Resource Management

• Finance: Manage programmatic budgets in collaboration with key staff. This includes:
• Monitoring program-related expenses in accordance with the annual budget
• Supervising purchasing and supporting vendor billing and payments
• Reaching income goals from school fees
  

Other

• Fundraising and Marketing:
• Contribute to the fundraising process, including responding to development staff inquiries, hosting/discussing programs with funders, contributing language to proposals and reports
• Inform marketing and promotion of programs with program information and photos, as needed
• Represent programs at conferences, NYC Parks and DOE events and other industry events
  
  

• Strategic Plan Implementation and Evaluation:
• Act as a key thought partner in the CP Learn innovations teams that focus on strategic planning for the department's growth and development throughout the year
• Report monthly on all of the above
  
  

Qualifications & Desired Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in education or related field with at least 3 years of practical experience or 6 years of equivalent experience in the education field
• Understanding and experience in delivery of STEM-based (particularly science), hands-on programming
• At least 1 year in leadership position with proven program development, staff management, partnership development and budget maintenance experience
• Direct experience in education with elementary and/or middle school youth and proven competencies in teaching, curriculum development and assessment
• Demonstrated track record in outreach including meeting recruitment and retention goals
• Understanding of and experience with public schools including institutional compliance and regulations
• Understanding of socio-emotional development, the principles of youth development and student-centered learning
• Excellent presentation and organizational skills
• Positive outlook and highly personable
• Willingness to work occasional evening and weekend hours
• Must have a valid NYS driver’s license
• Must be willing to be submit to fingerprinting and have a formal background check conducted
• Must have CPR/First Aid certification (training & certification provided by CPF)
  
  

About City Parks Foundation

At City Parks Foundation (CPF), we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming New York City parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through arts, environmental education, sports, and community building programs for all New Yorkers. Our ethos is simple: we believe thriving parks mean thriving communities.

Community engagement includes Partnerships for Parks, a public-private program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks, which supports and champions a growing network of community leaders who care and advocate for the transformation of our neighborhood parks and the Parks and Open Space Partners-NYC coalition of conservancies and alliances. We also administer the NYC Green Fund, a regranting program for parks and open space nonprofits and grassroots organizations.

We produce SummerStage, the iconic free, outdoor performing arts festival in NYC, presenting world-class artists from across the globe and our own neighborhoods on our mainstage in Central Park and in local parks in all five boroughs, and our Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre and roving PuppetMobile present marionette puppet theater throughout New York City.

We connect youngsters to nature in the urban environment through progressive, experiential teaching. Using parks as classrooms, we provide learning experiences and hands-on activities in urban forests, coastal areas, and gardens.

Free golf, tennis, track & field, soccer, and fitness programs bring high-quality instruction and equipment into areas where few organized athletic opportunities exist. We offer leveled training, year-round scholarship coaching, and special pro events.

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