Student Success Program Director

Title: Student Success Program Director

Reports to: Director of Collective Impact

Supervises: Community School Manager, Member Support Coordinators

United Way of Northern Utah Mission: We unite people and organizations to build healthy, stable, and well-educated communities where individuals, families, and neighborhoods thrive.

Student Success Program Mission: The Student Success Program (SSP) is an AmeriCorps program that provides caring mentors in schools to help students increase engagement and discover their strengths. To do this, AmeriCorps members work 1:1 with a caseload of students to help them increase attendance, improve academic abilities, ensure basic needs are met, and support social/emotional growth. The program also provides AmeriCorps members with excellent training and support as they gain marketable skills and experience and prepare for a lifetime of meaningful contributions.

AmeriCorps Summary: AmeriCorps is the federal agency for national service and volunteerism. AmeriCorps provides opportunities for Americans of all backgrounds to serve their country, address the nation’s most pressing challenges, and improve lives and communities. AmeriCorps aims to improve lives, strengthen communities, and foster civic engagement through service and volunteering. 

Summary of Work: The Student Success Program (SSP) Director plays the critical role of guiding the SSP to be sustainable and effective. The director will lead the strategic development and execution of the program to ensure all stakeholders have an exceptional experience.  The program director is primarily responsible for: creating strategic plans, logic models and action plans that align with grant requirements and program evaluation; developing and maintaining relationships with host sites, members, staff, and other key stakeholders to ensure successful implementation with high fidelity to the SSP AmeriCorps model; and ensuring that the program meets all standards and requirements of AmeriCorps grants.

Key Responsibilities:

 Program Development and Outcome Measurement

• Lead strategic planning related to program growth and site promotion including communications, host site and member recruitment, retention, training, and development.
• Ensure sound organizational management and documentation practices are compliant with federal laws and regulations, AmeriCorps requirements, and UServe policies and procedures.
• Ensure the program adheres to policies, procedures, and systems that promote inclusivity and provides continuous feedback for improvement to UServe and other program stakeholders.
• Guide evidence based practices for program evaluations.
• Define and continuously improve how the program activities will lead to short and long term results, including performance measures with outcomes.

Financial

• Manage the Student Success budget in collaboration with the UWNU finance team with strict adherence to AmeriCorps grant requirements and provide for accurate documentation.
• Adhere to and communicates fiscal policy amendments, developments, and updates to respective team members.
• Lead the annual effort to write and submit the AmeriCorps competitive and/or continuations grants and progress reports through UServe.
• Identify funding opportunities and support grant writing efforts to secure additional funding for program initiatives.

Compliance/UServe Utah requirements

• Attend UServe Utah’s quarterly program director meetings and monthly Training and Technical Assistance Calls
• Respond to fiscal monitoring and program visits by UServe Utah
• Maintain and lead an advisory committee to advise and support the SSP
• Collect quarterly data from sites and review for accuracy in collaboration with internal and external partners
• Create quarterly progress reports to monitor achievement of performance measures to be submitted to UServe Utah
• Complete annual trainings in FERPA; Fraud, Waste & Abuse; and National Service Criminal History Check (NSCHC) Training
• Maintain the highest standards of student data confidentiality and FERPA compliance

Oversight of Host Sites and Member Placement

• Support districts in securing AmeriCorps members by developing clear processes and materials to aid in recruitment, hiring, and retention.
• Ensure host site accountability to program expectations and requirements as outlined in the SSP AmeriCorps host site agreement.
• Develop strong partnerships with host sites to support overall program goals, ensure fidelity to the SSP AmeriCorps program model, and promote quality member experiences.
• Ensure propers training and monitoring of SSP AmeriCorps host sites and members.
• Manage school and district MOUs regarding AmeriCorps member placement, host site expectations and SSP staff expectations, and student data reporting
• Manage the recruitment-to-placement processes for each of the districts in which the SSP operates. This will include ensuring compliance with all member onboarding and exit procedures and documentation. 

Leadership and Supervisory Duties

• Supervise, train, evaluate, and support SSP staff (2-4 FTE)
• Ensure equitable distribution of workload and duties amongst team members
• Foster a culture of innovation and collaboration within the team, encouraging creative problem-solving and exploration of new ideas.
• Oversee consultants who provide subject matter expertise to the program
• Participate in United Way’s Department Leadership team, demonstrating a commitment to building collaboration among managers, staff, programs and departments.
• Work collaboratively with UWNU leadership to uphold the vision, mission, and values of UWNU and integrate the SSP into the Collective Impact division and organization-wide strategic plan.

Required Competencies:

• Leadership - Ability to supervise, mentor, and evaluate program staff while maintaining a positive and safe work environment.
• Attention to Detail - Ability to ensure accuracy in documentation, compliance with policies and quality assurance in program execution which includes maintaining compliance with AmeriCorps and UServeUtah policies, procedures, rules, statutes, regulations, terms, and conditions.
• Data-Driven - Ability to track, collect, manage, analyze, and make timely decisions based on data to prioritize continuous improvement processes to refine program execution.
• Action Oriented - Ability to take on new opportunities and tough challenges with a sense of urgency, high energy, and enthusiasm.
• Drives Results - Ability to consistently achieve results, even under tough circumstances.
• Adaptability- Willingness to adapt to new processes, technologies, and program requirements, and help others adjust as well
• Team Player - Ability to work well with others to achieve a shared goal, while also contributing to the overall organization and team's success.
• Project Management - Ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously, prioritize tasks, and meet deadlines.
• Tech Proficiency -  Comfortability with using digital tools such as DocuSign, email and calendar platforms, Microsoft Office, and Google Suite.
• Written and Verbal Communication -  Ability to communicate effectively with diverse stakeholders (schools, volunteers, team members, etc.) through emails, reports, etc.
• Relationship Building - Ability to engage, motivate, and maintain positive relationships with families, volunteers, and community members
• Process Improvement - Ability to use analytical skills to identify inefficiencies and recommend updates to process mapping and operations, ensuring smoother workflows
• Empathy & Patience - Willingness to understanding and accommodating the needs of diverse stakeholders particularly in a supportive school-based role
• Problem-Solving - Ability to troubleshoot issues, resolve conflicts, and adapt to changes quickly in a fast-paced environment

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree in education, social sciences, human services or related field OR equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Must pass state and federal criminal background checks as defined by the AmeriCorps program and UServe Utah.
• At least 2 years of experience in Project Management
• Strong skills in Microsoft Office/Google Suite productivity tools 
• High standards of professional ethics and conduct. 
• Willingness to work a flexible schedule including some evenings and weekends, and travel throughout the state of Utah.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Masters degree in education, social work, public administration, business administration, or related field and/or 8 years work experience in education or human services
• Prior experience with AmeriCorps program.

• Demonstrated understanding of school environment and the community school strategy
• Experience working on state or federally funded projects.
• Experience supervising professional staff

Compensation

Wage: $65,000 - $75,000

Benefits: A comprehensive benefits plan includes vacation, sick, holidays, health, dental, vision, and life and an organization-matched 403(b) plan of up to 10% after one year.

Location: Ogden, UT

Hours: Full-time, exempt. United Way hours of operation are Monday-Friday, 8:00am to 5:00pm. United Way strives for employees to have great work-life balance and allows for occasional remote work assuming it does not interfere with productivity, results, and/or quality of relationships with partners and is pre-approved with the direct supervisor. Work hours are subject to change based on United Way events and activities happening in the community. This position requires substantial overnight travel during certain times of year, providing support to site supervisors at schools and to the AmeriCorps members throughout the state of Utah.

How to apply: Send a cover letter AND resume to UWNU Hiring at hiring@uwnu.org.  Applications will NOT be considered without providing BOTH a cover letter AND resume. You may address cover letters and other communications to the SSP Director Hiring Committee. Please include the title of the job in the subject line and/or attachments of your email. 

Closing date: January 5, 2025