Academic Manager

Academic Manager
Location: New York, NY (Harlem)
Type: Full Time, Exempt

About StreetSquash

About StreetSquashStreetSquash was founded in Harlem in September 1999 as the second squash and education program in the United States. A comprehensive youth enrichment program, StreetSquash combines academic tutoring, squash instruction, community service, college preparation, leadership development, and mentoring for young people ages 11-24. What began as an after-school program with 24 middle school students and two staff members has expanded to serve 400 participants from 6th grade through college graduation, and entry into the workforce. Learn more about us at www.streetsquash.org.

About the Position

StreetSquash is seeking a demonstrated leader to fill the ACADEMIC MANAGER position. An ideal candidate will have a deep commitment to youth development in an after-school setting, value personal excellence, and have comfort supporting a young person’s social emotional development. They will have significant experience working with youth of color attending public schools in urban areas, and experience managing groups at varying development levels. The Academic Manager will be expected to oversee and be present at weekday sessions until 6:30pm, frequent Saturday programming, and select special events. This position will report to the Program Director.

Position Responsibilities 

Programmatic Responsibilities

  • Facilitate after-school academic support sessions assisting students individually with homework and platform based learning, manage volunteers and tutors
  • Meet with teachers as needed to advocate and assess students’ progress; communicate regularly with caregivers, guidance counselors, and others in each student’s support system
  • Participate in team meetings to meet the needs of students on your caseload and those of the academic team, including family engagement, planning team trips and cultural outings, organizing community service activities, facilitating team-building workshops, etc.
  • Support students in their academic and personal growth through programming and relationship-building
  • Collaborate on program-wide initiatives including curriculum development and facilitation for summer programming

Managerial Responsibilities

  • Serve as a member of the senior leadership team to oversee the academic department, implement organizational plans, execute on defined strategies, maintain a solution-focused approach as a leader within the organization, and resolve programmatic issues and concerns
  • Work closely with the Program Director to oversee development and implementation of academic programming to ensure consistency, high quality and mission alignment
    • Develop a deep understanding of each division of academic programming (Middle School, High School Transition, High School, College Transition), the skills necessary to perform each job well, and the appropriate standard of performance for each role
    • Create/adapt systems to meet identified needs and maintain alignment with students standards and program benchmarks 
    • Seek support and professional development in the areas in which the Academic Manager is not already an expert to ensure an ability to evaluate staff performance
  • Observe and participate daily in academic programming, maintaining a consistent presence with students and staff
  • Work with the Program Director (PD) to ensure full participant enrollment and high attendance to achieve full space utilization and maximum impact. Support recruitment efforts accordingly.
  • Manage a team of full-time and part-time direct service staff
    • Assess staff strengths and provide regular, direct feedback regarding individual performance, areas for growth, and plans for improvement
    • Support Program Director with academic staff talent management including hiring, evaluations, retention and promotions, and performance improvement plans
    • Lead biweekly supervision meetings and academic department meetings
    • Maintain consistent high standards for staff performance and program execution and hold them accountable for excellent programs on a daily basis
  • Maintain relationships with partner schools and partner organizations to ensure consistent flow of participants and integration into the school community
  • Conduct regular school visits for students at our partner schools
  • Build positive staff culture and work environment
  • Fulfill other responsibilities assigned by members of the executive management team

Administration

  • Work with the PD to coordinate academic staff scheduling and program logistics
  • Oversee academic and team budget in conjunction with the PD
  • Collaborate with the Manager of Operations & HR to ensure staff adherence to data management systems in order to generate accurate data and program insights
  • Collaborate with the Development and Communications Department to support the creation of organizational collateral, partnership-building, program marketing and stewardship
  • Ensure that the academic department tracks and analyzes participant enrollment data and trends for StreetSquash related to student persistence, success, graduations, etc.

Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree in the Education field (education, teaching, educational administration, educational leadership, curriculum and instruction) or commensurate work experience; graduate degree a plus 
  • 3+ years of relevant experience in a youth-focused not-for-profit with 2+ years of management experience
  • 3+ years direct service experiences with middle and high-school-aged students 
  • Familiarity with NYC Dept. of Education and Public school systems (Harlem familiarity a plus)
  • Prior experience in online academic delivery system or platform based learning (ALEKS, i-Ready, etc.) a plus
  • Must be able to demonstrate a strong knowledge of academic advising, student retention initiatives, and a track record of exceeding job expectations
  • Sensitivity to different cultures and communities; demonstrated ability to work well with diverse or marginalized populations; can bring in allies across diverse communities

Qualifications & Experience

We are seeking candidates with a deep commitment to academics in the context of youth development who are results-oriented and have strong collaboration skills. You should have:

  • Must have a commitment to work from a strength-based, youth and family development perspective
  • Drive for success in efforts to achieve organization and departmental goals
  • Solid organizational abilities, including planning, program development and task facilitation
  • Able to understand program data and the purpose of its usage; use data to identify programmatic trends and develop responsive practices for improving programs
  • Clear and compelling in both verbal and written communications, enjoys motivating a team around a common goal
  • Ability to establish and strengthen relationships with participants and partners
  • Proven ability to make good, proactive decisions in potentially emotionally-charged situations and/or in the absence of complete clarity; comfortable taking risks
  • Passion for young people and enjoyment of spending time with them, coaching or tutoring them, and pushing them to set and achieve goals in all aspects of their lives
  • Other languages proficiency a plus
  • Google Suite, Zoom, and Salesforce experience a plus, or demonstrated experience to learn new systems
  • Valid driver’s license, comfort and capacity to occasionally drive 15 passenger vans

Commitment: StreetSquash values long-term, deep, impactful work with students. It takes years to cultivate relationships and staff retention is a critical component of organizational success. This is not a transitional role or a temporary steppingstone. Candidates should be prepared to commit for the long haul, just as we are committed to supporting our staff to develop and grow.

Compensation & Benefits: StreetSquash offers competitive compensation, commensurate with experience. Full benefits include employer-supported health coverage, monthly MetroCard or equivalent transit stipend, monthly cell phone stipend, FSA, paid federal holidays, 20 days of paid vacation plus 5 day holiday break, 40 hours of sick time, 3 personal days (after the first 90 days), and 401k contributions (after 1 year of employment).

Vaccination:StreetSquash has implemented a policy requiring all employees to be fully vaccinated and submit proof as to their vaccination status in order to work on-site. Therefore, all new hires, prior to their start date, will be required to: (1) be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 (i.e., receive both doses of a two-dose vaccine or a single dose of a one-dose vaccine) and provide the Organization with a copy of their COVID-19 vaccination card, or (2) or receive an accommodation exempting them from the vaccination requirement. StreetSquash will keep any information about an employee or applicant’s vaccination status confidential in accordance with, and to the extent required by, applicable law.

Application Process: Interested candidates should send a resume and a detailed cover letter that directly addresses the specified requirements as outlined above and why you are interested in this position to hiring@streetsquash.org with “Academic Manager” in the subject line. Only complete applications will be reviewed and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Final applicants will be requested to consent to a pre-employment background check and employment verification. A background check is required to extend a job offer.

StreetSquash is an equal opportunity employer with a commitment to diversity. We encourage all qualified applicants to apply. No knowledge of squash is necessary for this position.

X