Manager of District Support

Manager of School District Support    Type: Full Time Min. Experience: 5 Years

ABOUT GOOD REASON HOUSTON

Good Reason Houston’s champions a bold and optimistic vision for the City of Houston
– that every child, in every neighborhood, excels in a world-class public school and
thrives in the Houston of tomorrow. The organization partners with school districts,
community leaders, families, and educators to achieve its mission of increasing the
number of students learning in a high-performing school. To grow more great schools in
every neighborhood in Houston, the organization focuses on four key strategic levers:
Driving System Innovation, Developing Game-changing Educators, Advancing
Equitable Access, and Engaging the Community.

ABOUT THE ROLE

Good Reason Houston is seeking a Manager of School District Support who is excited
to partner deeply with school districts seeking to take bold action to improve school
quality and increase access for students, and who will thrive in a start-up environment.
The Manager is a servant leader role that works closely both with district and campus
leaders and external support partners focused in areas like instructional capacity-
building and talent to accelerate progress in school districts in numerous high-impact
ways to improve access to high-quality schools and overall student achievement.
This position reports to the Chief Program Officer and will play a key role in ensuring
that Good Reason Houston realizes its vision that every child, in every neighborhood,
excels in a world-class public school and thrives in the Houston of tomorrow.
 
RESPONSIBILITIES

This role will evolve to meet the needs of the Good Reason Strategy and as the
education landscape in the state and region shifts. Current responsibilities include:
1. Support school creation, school turnaround, and school improvement
strategies:

• Provide extensive direct support to district and campus leaders to ensure the
  successful implementation of the following strategies:
  o School creation
  o School turnaround, such as the Accelerating Campus Excellence (ACE)
  approach
  o School improvement
• Provide whatever on-the-ground technical expertise and strategic problem
  solving is necessary
• Ensure fidelity of implementation

2. Partner Vetting and Matching:

• Identify district expectations and needs that can be addressed with partners
• Lead the process of establishing partnerships with existing organizations that
  align to district expectations and need:
  o Determine need
  o Vet potential partners
  o Scope the relationship (developing goals, milestones, and deliverables)
  o Design and negotiate contracts
• Lead the recruitment or creation of new high-quality partner providers
• Lead the process of partner matching

3. Partner Management and Expansion:

• Manage a portfolio of existing partners that provide direct service to school
  districts in order to support the creation of high-quality seats:
  o Ensure there is a clear project plan and data systems to track inputs,
  outputs, and outcomes for each partner
  o Lead monthly partner check-ins to ensure strong implementation and
  adjust as needed
  o Update partner trackers and other data tools to monitor progress
  o Communicate regularly with partners to ensure effective and efficient
  implementation, including coordinating across partners when necessary
  o Contribute to and engage in Quarterly Partner Reviews with districts
• Coordinate efforts across multiple partners to increase efficiency, eliminate
  redundancy, and ensure tight alignment to district need
• Manage the process of determining expansion plans for partners to scale their
  impact in Houston to match district need

QUALIFICATIONS

We’re seeking candidates who excel in relationship-building, are results-oriented, and
have strong project management skills. You should have:

• A track record of developing and maintaining strong relationships with and
  among a diverse group of stakeholders.
• Excellent organizational skills, with a demonstrated commitment to meeting a
  high bar and a history of getting things done even in the face of obstacles and
  ambiguity. As Good Reason Houston is in “start-up mode,” we look for
  candidates who can be flexible in changing environments.
• A data and research orientation – including a curiosity and urgency around data
  collection and analysis, and its ability to inform decision making.
• Experience managing multiple projects and the ability to manage teammates and
  stakeholders on short-term projects.
• Passion about the mission, vision, and goals of Good Reason Houston and how this position contributes to the organization’s success.