Managing Director, Literacy

Position: Managing Director, Literacy
Location: Remote
Employment Type: Full-time
Reports To: Vice President, Content
Direct Reports: Principal, Early Literacy; Director, Pre-K; Lead, Secondary ELA; Lead, K-8 ELA
Apply By: 9/12/2024

Apply By

Applicants are encouraged to apply by September 12, 2024 to receive the best opportunity to be interviewed if qualified.

Purpose of Position

The Managing Director, Literacy will ensure that the highest quality reviews are published on EdReports.org by overseeing all ELA materials reviews, leading strategic initiatives within and across the Academic Office, and collaborating with education leaders nationwide. EdReports has an impressive track record of success in providing information about curricular programs through our online reports and has close to 1,000 published reports on our website. We have documented use by districts representing over 12M students and national surveys show that EdReports is the best known and utilized resource for supporting curriculum decision-making in the country.

As an experienced and collaborative manager, the Managing Director, Literacy will build on this success and lead EdReports into new growth and impact; they will partner with other leaders to revise and enact strategies for training educator reviewers, conducting curriculum reviews, and maintaining a robust materials pipeline. They will consider the needs of districts and classrooms alongside the state of the curriculum market to identify new or improved areas for emphasis across our tools, training supports, and reports. Ideal candidates have extensive knowledge of College and Career Readiness Standards, including the Common Core State Standards, ELA curriculum development, and implementation, along with experience with elements of Culturally Responsive Teaching and Culturally Centered Education.  We are looking for a mission-focused, seasoned leader and strong supervisor, skilled in building diverse, equitable teams with a strong sense of belonging who enjoys highly collaborative work and has a passion for ensuring that all students have high-quality instruction. One area of focus will be on supports for multilingual learners and culturally centered education. Another key area the Managing Director, Literacy will support is in the expansion into Early Learning through overseeing the launch of Pre-K review. The Managing Director, Literacy reports directly to the VP, Content.  

Key Responsibilities

Lead Organization’s Literacy Reviews and Review Strategy - 60%  

• Supervise the Literacy team:
  • Lead, coach, and support the Literacy team of full-time staff and consultants to execute activities that advance the organization’s mission, meet annual performance goals, and support the field with more information about the quality of ELA, Foundational Skills, and Pre-K instructional materials. Work with direct reports to set annual team goals and ensure all members are a part of a robust performance management process;  
• Collaborate with the Lead, Reviewer Engagement to refine recruitment strategy and support for contracting educator review teams;
• Ensure high-quality training for internal staff and review teams in partnership with all Academic Office teams; and
• Develop, cultivate, and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in literacy, including leading and supporting team engagement with literacy advisories for both Foundational Skills and K-12 literacy.
• Plan and oversee rolling reviews of K-12 ELA, Foundational Skills, and Pre-K instructional materials including ensuring a robust materials pipeline:  
  • Ensure all reviews are high-quality, evidence-rich, and well-calibrated;  
  • Develop and execute a coherent strategy to enhance EdReports’ Reviews to provide increased information on how well materials support pedagogy and information about texts in any curriculum;
  • Collaborate with the Lead, Reviewer Engagement to refine recruitment strategy and support for contracting educator review teams;
  • Ensure high-quality training for internal staff and review teams in partnership with all Academic Office teams; 
  • Represent EdReports with publishers to understand the market, acquire curricular series, explain the review process, and communicate before, during, and after a review; and  
  • Collaborate with content area experts, including Managing Directors, publishers, and other key stakeholders, to develop, align, and enhance processes and supports. This involves coordinating efforts across various functions such as review processes, training, and tools, and working closely with content specialists to ensure effective communication and seamless integration throughout the review process.
• Work with the Chief Academic Officer, VPs, and Managing Directors across the organization on special projects in research and development to provide the field with new, timely information.   
  • Identify areas for research and monitoring to inform future of reviews and future direction of EdReports e.g., necessary updates to our existing review areas, cultural relevance, supports for English learners, new product types;
  • Cultivate and maintain relationships with key stakeholders in the ELA community, including through an ELA advisory;  
  • Develop and implement a plan to provide enhanced information on elements of quality in texts. 
• Support the development of high-quality criteria for pre-K materials, ongoing field and advisory engagement, conversations with pre-k materials publishers, and the launch of pre-K reviews.

Thought Leadership and External Engagements - 15%  

• Work with the communications and outreach teams to proactively identify thought-leadership opportunities, key partners, and outlets for advocating for high-quality materials and educating the field about the characteristics of quality; 
• Conduct outreach to explain the results of EdReports ELA reviews for a variety of external audiences, including educators, districts, states, and partner nonprofits that use our resources to select curriculum;
• Support Pre-K and Foundational Skills in related outreach activities; 
• Serve as subject matter expert to EdReports with respect to research, trends, and shifts within the literacy community. 

Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning - 15%  

• In collaboration with the Lead, Reviewer Engagement, institute and maintain a robust feedback loop between educator-reviewers, staff, and stakeholders to ensure reports and processes are effective, and efficient, and support the short- and long-term development of EdReports reviews and processes;
• Codify impact and learning from reviews and translate into Academics Office strategy and organizational storytelling; and  
• Develop and ensure execution of processes to respond to new projects, produce scopes of work with consultants as needed, and strategically staff projects.  

Organizational Leadership - 10%

• Engage in and support organizational collaboration efforts in cross-functional areas related to organizational improvement;
• Lead and support cross-functional teams on projects as needed; 
• Consistently capture and share project learnings across the org, incorporate; organizational learning and innovation, and integrate relevant context as the field evolves. 

Key Qualifications

Lead Organization’s Literacy Reviews and Review Strategy

• A minimum of 10 years’ experience in school districts, state departments of education, and/or nonprofit instructional leadership;  
• Deep expertise in ELA education, current research trends, and standards landscape at  the national, state, or district level;
• 5+ years of experience supervising teams, with proven expertise in managing multi-layered teams through complex changes and ambiguity, preferably in start-ups, non-profits, or growing organizations;
• Possess an understanding or experience with research, Culturally Responsive Teaching, and Culturally Centered Education and best practices to support multilingual learners. 

Thought Leadership and External Engagements

• Exceptional written and spoken communications and interpersonal skills, including the ability to build support for current and new initiatives across a diverse range of  stakeholders and audiences both internally and externally; 
• Demonstrated proficiency in leading professional development and adult learning;
• Demonstrated commitment to elevating and promoting educator voice and educator  leadership.

Knowledge Management and Organizational Learning

• A proven strategic and project management skill set, including the ability to effectively manage multiple stakeholders and meet ambitious timelines;  
• Facilitate continuous learning and development for team members;
• Experience overseeing budgets and staffing complex projects;  
• Ability to manage and prioritize amongst competing demands and deadlines, while  continuing to produce high-quality work. 

Organizational Leadership

• Passion for EdReports’ mission and vision, our core values, and our commitment to Diversity, Belonging, Inclusion, and Equity;
• A commitment to uphold EdReports organizational core values and norms;  
• An ability to work independently and collaborate with colleagues and educators in a virtual work environment;  
• Experience leading in agile environments where continuous learning, expansion, and the adaptation of systems and processes co-exist;
• A Bachelor’s degree in ELA, education, or related field is required, advanced degree preferred.  

Salary

The salary for this position is $129,000 - $139,000 annually. At EdReports, in determining a final salary for a position, we consider the role and the experience and skill needed while striving to maintain equity in our compensation bands. For this and other reasons, our salary offers are non-negotiable.

Benefits

We know the importance of living a fulfilling, healthy life–both professionally and personally. That’s why some of the benefits we offer include:

• 160 hours of PTO that is prorated to the employee’s start date, 
• unlimited sick time, 
• 3 personal days,
• EdReports pays for 90% of health care for both the employee and their immediate family;
• 401k that new hires become eligible for after six months of employment (includes safe harbor, employer match, etc.), and
• 21 paid holidays and two office closures in 2024.

Travel: Up to 15%  

National travel will happen occasionally throughout the year (COVID-19 dependent), as needed for partner relations, service delivery, organizational retreats, and professional learning. 

Physical Requirements

Including, but not limited to standing and sitting for long periods of time; speaking loudly and  clearly; seeing and hearing things both near and far away; and reaching, stooping, kneeling, and  fine-finger and hand manipulation in use of a computer, chalkboard, dry erase board, or projector.  Employee is required to have close visual acuity to perform an activity such as preparing and  analyzing data and figures, transcribing, viewing a computer terminal, and extensive reading. This  person will travel by car, air, or other transportation (as indicated above) and should be able to  physically withstand the demands of frequent travel. Employee may be required to walk for long  distances at event venues, conference and training locations, or other relevant sites.