Associate Director of Programs

Mission 

NCTR disrupts historic educational inequities by advancing the teacher residency movement to prepare effective, diverse, culturally responsive educators. 

Vision 

Students of color and low-income students have equitable access to effective, diverse, culturally responsive educators. 

Founded in 2007, the ​ National Center for Teacher Residencies​ ​(NCTR) is a national non-profit organization headquartered in Chicago with team members working virtually throughout the country. NCTR’s mission is to grow and manage a national network of teacher residencies dedicated to closing the opportunity gap through the training, support, and retention of excellent teachers for students of color and other marginalized groups. NCTR is accelerating its growth as it helps to build, support, and scale even greater numbers of high-performing teacher residencies. Our programs and services are built upon its research-based Levers for Equitable Teacher Residencies, which define the design and implementation targets of high-performing residency programs and identify the benchmarks for program development. 

NCTR’s Network offers targeted support to existing teacher residency programs that help identify strengths and challenges, refine programming, create opportunities for professional growth for resident teachers, mentors, and residency staff, and evaluate residency program impact and outcomes. Additionally, NCTR’s Residency Design Academy (RDA) is the only program of its kind in the nation dedicated to developing high-quality teacher residencies from inception to launch. Since 2007, NCTR has supported the development of over a dozen new residency programs through the RDA.

A collaborative, mission-driven organization, NCTR is working to ensure that students in high-need schools have access to effective teachers. NCTR accomplishes this goal through the development and sustainability of high-performing residency programs. In addition to exemplifying our core values, our team emphasizes the importance of building personal relationships with one another and maintaining a strong work/life balance. We prioritize our culture to ensure our team members feel fully supported and satisfied in their roles. 

Core Values 

NCTR is transforming teacher preparation nationwide to ensure all children have access to an effective teacher. Our core values reflect who we are as an organization and how we work with our clients and our community. 

• Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion 
• Solutions-oriented​  
• Continuous Learning 
• Data-driven 
• Collaboration  

Position Summary 

The Associate Director of Programs will support organizational efforts by co-designing and delivering Levers-aligned programming and consulting to residencies across the teacher preparation continuum that promote educational equity for students of color and other marginalized groups. Prospective clients include colleges and universities, districts, or other non-profits in various stages of designing, launching, or sustaining a residency program. The ideal candidate will be familiar with traditional and alternative route teacher preparation models, understand and be able to discuss persistent equity and inclusion challenges that face our nation's schools and universities and have experience consulting or providing coaching within public and non-profit settings. 

The Associate Director of Programs will join a high-performing, talented team of program leaders and will be supported by senior staff at the organization. This position reports to a Program Director.

Responsibilities  

• Provide timely, strategic, and high-quality consulting to new and existing teacher residency programs and NCTR clients
• Co-develop, co-design, and co-deliver data-driven programming, services, and materials 
• Collaborate on the evaluation and assessment of the quality of NCTR consulting and impact on residency programs; implement changes to NCTR curriculum based on assessment data and new learnings to ensure programming captures best and promising practices 
• Identify trends and opportunities in the residency model and modify materials and consulting approaches to address those opportunities 
• Contribute to the national dialogue about teacher residencies and teacher preparation more broadly by supporting survey development, contributing to presentations and reports, and drawing from data analysis to make decisions 
• Embed diversity, equity, and inclusion-focused learning and reflection into planning and design work with Network clients

Competencies 

NCTR has developed a performance management system based on evidence that individuals’ success requires managing self, working together, and driving results. These tenets are centered around our core values and comprise the following competencies: 

• FLEXIBILITY - Adapts to change, performs amid uncertainty, pivots quickly when necessary 
• GROWTH MINDSET - Possesses self-awareness, is eager to do what is necessary to develop talents, and is not afraid to ask for help 
• COMMUNICATION - Communicates effectively, efficiently, and respectfully in all modes 
• CULTURAL COMPETENCE - Contributes to healthy and productive interactions within and among diverse groups by being self-aware, empathetic, non-judgmental, patient, and open to different perspectives 
• PEOPLE DEVELOPMENT - Helps colleagues in all organizational directions to grow and improve by building trust and providing differentiated support and feedback 
• STRATEGIC THINKING - Solves problems and makes recommendations and decisions using analytical and creative thinking, non-anecdotal evidence, and a focus on impact 
• JUDGMENT - Contributes to the making of timely, mission-aligned, evidence-based​decisions that involve the appropriate stakeholders 
• EXECUTION - Efficiently delivers high-quality work individually and, as a team member, increases productivity and performance of the team 
  

Location

This is a remote position with up to 25% required travel to client sites and corporate events. You must be based in the United States and authorized to work in the USA as well without requiring work visa sponsorship.  

NCTR provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, age, disability, or genetics. 

Requirements

Qualifications and attributes

• Bachelor’s degree is required in a related field and a minimum of 5 years of experience in the field of education, with an emphasis on teacher preparation 
• 3+ years of K-12  classroom or after school teaching experience required 
• Experience advancing diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace preferred 
• Excellent relationship-building and interpersonal skills with a wide variety of audiences 
• Outstanding oral, written, and technological communication skills 
• Organized and  detail-oriented with a demonstrated ability to teach adult learners 
• Demonstrated experience in leading the development of teaching curriculum 
• Experience implementing or leading teacher training on culturally and linguistically sustaining practices is preferred 
• Willing to travel up to 25% 
• Demonstrated success in consulting with school leaders on teacher preparation models preferred 

Benefits

Benefits and Salary 

The starting salary range for this position is $75,000 - $90,000 annually and is commensurate with experience. In addition, a comprehensive benefits package is included. Learn more about our benefits here.