Program Director

Why we need you

Springboard Collaborative invites talented and passionate candidates to apply for the position of Program Director. The Program Director will be responsible for delivering great service to our partners and ensuring their program goals are met. A successful candidate will be a reliable, adaptable, communicative leader and early literacy expert who can solve problems, form strong relationships, and maximize the impact of our programs.

Springboard Collaborative closes the literacy gap by closing the gap between home and school. We coach educators and family members to help kids learn to read by 4th grade. Springboard envisions a world in which parents and teachers work together—rather than in isolation—to accelerate student learning. The Program Director supports this goal by leading high-quality program implementation to achieve optimal program results. 

The Program Director will report to the Senior Director, Product & Program Success and work as part of the Products & Services team. This is a great opportunity to support an entrepreneurial team to maximize the impact of a rapidly growing organization.

You can read more about the requirements, competencies, goals, and responsibilities below. We'd love to have you join us!

This is important

We are an equal opportunity employer. Diversity is more than a commitment at Springboard Collaborative—it’s at the core of what we do and how we do it. No one can solve a problem better than those who experience it firsthand. That’s why Springboard aspires to hire a diverse team that is representative of the marginalized communities we serve.

We also know that having a diverse workforce makes for a better workplace. Springboard’s hiring process seeks individuals who value diversity of race, gender, sexual orientation, religion, ethnicity, national origin, etc.

Finally, if you’re passionate about an open role, we encourage you to apply— even if you don’t meet 100% of the qualifications listed on the job description!

Here are some potential priorities in your first year:

• You will learn to lead assigned partnerships through the full program cycle, ensuring they effectively learn and utilize Springboard's tools and systems to support program execution. 
• You will lead session staff in achieving key programmatic outcomes, ensuring alignment with program objectives and overall performance targets. Key programmatic outcomes may include student attendance, family participation, and student reading progress.
• You will increase Program Leader and Support Staff satisfaction by at least 3%, as measured by stakeholders’ reporting a positive experience on post-program surveys. 

Here are your responsibilities within and beyond the first year:

• You directly support program implementation
• Provide input and support in early stages of partner acquisition including pitch meetings, webinars, and other meetings with interested stakeholders
• Maintain an in-depth understanding of Springboard’s products and services in order to provide comprehensive information to customers
• Facilitate onboarding sessions and recurring meetings to ensure partners have the information and tools needed to implement programming 
• Ensure the completion of service delivery activities
• Provide both remote and in-person support to programming, traveling and working on-site as needed 
• You enable session staff to succeed
• Train session staff to execute service delivery activities 
• Observe program implementation to coach and support seasonal staff both remotely and in-person 
• Hold session staff accountable to executing service delivery expectations
• You ensure program success
• Monitor and drive program metrics 
• Troubleshoot program implementation issues 
• Implement improvements for program success
• You deliver great customer service to our partners
• Address inquiries, concerns, and requests via various communication channels with a focus on providing timely and helpful information
• Proactively gather and share customer feedback to help improve products, services, and customer experience
• Stay informed on educational trends within assigned partnerships as well as best practices and trending resources within K-5 ELA and ELL instruction 
• You collaborate and communicate effectively with your internal and external teams. 
• Proactively communicate the status of program delivery, achievements, challenges, and relevant metrics with internal and external stakeholders.
• Convey project goals, progress, and updates to stakeholders, team members, and leadership, fostering transparency and alignment
• Collaborate with internal and external partners, stakeholders, and organizations to leverage resources, share expertise, and enhance program impact and reach

What you offer us

Here are the competencies and requirements we expect the right candidate to have: 

• Valuing Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion: You actively create and support a work environment on your team and at your partner sites that embraces and appreciates diversity, equity, and inclusion.
• Adaptability & Flexibility: You adapt to evolving needs of the organization, our school partners, and our students, maintaining a focus on improving program outcomes.
• Communication: You listen actively to your coworkers and school partner staff, communicating effectively and compassionately to ensure clarity, alignment, and positivity among all stakeholders. You collaborate and build relationships with schools, government agencies, and community organizations to enhance program reach/impact and represent our organization effectively.
• Decision-Making & Judgment: You make timely, informed decisions that take into account data and feedback from our partner sites, program and org-wide goals, constraints of the projects, and risks. You demonstrate deep technical knowledge of our programs and subject matter that guides your judgment.
• Customer Focus: You demonstrate a constant and proactive understanding of customer needs, responding to issues, feedback, and questions thoroughly and swiftly. You know how to prioritize which problems are most important and urgent to solve, taking the initiative to raise issues quickly and craft feasible, effective solutions independently and collaboratively.
• Staff & Program Management: You structure and direct the work of others in our programs and various projects, taking personal responsibility for the quality and timeliness of our programs and achieving outcomes with little oversight.
• You have a master’s degree in education
• You have 5+ years experience in early literacy education with 3+ years of experience managing and coaching K-12 public school teachers
• You have the ability to travel and/or work on-site approximately 30% of the time
• You can accommodate before-school and after-school meeting times on a regular basis

It would also be nice if you had:

• Experience navigating large school districts and collaborating with key district leaders
• Experience supporting educators with family engagement strategies

While this description is meant to provide an overview of the goals and responsibilities of the Program Director, we are seeking candidates who demonstrate flexibility and can adapt to evolving needs in an entrepreneurial environment.

What we offer you

Compensation
Our compensation values: At Springboard, compensation equity is integral to the way we operate and our commitment to competitiveness, pay equity, performance-based rewards, transparent & equitable career growth, and progressive benefits.

Compensation for this role: Each role at Springboard is placed in a compensation band with 5 levels. Generally, we expect candidates that meet all the hiring criteria to be offered the midpoint of the band. This role sits within Band 4. The midpoint of this band is $99,833. The actual level of the successful candidate (and corresponding salary) will be based on compensable factors such as job-relevant education, job-relevant experience, training, licensure, demonstrated competencies, and other factors. You may also be eligible for Springboard's bonus program.

Our process to determine compensation: Springboard does not negotiate the offered salary during the offer conversation. Throughout the interview process, we will evaluate your alignment with the compensable factors listed in the job description. From there, we will determine your starting salary on a level within the job band.

Benefits

At Springboard, we feel it is important to take care of our employees, which is why we offer a competitive benefits package. These benefits include the following:

• The usual stuff - Medical insurance with a cash stipend for those who waive Springboard coverage. Options include PPO, High Deductible/HSA, and EPO.
• We’ll take care of it - We fully cover your vision & dental insurance premiums, plus your short & long-term disability coverage.
• Securing your future - We match up to 6% of your salary in 403(b) retirement contributions after your first twelve months at Springboard.
• Paid Time Off (PTO) is important - Four weeks (20 days) annually. At Springboard, time off isn’t earned. Everyone gets access to their time at the start of the calendar year.
• Holidays! - All 11 federal holidays, two extra floating holidays, weekdays between Christmas and New Year’s Day, Election Day, and your birthday!
• Under the weather? - We don’t cap the number of sick days available to employees.
• Paid Leave - Parental Leave (12 weeks after the first 6 months of employment). Marriage Leave (five days). 
• Technology - All employees receive a Springboard laptop and optional monitor. Springboard uses Google Workspace and Asana. 

• We are committed to your development - We provide personal & professional development funding of $2000/year.

• Your wellness is a priority - Our Employee Assistance Program (EAP) provides support for stress/anxiety, finance, law, family, substance abuse, grief, and more. 
• Transparency is key - We ensure regular opportunities to discuss individual and organizational development and our commitment to equity. Consistent and structured real-time feedback is foundational to Springboard’s culture.

Location & travel

Applications are welcome from any location within the United States, with strong preference for candidates in the New York City, Washington D.C., and Chicago metro areas. This role will be performed largely remotely but will require approximately 30% on-site work at assigned partner sites, some of which may require travel and overnight stays up to 5 days. Additionally, up to quarterly travel is required to participate in team and org-wide retreats. Springboard Collaborative’s headquarters office is in Philadelphia, PA.

Springboard requires in-person employees at a Springboard facility or participating in in-person SBC programming or events to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 unless a medical or religious exemption is approved. Being fully vaccinated means an individual is at least two weeks past their final dose of a CDC-authorized COVID-19 vaccine regimen. As a condition of employment, newly hired employees will be asked to provide their COVID-19 vaccination status and proof of vaccination, as required.

About Springboard

Since our founding in 2012, we have grown Springboard’s reach from 40 to more than 100,000 students in over 300 Title 1 schools. Amidst rapid growth, Springboard consistently delivers best-in-class results. In schools that often struggle to get 20% of parents to show up for report card conferences, Springboard’s weekly family workshops average 88% attendance. Students average a 3-4-month reading gain during each program cycle, closing the gap to grade-level performance by about half in just five or ten weeks. Springboard’s work has been featured by Forbes, NPR, and the New York Times (twice). Nationally, Springboard Collaborative is the only organization to have cracked the code on equipping marginalized families to teach reading at home. You can learn more by watching our CEO on the main stage of ASU GSV.

Our org chart & mission

Click here to view Springboard’s structure at a glance, and here to browse our incredible staff. You can read more about how we engage teachers and families to accelerate student learning in this op-ed.