Achieving the Dream is a multi-year, national initiative to help more community college students succeed. The initiative is primarily concerned about student groups that traditionally have faced the most significant barriers to success, including low-income and students of color.
The initiative works on multiple fronts simultaneously to help community colleges improve student outcomes. It promotes institutional change at community colleges that serve large numbers of low-income students and students of color; builds new knowledge about improving student success outcomes; develops policies in support of student success; engages the public to raise awareness about improving outcomes for community college students; and builds the capacity of several national partner organizations to work on improving student success outcomes over the long term.
Jobs for the Future leads the initiative’s policy effort, which works for policy change at both the state and national levels. The bulk of the policy work is at the state level, working with Achieving the Dream state lead organizations to seek changes in legislation, state-level and system-level administrative rules and procedures, and resource and incentive allocations in support of improved student success outcomes.
Position Overview:
The Senior Project Manager/Program Director will be a part of a team that provides guidance, strategic support, technical assistance, and communication assistance to Achieving the Dream state lead organizations in support of the policy changes mentioned above towards the following outcomes:
- State-level leadership structures will be in place to provide long-term advocacy on student success issues.
- States will identify specific policy changes in data and accountability, financing, system alignment, and institutional improvements that promote student success.
- States will progress toward a policy culture of data-informed decision making.
- Community college stakeholders will have new knowledge about policies to improve student success.
Responsibilities:
The Senior Project Manager/Program Director acts as a policy coach to selected Achieving the Dream state lead organizations to facilitate development of policies supportive of improved student outcomes. This manager will:
- Assist state lead organization to identify goals, priorities, and state-level strategy for policy development, and organize multi-state initiatives.
- Assist in developing and implementing state-level workplans based on state strategies.
- Assist in organizing regularly scheduled convenings and the development of a peer learning network of participating colleges.
- Assist in organizing briefings with important constituencies, including legislators, legislative staff, K-12 and higher education agencies, employers, etc.
- Identify state-specific research needs and facilitate production of targeted research memos, policy briefs, and related publications.
- Liaison to national partners on state-related Achieving the Dream issues.
Position Qualifications:
- Knowledge of state higher education policy, particularly P-16, student access and success, system alignment, governance, appropriations, affordability, and data and accountability. Working experience in open access higher education institution and/or nonprofit education/policy environment desirable.
- Knowledge of research findings, best practices, and state policies to increase student outcomes at open access higher education institutions, but particularly community colleges.
- Excellent writing, research, and analysis capabilities.
- Experience with policy development, including strategic planning and implementation, particularly at the state and/or system level.
- Demonstrated knowledge in guiding and managing multiple projects simultaneously, including constructing management tools, e.g., work plans, timelines, progress reports, templates, and budgets.
- Sufficient level of experience and accomplishment to negotiate and leverage support from senior level community college and Achieving the Dream stakeholders at the state level.
- Advanced degree preferred.
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