Senior Manager, STEM Pathways

POSITION SUMMARY

Reporting to and supported by the Director of Education, the Senior Manager, STEM Pathways (SMSP) oversees all program activities associated with out-of-school time (ost) programs in schools and parks across the city.  The role includes oversight of after school and summertime programming for the Learning Gardens, Coastal Classroom and Eco Innovators programs and associated paid high school and college internships. These programs are designed with experiential curricula and lessons that integrate science/STEM learning with environmental stewardship and positive youth development principles as well as practical job readiness and college prep for interns. 

The primary functions of the position include development and supervision of teaching and learning across programs; staffing, evaluation and assessment and related professional development. Outreach, recruitment and maintenance of partnerships are key to the position. The role involves significant innovative leadership in collaborating as a team member on workforce development and curriculum development as well as possible program expansion. 

RESPONSIBILITIES

Staff Management

• Hire, train and supervise staff including full and part-time OST educators, and summer seasonal staff
• Support frontline staff in coordinating sites, schedules and field experiences for classes, and assist in implementation as needed
• Provide formal and informal mentorship to staff through regular site visits, ongoing feedback, lesson review and partner relations support
• Continually investigate best practices through professional development for yourself and your staff
• Support Program Manager to successfully hire, train and supervise high school and college interns

Teaching and Administration, Out of School Time  Programs

• In collaboration with the program managers refine and align all environmental science curricula, lessons and assessment for OST programs. Ensure strong STEM learning in alignment with NYS Science Learning
• Integrate youth development and hands-on experiential learning that is age appropriate and differentiated for all learners.  Ensure place-based learning in which park/garden sites are integrated 
• Work with Director of Education and key staff to create and implement multi-level evaluations and student assessments and support team to measure program impact and learner outcomes
• Support program managers in their end of season reporting to include program demographics, attendance records and assessment analysis
• With the collaboration of key staff, integrate technology into instruction, including data collection and use of open data sets, online resources such as webinars and closed social media outlets, strong online assessment analysis tools, basic technology and math concepts as related to STEM learning
• Build professional connections that enhance program activities through collaboration
• Stay abreast of changing models and developments in the field
• Collaborate closely with the Manager of Career & College Readiness and the program managers to ensure high quality internship implementation including opportunities for practical experience and mentorship
• Utilizing the SalesForce database, ensure maintenance of accurate, comprehensive records and statistics on all school day programs in partnership with program staff
• Support the maintenance of shared (department-wide) calendars that reflect all program activities
• Be prepared to administer program and teach at sites where team members are absent, as needed 

Partnership Development

• Support the recruitment of free and fee-based partnerships with middle and high schools for the out-of-school time programs in target neighborhoods across NYC
• Support program staff to build relationships and to manage these in order to create sustained, long-term partnerships with administrators, OST site leaders and environmental partners
• Assist in the planning and implementation of periodic corporate/volunteer/staff service workdays for all sites

Summer Programs Administration (February - June)

• In collaboration with the Sr. Mgr, School Partnerships, and the Manager of CCR, ensure smooth implementation of summer intensive programs:
  • Support site leaders (Program Managers) in site preparation, partner communications; hiring and training of youth staff (college & high school interns) and all related summer program readiness
  • Collaborate with the Sr. Manager of School Partnerships to support all outreach and recruitment of summer groups for the Learning Gardens and Coastal Classroom program areas. This includes:
    • Ensuring maintenance of a visual schedule for team members to see the contracted groups by day/time slots
    • Collaborating with the Sr. Manager of Operations to ensure smooth implementation of contracts, invoicing

• Visiting sites throughout the summer to train, observe, provide support, and give feedback in order to ensure high-quality and fun programming for the summer students

Resource Management 

• Finance: 
  • Manage programmatic budgets in collaboration with key staff, including:
  • Monitoring program-related expenses in accordance with the annual budget
  • Supervising purchasing and supporting vendor billing and payments
• Gear Management:
  • With the collaboration of key staff, ensure the maintenance, proper storage and collective use of all programmatic scientific equipment and educational materials for use in field and classroom; this includes support of a living animal collection used periodically by OST programs

Other

• Fundraising and Marketing:
  • Contribute to the fundraising process, including responding to development staff inquiries, hosting/discussing programs with funders, contributing language to proposals and reports. 
  • Readily respond to data and assessment requests from development teams
  • Inform marketing and promotion of programs with relevant  information and photos, as needed
  • Represent programs at conferences, NYC Parks and DOE events, and other industry events

QUALIFICATIONS & DESIRED EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree in education or related field with at least 3 years of practical experience, or 6 years of equivalent experience in the informal and/or out-of-school time education field
• Understanding and experience in delivery of STEM-based, experiential programming
• At least 1 year in leadership position with program development and management experience
• Direct experience in education with middle school and/or high school youth and proven competencies in teaching, curriculum development and assessment
• Demonstrated track record in outreach including meeting or exceeding recruitment and retention goals
• Understanding of and experience with public schools as well as the Department of Youth and Community Development, including institutional compliance and regulations
• Understanding of socio-emotional development, the principles of youth development and student-centered learning
• Excellent presentation and organizational skills
• Positive outlook and highly personable
• Willingness  to work occasional evening and weekend hours
• Must have a valid NYS driver’s license
• Must be willing to be fingerprinted and have a formal background check conducted
• Must have CPR/First Aid certification (training & certification provided by CPF)
• Bilingual a plus

ABOUT CITY PARKS FOUNDATION

At City Parks Foundation (CPF), we are dedicated to invigorating and transforming New York City parks into dynamic, vibrant centers of urban life through arts, environmental education, sports, and community building programs for all New Yorkers. Our ethos is simple: we believe thriving parks mean thriving communities.

Community engagement includes Partnerships for Parks, a public-private program of City Parks Foundation and NYC Parks, which supports and champions a growing network of community leaders who care and advocate for the transformation of our neighborhood parks and the Parks and Open Space Partners-NYC coalition of conservancies and alliances. We also administer the NYC Green Fund, a regranting program for parks and open space nonprofits and grassroots organizations.

We produce SummerStage, the iconic free, outdoor performing arts festival in NYC, presenting world-class artists from across the globe and our own neighborhoods on our mainstage in Central Park and in local parks in all five boroughs, and our Swedish Cottage Marionette Theatre and roving PuppetMobile present marionette puppet theater throughout New York City.

We connect youngsters to nature in the urban environment through progressive, experiential teaching. Using parks as classrooms, we provide learning experiences and hands-on activities in urban forests, coastal areas, and gardens.

Free golf, tennis, track & field, soccer, and fitness programs bring high-quality instruction and equipment into areas where few organized athletic opportunities exist. We offer leveled training, year-round scholarship coaching, and special pro events.