Director, College Access Program, Philadelphia Education Fund

Posted by on August 29, 2011

Director, College Access Program
Job Description

Summary:
The College Access Program is a signature program of the Philadelphia Education Fund (the Ed Fund), a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to improve the quality of public education in Philadelphia and the region, so that youth are prepared for college and careers. Please see: http://www.philaedfund.org. Partnering with Philadelphia public schools, universities, community groups and businesses, the College Access Program is designed to improve access to postsecondary education for Philadelphia public school students. The program maintains a staff in high schools and in two community based College Access Centers, as well as in the Ed Fund’s main office.

The Director is responsible for the continued development and the administration of the College Access Program, working in close cooperation with other Ed Fund programs to ensure synergy among the organization’s initiatives. She/he also supervises the Philadelphia Scholars administrative staff, our highly regarded college scholarship program, as well as the staff of our high school based Student Success Center. The Director is a key player in citywide dialogues and initiatives aimed at improving student access to college.

Responsibilities: Serve as a key Ed Fund spokesperson for the goal of improving student access to college; Promote the Ed Fund’s mission, in particular the goals of the College Access Program and Philadelphia Scholars through participation in appropriate activities and dialogue on local, regional and national levels; Supervise the administration of the programs; provide overall management and supervision of program staff; Further develop the dynamic and creative nature of the programs, articulating ambitious, clear and measurable goals and objectives consistent with the Ed Fund’s mission; Create and implement outcomes-based plans for the programs to partner pro-actively with schools, universities, community groups, and businesses to enable young people to access college; Create systems to track data documenting program outcomes and to evaluate program work;

Work with Ed Fund Development staff to raise funds in support of the College Access Program and Philadelphia Scholars; this includes grant proposals and visits; Ensure that programming is conducted in compliance with funders’ requirements; Prepare reports to funding sources and others as needed; Develop and monitor program budgets; Perform other duties as assigned.

Qualifications Master’s Degree in Education, Administration, Social Work or a related field; A demonstrated commitment to excellent public school education leading to postsecondary education opportunities; a track record related to increasing the college-going rate of urban public school graduates; Demonstrated leadership, staff supervisory and management skills; Ability to think strategically, creatively and with vision to accomplish long term goals, while implementing immediate projects; Excellent communications skills, both written and oral, supported by a strong facility in using technological tools; excellent interpersonal skills; Ability to create and manage budgets; Ability to contribute to the fundraising process as demonstrated by past experience in writing proposals and reports, face to face visits with funders, and/or knowledge of government granting agencies; Self-motivated with the ability to work independently and as part of a team with great energy, persistence, and dedication; Critical thinking, problem solving, accuracy, and attention to detail; Excellent organizational skills, including the ability to manage multiple tasks and projects simultaneously to produce high quality results quickly and on time; Experience in working with diverse constituencies in an urban environment; An understanding of issues related to college access and success.

Reporting
This position reports to the Executive Director of the Philadelphia Education Fund.

Applying
Please email application letter, resume, and contact information for three professional references to: director@philaedfund.org.