Reach Out and Read -- National Associate Program Director

The Opportunity

As the National Associate Program Director, you will have the unique opportunity to help shape the future direction of Reach Out and Read’s Program strategy and implementation. This role reports to the National Program Director and works on a highly collaborative and virtually distributed National Program & Operations team.

You are an ideal candidate for the position if you are an experienced professional eager to contribute and partner within a fast paced and dynamic nonprofit environment that values diversity. You will be best suited for this position if you are comfortable interacting with several stakeholders at different levels, are a problem solver eager to learn new skills and technology, enjoy managing multiple projects, are a resources builder/designer, and value working in a relationships- and systems-driven environment to serve children and families across the country. The National Associate Program Director demonstrates a commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion.

Your Key Responsibilities Will Include:

Project Management (40%)

• Manage cross-departmental (National and Affiliate) projects focused on programs-related systems and tools, including:

• Site-facing quality improvement tools, best practices, and materials

• Guides, resources, and manuals to aid Reach Out and Read staff in supporting program quality consistently across the national network

• Database enhancement projects and ongoing improvements

• Partner with National Program Director to identify, prioritize, and develop goals for programmatic network projects

• Lead on all elements of assigned projects, including development and oversight of project work plans, management of timelines, creation of implementation plans, and successful, timely, and quality completion of projects

• Coordinate stakeholder involvement in projects to include input from appropriate audiences

• Build strong relationships and communicate effectively with stakeholders and colleagues to support successful project completion

• Establish and maintain processes for project management throughout project lifecycle

• Monitor project status and adapt/reprioritize tasks as needed to ensure deliverables are met

• Analyze successes and challenges to improve processes and report on project completion to National Program Director

Program Quality and Support (40%)

• Collaborate with the National Program Director on the execution of Reach Out and Read’s program strategies to ensure that our evidence-based model is implemented with quality and supported at scale across the national network

• Represent Reach Out and Read at relevant internal meetings and working groups, as relevant, and contribute to the design of program support methods and systems.

• Partner with the National Program Director and National Director of Network Operations on planning and resource creation to support Reach Out and Read Affiliates in ensuring program quality.

• Collaborate with National Program Director and National Director of Network Operations on the design and content for the monthly, virtual Reach Out and Read Programs Series calls. Oversee logistics of Programs Series, including planning with and supporting presenters, and running meetings.

• Provide Programs technical assistance, training, and onboarding, as relevant to Affiliate and National Staff, and partner with the National Program Director to continuously evaluate and improve those systems.

• Maintain a working knowledge of significant developments and trends in the fields of early relational health, early childhood, healthcare, and literacy.
  

Programmatic Database and Operations (20%)

• Collaborate with the National Program Director to design and assist in implementation of the myROR programmatic database strategy

• Collaborate with the National Program Director and technology partners to manage, update, refine, and build out project plans and scopes of work. Manage and incorporate database requests and feedback from the network.

• Support Affiliate and National staff in database issues, training, and systemization of network needs in alignment with organization strategy.

• Attend and co-lead meetings with our external technology partners and the National Program Director.

• Identify patterns and problem areas and implement effective solutions to increase efficiency and support organizational strategy.

Qualifications and Experience:

There are innumerable ways to learn, grow and excel professionally. We respect this when we review applications and take a broad look at the experience of each applicant. We want to get to know you and the unique strengths you will bring to the work. We’ll honor your lived and professional experience as key aspects of your candidacy for the role and prioritize applicants with experience dismantling the structural inequities that disproportionately impact children and families with traditionally marginalized identities. We are most likely to be interested in your candidacy if you can demonstrate the majority of the qualifications and experiences listed below:

• Commitment to increasing equity in opportunity and outcomes for children and to recognizing factors known to significantly impact differential outcomes for children, including race, ethnicity, language, and socio-economic status

• 8-10 years of relevant work experience in early childhood, healthcare, education, social work, non-profit, or similar sectors, with at least 4 years experience with project management

• Undergraduate degree in a relevant field.

• Proven project management experience, leading and successfully executing complex, multi-stakeholder projects.

• Capacity for leading change and introducing new resources and systems across an organization.

• Strong communication, interpersonal, analytical, and organizational skills, including a track record of balancing and prioritizing multiple priorities simultaneously and working with a variety of internal and external stakeholders and partners.

• Successful track record supporting and implementing program quality improvement.

• Belief in the power of diversity and excitement for working in a diverse culture and on diverse teams

• Not required but preferred certification as Certified Project Manager or Project Management Professional

Position Specifications:

This is a full-time exempt position. The National Associate Programs Director may work from a home-based office anywhere in the United States. Very occasional travel and attendance at 1-2 National meetings per year will be required.

Compensation and Benefits:

The salary range for this position is $89,000-$96,000, commensurate with experience. ROR offers a robust benefits package including medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) retirement plan with match, paid time off, and more.

Commitment to Diversity:

Reach Out and Read is committed to building an organization that embraces diversity, pursues equity, and fosters an environment of inclusion. Reach Out and Read sits at the intersection of health and education, uniquely positioned to play a critical role in addressing systemic disparities and inequities in the public health framework. Reach Out and Read strives to be an antiracist organization, using its influence to fight against social injustice by supporting a culture of learning, empowerment, equity, and a deep appreciation for the unique experiences that we each bring to our communities. And we believe that changing the world begins with holding ourselves and our workplace to that same standard.

About Reach Out and Read:

Founded in 1989, Reach Out and Read is a national non-profit organization working to ensure all families have the opportunity to create meaningful everyday moments through shared reading aloud and building relationships. By leveraging pediatric care to champion the positive effects of reading daily and distributing books, Reach Out and Read gives young children a foundation for success and reaches 4.4 million children across the county – half of whom identify as BIPOC and two thirds of whom come from low-income families.

Reach Out and Read’s tens of thousands of trained pediatric providers use books as a diagnostic tool during regular check-ups and teach parents how to engage their child with a book to promote positive parent-child interactions during the rapid brain growth between birth and age five. The daily practice of reading aloud with a parent supports children’s literacy and math skill development, their social-emotional development, and prepares them for future success in school. Working together with our sites and providers, we leverage our three decades of expertise, build on our literacy foundations, and engage our shared networks as a catalyst for change, focusing on equitably strengthening and deepening our impact on the children, families, and communities we serve.

The Impact:

• Reach Out and Read program sites are located in 6,500 clinics, safety net hospitals, medical systems, and other healthcare settings in all 50 states and the District of Columbia.

• Reach Out and Read serves 4.6 million children and their families annually.

• More than 7.7 million new, developmentally appropriate books are integrated into well child visits with families annually.

• 39,000 clinicians currently participate in Reach Out and Read

• Our peer-reviewed body of evidence demonstrates that Reach Out and Read parents are two-and-a-half times more likely to read regularly to their children, and that children experiencing Reach Out and Read show enhanced language development.

To learn more about Reach Out and Read, visit www.reachoutandread.org.

Reach Out and Read is an Equal Opportunity Employer

Reach Out and Read is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of sex, race, color, religion, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, national origin, cultural heritage, ancestry, political belief, age, marital status, pregnancy, physical or mental disability or veteran status. Reach Out and Read is compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act and we are committed to making special accommodations for your interview or work as a member of our team. If specific accommodations are needed, our HR team will work to accommodate your needs.