Associate Vice President of Academy and Pathways: Steppingstone Scholars Inc. Philadelphia

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:   

The Associate Vice President of Academy and Pathways oversees Steppingstone’s strategic and operational responsibilities for its Academy and Pathways initiatives. The position will be a part of the senior management team that drives the overall strategy for the organization and represents Steppingstone Scholars on a local, regional, and national basis. S/he will oversee the directors, their corresponding budgets and full and part time program staff. The Associate Vice President will have a deep knowledge of each major initiative, partnerships, program implementation, and operation planning.

The Associate Vice President of Academy and Pathways focuses on creating a college pathway delivery system for Steppingstone Scholars by focusing on program management and evaluation, program enhancement/innovation, coordination of program partnerships (i.e. schools, other nonprofits, university partners) and skill development.

The Vice President’s overriding priorities are student academic/social-emotional growth to support successful college completion and career entry for Scholars and increasing the number of college graduates from the city of Philadelphia.

Reports to: Vice President of Programs

Employment Type: Salaried, Exempt

Date: March 1, 2021

Compensation: $95,000 – $100,000

RESPONSIBILITIES: 

Supervision of College Pathways 

• Directly supervises the Senior Director of Advising and Tutoring and Senior Director of MGA and High School success
• Directly supervises the Director of College Access & Equity
• Manages Steppingstone’s delivery on its Anchor Goal 1 to increase the number of Academy Scholars attending highly and most selective colleges from 26% to 40% by 2025 and Anchor Goal 2 to increase the number of college graduates from the School District of Philadelphia by 10% over the next decade

Coordination of College Pipeline Initiatives 

• Work with Vice President of Academy and Pathways, Steppingstone President, the Partnership Coordinator, and university/nonprofit partners to coordinate initiatives focused on building neighborhood and city-wide college pipeline initiatives

Program Leadership & Management: 

• Manage implementation of program wide systems of Advising and Tutoring.
• Enhance, develop, and implement organizational vision as established in Steppingstones’ Vision and Strategic Plans
• Ensure ongoing programmatic excellence
• Demonstrate consistent quality of finance and administration with recommendation of timelines and resources needed to achieve program goals
• Attract, develop, coach, and retain high-performing program staff
• Work with staff to develop systems to ensure consistent, high-quality project management and delivery
• Provide guidance and leadership in curriculum design and instruction for summer and school-year programs
• Provide leadership in development of inter-team communication and cohesiveness, sustaining culture and preparing/supporting staff during organizational growth
• Facilitate program staff meetings
• Prepare departmental reviews for President and Board of Directors; deliver presentations to Boards and constituent families and partners
• Collection and analysis of data to drive program evaluation, quality, and development

Knowledge Management: 

• Develop the necessary systems, processes, and tools to better support the facilitation, collection, and sharing of program knowledge and results
• Ensure that key project outcomes and/or policy, advocacy, and legislation are evaluated and leveraged for maximum community and organizational impact
• Work collaboratively with the senior management team to integrate programming needs with operations and development teams

Other Duties as Assigned 

Qualifications: 

• Program Leadership and Management: This individual will have taken a hands-on approach in leading a variety of initiatives. The ideal candidate will have a track record of effectively leading a performance-based and outcome-based program and staff. S/he will have developed and operationalized strategies that have taken a program or organization to the next stage of impact and quality
• Team Building and Development: The successful candidate will have recruited, managed, and developed a strong team of program staff and project managers. This individual will serve as a “player/coach” to motivate and mentor his/her team
• Exceptional Communication and Influencing Skills: As a voice/advocate for Steppingstone, the Vice President of Programs will have strong written and verbal communication skills. S/he will be a persuasive, credible, and polished communicator with excellent interpersonal and multidisciplinary project skills. This individual must work collaboratively with internal as well as external partners and other organizations, providing exposure for program impact in a variety of media outlets.

Other qualifications include: 

• Advanced degree desired, with at least 3-5 years of management experience
• Unwavering commitment to quality programs and excellence in organizational and project management with the ability to achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget
• Ability to work effectively in collaboration with diverse groups of people
• Integrity, positive attitude, mission-driven, and self-directed with demonstrated passion for Steppingstone mission and commitment to working collaboratively with a management team of senior professionals
•  A team player, who can interrelate and operate effectively with peers and other associates within a collegial, yet demanding, work environment
• An individual who is able to handle a variety of constituencies, manage multiple tasks simultaneously and thrive in a complex environment with multiple priorities
• Impeccable integrity, strong work ethic, & solid judgment
• Strong analytical skills, and basic business intuition

Physical & Other Requirements

• Must be able to regularly access and use general office equipment including phones, computers, copiers, etc.
• Must be able to work in a busy, often complex work environment that is generally climate controlled.
• Must be able to lift up to 20 pounds unassisted on an occasional basis.
• Must be able to sit for long periods of time.
• Must be able to stand or walk for long periods of time.
• Driver’s license required, personal car preferred

Clearance and Training Requirements:

All offers of employment at Steppingstone Scholars are contingent upon clear results of a background check. “Clear results” may differ depending on a person’s record and the nature of their job. Background checks are conducted on all full-time and part-time staff members.

A background check is comprised of the following clearances:

1. PA Criminal Record Check – $22 cost
2. PA Child Abuse Check – $13 cost
3. FBI Fingerprint Check – $23.85 cost – Must come from the Department of Human Services

All clearances must be dated within one year of hire date (the date on an employee’s offer letter) and received by Steppingstone’s Office prior to start date. Additionally, all employess are required to complete the “Recognizing and Reporting Child Abuse: Mandated and Permissive Reporting in Pennsylvania” online training through the University of Pittsburgh

No person shall start at Steppingstone until all clearance and training requirements are satisfied.

ABOUT US:

Steppingstone Scholars, working with families and school partners, provides rigorous educational programming and support for talented underserved students in the Philadelphia Region to achieve academic success, opportunity, and a college degree.