About Joyful Readers Joyful Readers is committed to helping Philadelphia students gain the literacy skills they need to become successful, confident, and yes…joyful readers! We are launching a racially, culturally, and generationally diverse cohort of AmeriCorps tutors who will provide high-quality, research-based reading tutoring daily to K-3 students in Philadelphia schools. The service of our tutors ensures that students in systemically under-resourced schools gain the skills they need to succeed in school, at work, and in their daily lives. Our tutors receive a month of full-time training in September, including taking the AIM Institute for Learning & Research Pathways to Proficient Reading course, a graduate-level course that helps educators learn about the science of reading. In October, tutors are placed in a Philadelphia elementary school until the end of May where they tutor students 2-on-1, 30 minutes a day, Monday through Friday, supporting a caseload of up to 22 students. Position Overview The Program Operations Director (POD) is responsible for building and maintaining the initial organizational systems related to human resources, operations, and finance that will help Joyful Readers launch successfully. This includes hiring and onboarding staff, budget and expense tracking, liaising with a variety of vendors, and building organizational policies. In addition, the POD will directly manage a Recruitment and Admissions Manager, who leads the annual process of recruiting AmeriCorps tutors to serve with Joyful Readers. In many ways, the POD will serve as the “glue” that ensures organizational success for a staff team of 8 and a corps of 30 tutors. The POD will work closely with the Literacy and Development Directors and report to the organization’s Executive Director. Anticipated start date: early August 2022 Expected salary range: $75,000 – $80,000 per year, plus benefits Some work for this position is completed in-person and cannot be performed virtually; however, flexibility to work remotely will exist.
Position Details Finance
Liaise with contracted partners (Your Part Time Controller, Bookminders) to oversee financial systems, track expenses, and maximize collection of grant funds
Collaborate with the Executive Director on the annual budgeting process
Liaise with a payroll provider and manage accounts payable and receivable, including ensuring prompt invoicing of school contract funding
Build and communicate organizational finance policies
Human Resources
Oversee benefit administration for staff and AmeriCorps tutors and partner with the Executive Director to select providers for life, disability, and retirement benefits
Lead organizational onboarding and offboarding processes, including background checks, compliance with AmeriCorps regulations, I-9 completion, and ID documentation management
Oversee organizational timekeeping and effort certification
Build and communicate HR policies and lead internal HR processes such as accommodation requests, incident and grievance investigations, and conflict resolution support
Develop and coordinate hiring processes and applicant interviews for open staff positions; align processes where necessary with recruitment and admissions processes for AmeriCorps tutors
Collaborate with the Executive Director to lead and maintain a positive work culture
Operations
Build and communicate processes and procedures to ensure the organization’s operations run smoothly and efficiently
Liaise with a tech vendor to maintain quality operations of leased IT equipment Manage organizational property such as literacy curriculum, AmeriCorps tutor uniforms, and office supplies and materials
Ensure organizational compliance with AmeriCorps regulations and guidelines and relevant local, state, and federal laws
Maintain all AmeriCorps member files and lead internal and external audit projects
Build systems for file sharing and storage, and processes that help manage information
Lead and/or support with contract negotiations as needed
Recruitment and Admissions Manager Oversight Hire and manage the organization’s first Recruitment and Admissions Manager (RAM)
Collaboratively build strategies alongside the RAM to ensure the organization builds a diverse pipeline of AmeriCorps tutor applicants and successfully meets its annual admissions goal
Integrate recruitment and admissions support into the staff and AmeriCorps tutor experience
Organizational Support and Leadership
Meet weekly as a member of the organizational leadership team
Support AmeriCorps tutor training logistics and facilitate trainings related to human resources and AmeriCorps compliance
Support AmeriCorps tutors in their understanding of and compliance with AmeriCorps policies
Support recruitment and AmeriCorps tutor interviewing
Benefits This is a full-time position; all Joyful Readers full-time employees receive generous paid time off allowances (vacation, sick and organization holidays). Full-time employees may participate in our benefit programs including health and dental insurance, life insurance, retirement benefits, and disability coverage. Employment at Joyful Readers is at-will. Joyful Readers does not sponsor work authorization visas.
Position Qualifications
At least 8 years of experience in finance, human resources, operations, or organizational leadership, with leadership responsibilities in a non-profit strongly preferred
Proven organizational, project, and financial management abilities
A passion for solving problems, improving processes, and ensuring positive outcomes
An entrepreneurial spirit to help launch a new program and build systems that will ensure program success in the short- and long-term
Strong attention to detail Effective listening skills and a strong sense of empathy
Strong commitment to and experience in developing a diverse, inclusive, and equitable workforce and working effectively with people with different work styles and backgrounds
Technology skills including proficiency with Microsoft Suite (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, and Teams), AV equipment, and virtual meeting platforms including Zoom
Experience working in communities and/or schools with majority Black and/or Latinx populations preferred
AmeriCorps experience a plus
As an equal opportunity employer, Joyful Readers is committed to providing employment opportunities to all qualified individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, parental status, genetic information or characteristics, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law. We encourage people from underrepresented backgrounds to apply, particularly people of color, members of the LGBTQIA+ community, and people from low-income backgrounds. How to Apply E-mail us at serve@joyfulreaders.org Please include your resume or CV and a short cover letter (one page or less) highlighting your relevant experiences. Please submit your application as a Word or PDF file.