Director of Experiential Learning

Uncommon Schools  is a nonprofit network of high-performing, public charter schools providing an outstanding K-12 education in historically under-resourced communities. We have proudly built schools that reflect our student population, with more than 60% of our teachers and staff across our network identifying as a person of color. Uncommon currently manages 53 schools serving more than 20,000 students in five cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark and Rochester. We are proud that Uncommon graduates persist in and graduate from college at five times the rate of their peers nationally. We achieve this by offering strong academic, co-curricular, and social-emotional learning that prepares students for success in college and beyond.

The Director of  Experiential Learning role is an opportunity to impact over 3,200 high school students each year by creating opportunities for them to engage in their passion and talent development during their school day.   This role develops strategic initiatives for co-curricular learning and oversees strong execution of competitive clubs and project-based co-curriculars at our 9 high school campuses. Students benefit not only from the joy of developing their passions, but also in building expertise and reflecting on their experiences to path pathways to college and beyond.

Day to day, the Director uses strong collaborative management skills to supervise and strengthen campus-based opportunities for students.  The position encompasses two distinct areas of responsibility: school-based experiential learning through co-curricular and competitive state or national clubs such as Speech, Debate, and Robotics. The Director of Experiential Learning manages these programs through 9 school-based staff in consort with their school-based manager.  

The Director of Experiential Learning also drives strategic planning and innovation for increasing or improving offerings for co-curriculars and competitive clubs across our regions and schools. This work includes but is not limited to determining strategic initiatives, timeline planning, requests for funding proposals and oversight of implementation.

Oversee the successful implementation of high-quality experiential learning opportunities at all 9 high schools through twice-weekly co-curricular courses:

• Manage 9 Program Managers in collaboration with their school-based manager
  • Lead hiring as liaison to the talent team and creator of screening and interview day materials
• Hold weekly check-ins with Program Managers
• Asses the on-going quality of co-curriculars through:
  • Weekly data rubric reviews
  • 2-3 walkthroughs per quarter at each campus
  • 1 annual Inspection at each campus
• Write and present monthly Program Manager Personal Development Trainings to support growth and gaps
• Work collaboratively with school based program managers (9) and school leaders to create policy and procedures for ensuring the quality and integrity of all high school co-curriculars
• Provide additional on-campus support for support struggling PMs or PM vacancies 

Strategize the development of new and expansion of current high school nationally competitive clubs to supplement student learning during the year in ways that develop and allow them to explore their interests:

• Research additional national competitive clubs and make recommendations for innovative programming to implement at our schools
• Develop strategic plans for new competitive club pilots, including requests for funding, implementation timelines and launch processes
• Evaluate and recommend campuses for expansion within current competitive clubs

Amplify the experiential learning stories and outcomes of our students through story-telling and data to the Uncommon community, external stakeholders and wider community through collaboration with the marketing team:

• Manage grant outcomes and budget 
• Implement programming and initiatives to successfully meet annual grant goals
• Monitor campuses' spending to goal
• Submit requests for proposals (RFPs) as needed for additional funding streams
• Compile data 2-3x annually for reporting purposes

Perform other essential duties and tasks specific to the position

Educational Requirements:

• Bachelor's Degree (Master's preferred)

Experience Requirements:

• 5+ years experience in the following:
  • Experience in a school environment (high school preferred), ideally as a high school Principal and Director of Operations or Instructional Coaching role, to understand academic culture and systems 
  • Proficient in Excel 
  • Ability to effectively interact with and build relationships with faculty, staff, students, parents, and administrators 
  • Experience managing teams and budgets
  • Experience in program development and management, change management
  • Familiarity with corporate and nonprofit human resource management
  • Understanding of experiential education and career advising
  • Experience in the presentation of workshops or public speaking

Travel/Schedule:

• Weekly travel between NYC and Newark schools for check-ins and school supports
• 1-2x monthly travel to Uncommon’s schools across all regions (NJ, NY, MA)
• 3 days in person work at a school campus or Uncommon Home Office (NYC) 
• Must be able to follow Uncommon Schools high school hours on as as-needed basis (approx 7:15 AM - 5 PM)
• On rare occasions, must be available nights/weekends for student events (performances, etc.) - roughly 3-5 times/year.

Our people are what make us uncommon. It’s important to us that our compensation practices align with our values and enhance our ability to attract and retain talent.  Our compensation philosophy is focused on equity and fairness, retaining our talented staff and valuing their expertise, and transparency and clarity.

Compensation for this position:  Candidates who meet all job description requirements will likely receive an offer of $117,000. The starting compensation for this role is between $104,000 to $130,000.  The starting pay will depend on various factors including but not limited to relevant professional experience, education, certifications, and tenure with Uncommon Schools.  To receive an offer at the top of the range, candidates will need significant experience beyond the job description requirements.  Because we value staff tenure in a role, we do not currently cap salary ranges for current staff members. 

Other Benefits:

• 19 days of paid time off in addition to three weeks of paid winter and summer org-wide holidays
• Extensive, best-in-class training and development  
• Choice of 3 comprehensive health insurance plans
• Pre-tax flexible spending and health saving accounts
• Financial planning & wellness
  • 403(b) retirement savings program + employer match
  • 529 college savings program
  • Public Service Loan Forgiveness application assistance
  • Financial  planning tools and assistance
• Dependent Care FSA, back up childcare and daycare discounts, pet care insurance
• Paid leave of absence 
  • Fully paid parental leave
  • Fully paid medical leave
  • Additional paid Short Term and Long Term Disability insurance 
• Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits

Uncommon believes in the importance of being a diverse, equitable, and inclusive organization that enables our students and staff to thrive. We are committed to building an exceptional team that reflects the diverse backgrounds and experiences of our students. We also strive to ensure an inclusive community by creating a space for meaningful dialogue about issues of race and identity for our staff and students. As an equal opportunity employer, Uncommon provides equal employment opportunities to all employees and applicants for employment and prohibits discrimination and harassment of any type without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state or local laws. We also ensure that individuals with disabilities receive all privileges and benefits associated with employment and are provided reasonable accommodations for the interview process and to perform core job functions. If you would like to request an accommodation, please email recruitment@uncommonschools.org.