Senior Program Manager

To enrich education through diversity, The College of New Jersey is an Equal Opportunity Employer. The College has a strong commitment to achieving diversity among faculty and staff, and strongly encourages women and members of underrepresented groups to apply.

The Sustainability Institute is seeking candidates for Senior Program Manager for Schools role.

The position will be responsible for leading the Sustainable Jersey for Schools Program. This will include working with other senior staff to develop strategy and set priorities for growing the program, conducting applied research and program design tasks, managing contracts, developing program content and overseeing quality, managing and building relationships with funders and program partners, and managing a team of professionals on a range of operational, outreach, professional development, and research projects. The Senior Manager’s team will work with subject matter experts to keep program content current, spearhead efforts to develop and implement new best practices and resources, and design and implement programs to support New Jersey public schools’ efforts become more sustainable by providing training and assistance to key stakeholder groups including school board members, administrators, and teachers and other staff.

The ideal candidate will have a passion for sustainability, and interest in working with a dynamic team creating programs for schools and communities across New Jersey. Working closely with the Deputy and Executive Directors, the Senior Program Manager is responsible for leading a team and overseeing all program activities including researching best practices related to sustainable development, integrating those practices into the Sustainable Jersey Certification, and designing and implementing programs to support implementation in schools. Our vision includes striving to be more equitable, more inclusive and better prepared to do the work of advancing sustainability and social justice while supporting municipalities and schools in New Jersey to do the same. The position will work with external stakeholders and partners to identify emerging issues of concern, and create test policies, programs and other solutions that can be implemented locally and scaled statewide.

Main Responsibilities:

• Oversee day to day operations of Sustainable Jersey for Schools certification program including execution of the annual cycle, outreach and communications; technical assistance and training; and developing and implementing strategies to grow participation in the program in terms of registered districts and schools, and certified schools.
• Manage grants and contracts to meet deliverables on time and within budget.
• Oversee SJS program content including certification program Actions and other SJS website information. Conduct and lead research on best practices and standards for school sustainability in order to keep program content relevant and up to date. On an annual basis, develop and implement recommendations for new program actions and existing actions in need of updating or that should be retired.
• Interface with external clients and partners to advance the interests of the Sustainable Jersey for Schools program including seeking funding, building partnerships, and attending conferences and events to expand the reputation and visibility of the program
• Work in collaboration with the Development Manager and senior management to identify new funding opportunities and prepare proposals
• Work with stakeholders, board, and senior staff to develop program priorities and develop workplans and budgets to meet program objectives.

Required Qualifications:

• Requires an advanced degree in K-12 education, or an equivalent combination of education and/or experience that demonstrates comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the K-12 public school operating environment and an ability to synthesize information, draw relevant conclusions, and present those conclusions.
• 5 years of relevant professional experience including grant writing; program development and implementation; and supervising staff and/or leading teams.
• E xperience identifying and implementing best practices, including new program ideas into K-12 education and school operations through job duties, course work, or volunteer experiences.
• Familiarity with sustainability concepts strongly preferred, including experience integrating sustainability concepts into curriculum and student experiences, and school operations and management.

Preferred Qualifications:

• Experience with public schools, their decision making environments, and previous professional work in some or all of the following types of roles: leadership, operations, and development of K-12 curriculum and lesson plans.
  
  
• Strong project and program management skills.
  
  
• Strong written and oral communications skills.
  
  
• Aptitude for program and project design, including identification, researching, and development of best practices and new program ideas, and designing and scoping new programs and projects to solve problems and advance sustainability in schools.
  
  
• Interest in sustainability issues as demonstrated by relevant course work, integration into student experiences, extracurricular activities, volunteer efforts, etc.
  
  
• Ability to travel on own to attend/work at off-site events during the day, evenings and occasionally weekends. These events are scheduled across the state and not always accessible via public transportation. Some overnight assignments may be required.
  
  
• Ability to attend large in-person meetings and interact with the public at events.
  
  
• Ability to load, unload, and carry boxes and display materials. Set up displays such as collapsible free standing banners and step and returns.

Employer Qualifications:

• Final offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of background check and reference checks.

About TCNJ

TCNJ is a highly selective institution that has earned national recognition for its commitment to excellence. Founded in 1855, TCNJ has become an exemplar of the best in public higher education and is consistently acknowledged as one of the top comprehensive colleges in the nation. TCNJ currently is ranked as one of the 75 "Most Competitive" schools in the nation by Barron's Profiles of American Colleges and is rated the No. 1 public institution in the northern region of the country by U.S. News & World Report. TCNJ was named the #10 value in public higher education by the Princeton review in 2009 and, in 2006, was awarded a Phi Beta Kappa chapter - an honor shared by less than 10 percent of colleges and universities nationally. A strong liberal arts core forms the foundation for programs offered through TCNJ's seven schools - Arts & Communication; Business; Education; Humanities and Social Sciences; Science; Nursing, Health, and Exercise Science; and Engineering. TCNJ faculty members are teacher-scholars who share a commitment to liberal learning. TCNJ is located within an hour, by train, of New York City and Philadelphia. The College's campus is set on 289 tree-lined acres in suburban Ewing Township and is known for its natural beauty and has 39 major buildings, including the fourth-best college library in the nation, according to the Princeton Review.

Contact Information

Qualified candidates should apply online and submit a letter of interest, resume (CV), as well as the names and contact information for three professional references. Applications will be considered until a viable finalist has been found. Final offer of employment is contingent upon the successful completion of background and reference checks.