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School Partnerships and Initiatives Manager

Greater Milwaukee Foundation
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Milwaukee Succeeds is a collective impact, community-wide initiative that unites hundreds of individuals and organizations around a common purpose of improving outcomes for every child in every school, cradle to career. Our community’s goals are to improve kindergarten readiness, K12 school success, college and career completion, and the social and emotional health of our kids. Milwaukee Succeeds is one of 70 partnerships within the StriveTogether National Network all focused on better outcomes for children from cradle to career.

Our partners are educators, community leaders, philanthropic organizations, businesses, youth-serving organizations, parents and political leaders. They are committed to using data to tell us what practices achieve the greatest impact, continuously improving how we operate and rapidly and nimbly expanding what works to support learning and life options for our kids. As part of the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, Milwaukee Succeeds reflects the Foundation’s commitment to education, rooted in 100 years of history in the Milwaukee region.

You can make a difference, as Milwaukee Succeeds is seeking a School Partnerships and Initiatives Manager! This position is responsible for working with K12 partners and community members to align their actions in support of a shared vision for change. With equity and a reduction in disparities as focal points, this position works with partners to design and test new strategies for improving outcomes, uses a variety of data to implement and continuously improve practices, and influences changes in organizational policies and resource allocations to scale evidenced-based strategies.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

Collaborative Action

  • Develop systems, collaborations and targeted strategies focused on driving more equitable outcomes and reducing disparities.
  • Research evidence-based practices, promote the professional learning/sharing and implementation of these practices among partner organizations.
  • Support K12 partners in the development of action plans designed to integrate evidenced-based practices into their daily operations.
  • Facilitate linkages between K12 partners, out-of-school and youth serving organizations, and adjacent sectors (e.g. healthcare, housing) focused on creating more holistic, effective systems for students and families.
  • Build collaborations of diverse partners interested in designing and testing innovative practices focused on changing population-level outcomes. Support the development of funding proposals for the Milwaukee Succeeds Funders Collaborative.
  • Facilitate conversations with parents and families, partners, youth and school staff to ensure alignment with Milwaukee Succeeds’ strategic plan with community interest.
  • Engage in ongoing ideation, strategic planning and organizational improvement sessions as the Milwaukee Succeeds team determines long-term strategy.
  • Convene and facilitate meetings and planning activities with partner organizations designed to build collective action.

Continuous Improvement

  • Manage 12-month continuous improvement cohorts of school leadership teams targeting various K12 contributing indicators (e.g. chronic absenteeism).
  • Partner with local and national organizations to implement best practices to improve indicators in K12 schools.
  • Create systems of accountability to be implemented by community partners to ensure fidelity of PDSA cycles and other tools from improvement science.
  • Convene school leaders and teams to engage in ongoing professional development connected to continuous improvement and improved used of data.

Project Coordination

  • Collaborate with Deputy Director to develop business and funding plan to bring promising practices to scale; lead execution of this plan.
  • Collaborate with Milwaukee Succeeds leadership to identify and advance improvements in public policies.
  • Work with Funders' Collaborative to develop grant allocation plans and serve as a liaison to grant-funded organizations to set expectations, provide guidance and ensure accurate reporting of progress/outcomes.
  • Assist with the creation of internal and external communications, including newsletters, social media, annual reports, project reports and presentations.
  • Actively participate in the StriveTogether National Network.
  • Develop expertise in K12 content area, project management, public policy and in the continuous improvement process, including participation in professional development activities as requested/needed.

Qualifications:

  • Bachelor's degree and a minimum of five (5) years of relevant work experience required, preferably in the field of education, nonprofit, government or civic leadership; Master's degree preferred
  • Experience with the continuous improvement process preferred
  • Experience in project development, management and/or evaluation preferred
  • Strong knowledge of social research and financial management
  • Strong analytical thinking and decision-making skills, including problem anticipation and resolution
  • Ability to create processes and systems, manage details and work independently
  • Excellent written, oral and interpersonal communication skills.
  • Ability to facilitate collaboration among diverse groups and "translate" vocabulary/jargon across sectors
  • Demonstrated understanding of community needs and strategies to promote community impact