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Director, Strategy & Innovation

Company: AERDF
Location: Oakland
Posted on: May 18, 2023

Job Description:

Organization -The Advanced Education Research and Development Fund (AERDF) is a national nonprofit initiative that supports ambitious Inclusive R&D programs designed to tackle intractable teaching and learning challenges that disproportionately affect Black and Latino students and students of all races experiencing poverty. The AERDF team identifies compelling leaders with ambitious goals for improving student learning to serve as Executive Program Directors. To reach those goals, ExecutiveProgram Directors build on existing evidence from learning science to design multi-year Inclusive R&D programs to translate fundamental insights into more useful practices, approaches and tools. -Assessment for Good (AFG), which sits within AERDF, is an Inclusive R&D program focused on dramatically improving conditions for the academic, emotional, and social wellbeing social and emotional wellbeing and positive academic outcomes of learners aged 8 through 13, with a special focus on Black and Latinx populations. By leveraging an asset-based approach to assessment, relevant information that values the diversity of student and educator experiences can be used to create an environment that is rich in opportunities to thrive. -Opportunity for ImpactWith new scientific data emerging constantly in the world of student assessment, AFG is agile and responsive, committed to making data-based decisions across its dynamic research and development effort. The Director of Strategy and Innovation (DSI) is a senior member of the AFG team, reporting directly to the Executive Director (ED). This critical role will work collaboratively with the ED and broader members of the AFG team to design and execute the core program operations across key functional areas: evaluation, implementation, investment, and community engagement. Serving as the operational glue across AFG's work, the DSI will play a unique role in leading strategic visioning across the program. This is an ideal role for operationally-minded, strategic product leader who is passionate about conducting community-engaged research and development in service of creating better ecosystems (e.g., learning spaces; teaching and learning practices, positive emotional, academic, and social development trajectories, etc.) that support Black and Latinx learners aged 8 - 13 years of age. Role and ResponsibilitiesAs AFG continues to execute an inclusive R&D program and prepare it for transition in late 2026, this person will have the opportunity to contribute to the program's core research and development strategy. This includes: - -

Manage the operational infrastructure at Assessment for Good, with special attention on creating structures for the ease of transition planning and sustainabilityResponsibilities may include:
Partnering with the Executive Director to develop AFG's strategic roadmap, inclusive of intended outcomes and interim milestones, a multi-year financial and capacity plan, and the plan for post-AERDF transition.Help design, adopt, and continually improve operational solutions that meet current and future needs, balancing simplicity, flexibility, and risk mitigation. Work collaboratively with AERDF and operational contractors and partners to ensure AFG has structures, systems and policies that meet its needs for IT, HR, finance, operations, and data storage and security. Oversee operational execution of these systems.Manage a diverse set of team members involved in cross-functional work and ensure their individual and collective ongoing learning, development and growth. Manage vendor and consultant arrangements as they relate to cross-functional work or operations, including legal and communications.Help manage financial resources, developing and managing AFG's multi-year budget aligned to its strategic plan and ensuring it is allocating investments in accordance with its strategic priorities. Lead an annual budgeting process for the program and support regular reporting to guide ongoing financial decisions.Ensure AFG is getting stronger as a team every day and continuing to live its core values as the organization grows. Lead the design, build and improvement of internal collaboration structures such as meetings, retreats, and planning and communication systems. Lead the program's human capital work, including hiring, onboarding, and professional development and evaluation. -
Develop and lead the strategy for AFG's implementation work, with particular focus on creating the program-level ecosystem needed for full-scale prototype design and trailing initiativesResponsibilities may include: -
Create and manage internal progress monitoring structures and systems to ensure AFG is working as one team toward shared outcomes. Work closely and collaboratively with other senior team leaders to ensure content and product development strands are tracking toward critical milestones. Help manage the integrated prototyping work, where the content, research, UX and tech strands come together, including setting and sequencing priorities to deliver on AFG's strategic and operational roadmap. Be consulted as a key contributor to major decisions across workstreams to ensure alignment and cohesion, and that the sum of decisions is greater than the parts.Co-develop and co-implement the comprehensive evaluation model that will be used to trial multiple AFG prototypes through a rich set of experimental designs, ensuring that key insights are able to be distilled into the field, through peer reviewed publications, practitioner and policy white papers, reports, and other media outlets. -Overseeing, in collaboration with others on the AFG team, a multi-tiered evaluation strategy that will accompany AFG's trialing track of investment. -Collaborate with leadership across AERDF to drive improvements to AFG's awardee management approach.Contribute to the development of a strong, inclusive program team. -
Building and maintaining positive and productive relationships with stakeholders who are diverse in their identities, roles, expectations, and needs.Support a transformative investment portfolio focused on the development of new measurement models and assessment prototypes. -Communicating effectively with a wide variety of people at all levels, both internally and externally.Effectively manage external operational and investment contracts to ensure clear expectations, accountability for deliverables, and a positive working culture. -Professional Qualifications
Deep experience in strategy and operations (10+ years) within a R&D setting, ideally with a focus on K-12 education.Track record of leading the strategic vision of previous organizations, developing the strategic plans and managing implementation of time and resources toward goals.Ability to critically analyze an emerging research strategy, leading new approaches and supplying information to stakeholders that can support a more refined understanding of research and development objectives.Experience designing and implementing organizational systems, ideally in a startup environment, building budgets, staff, and executing operations in a context of high ambiguity.A demonstrated knowledge of and evidence of success with research and evaluation processes: research project management, complex data analysis within mixed-method designs, academic writing, and research team management.Demonstrated track record of leading in a fast-paced environment, managing a team to high performance, and collaborating with a wide range of stakeholders to achieve shared goals.Familiarity with equity-forward R&D frameworks that intersect the home and places of education (e.g., school buildings, out of school time orgs, etc) is preferred. -Experience using and building systems across Google applications, Slack, Asana, Airtable, Notion, Jira, and the like. Not intimidated by new products and systems, but instead energized by them as a key element of project implementation. -Comfort in a working style suited to a hybrid office setting where teamwork and resourcefulness are highly valued.Ability to travel up to 30% in support of in-person research team meetings, program-based meetings and retreats, research site visits, convenings and conferences when it is safe to do so. -Personal Characteristics
A demonstrated commitment to embedding diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice in daily work and research priorities.Passion for supporting innovation and pursuing excellence with Black and Latinx students in traditional and non-traditional education spaces.A high degree of self-awareness and a relationship orientation that inspires and motivates others.A demonstrated commitment to learning and continuous improvement -Comfort working independently and consistently in an agile, fast-paced environment; managing multiple priorities through leveraging creative thinking and resourcefulnessAn ability to navigate uncertainty and ambiguity, while embracing the ever-evolving nature of a founding team.---------------------Additional InfoAERDF offers a competitive compensation package including base salary and comprehensive benefits. AERDF is a remote and flexible work environment and base compensation levels vary depending on location, experience, and qualifications. The starting salary range for this Level 5 - Director position is $141,000 - $203,000 (based on location). AERDF is deeply committed to the diversity of its workforce. People of all backgrounds, particularly those with the lived experience of the students and communities AERDF serves, are encouraged to apply. - Please do not hesitate to apply even if all of the qualifications are not met. Candidates of all backgrounds and identities are encouraged to apply. -Learn More
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Keywords: AERDF, Oakland , Director, Strategy & Innovation, Accounting, Auditing , Oakland, California

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