Program Coordinator – Pahara Institute – Napa, CA

Overview

The Pahara Institute is dedicated to identifying, strengthening, and sustaining diverse, exceptional leaders who are reimagining public education. Pahara’s programs are aimed at improving leadership in education at a crucial point in our country’s history when our goal of a more equitable democratic society as well as our changing economy demand dramatically more from our public schools. Today there is a growing community of education reform leaders and entrepreneurs who are spearheading innovative approaches to better serve all students, especially those in low-income communities.

Organization

Pahara’s flagship program is the Pahara-Aspen Education Fellowship, a two-year cohort-based leadership program, modeled after the renowned Henry Crown Fellowship at the Aspen Institute. It is focused on increasing both the strength and diversity of leadership for the educational excellence and equity movement by bringing together senior entrepreneurial leaders in education who have been nominated by recognized leaders within the field, and providing them with an opportunity to step back from their demanding daily work to reflect with peers on their collective and individual work as leaders and change agents.

In 2014, Pahara launched the NextGen Network, focused on supporting high potential, emerging senior leaders who bring a diversity of underrepresented perspectives and have the potential to strengthen and shape the future of the educational excellence and equity movement. By identifying individuals who can amplify underrepresented voices, and providing them with high-level leadership development and networking opportunities, this program encourages and supports those who will become senior leaders in the field and helps strengthen the educational equity and excellence movement by engaging more diverse perspectives.

Additional mission-driven programs may be developed, as needed, focusing on values-based dialogue as a leadership development and movement-strengthening tool.

Pahara is a partially virtual organization with a small and dynamic team. The Program Coordinator will report directly to the Director of the NextGen Network in all logistics and operational tasks related to the excellent execution of the NextGen Network program.

The Program Coordinator will report directly to the Director of the NextGen Network in all logistics and operational tasks related to the excellent execution of the NextGen Network program.

The NextGen Program Coordinator is expected to support the NextGen Network in the achievement of the following goals:

NextGen participants rate logistics as good or excellent after every seminar:

Research, vet, and recommend locations;
Manage contract negotiations & finalization with locations and communicate all event requirements to locations;
Research, vet, and reserve off-site locations & vendors, including restaurants, hikes or other excursions, transportation, and team-building facilitators;
Schedule & book transportation to/from airports and hotels for participants;
Ensure all location and vendor invoices are accurate and paid in a timely manner;
Serve as on-site staff for six seminars a year, to include week-long travel out of state;
Manage all aspects of pre-seminar preparation, including preparing and mailing all seminar materials, corresponding with program participants, and coordinating travel and meetings for moderators and guests; and
Review and manage seminar costs in accordance with the NextGen Network to ensure budget budget parameters are met.

NextGen Network identifies and selects high potential, emerging senior leaders, representing a diversity of underrepresented perspectives:

Schedule, take notes, and track to-dos for all NextGen Selection meetings;
Research and track updates to candidate profiles;
Assist with creating candidacies and records in Salesforce, research candidates, and schedule interviews;
Manage candidate pipeline for NextGen, including:
Build and implement processes for sourcing excellent NextGen candidates in collaboration with the Directors of NextGen and Selection;
Conduct landscape research for NextGen and execute targeted investigation of key segments, collaborating with the Directors of NextGen and Selection to set research priorities;
Examine process improvements for NextGen selection; and
Contribute to decisions and processes on NextGen application invitations.

Complete special projects related to selection for NextGen and the Pahara Aspen Fellowship.

Provide high quality planning and organizational support so that NextGen is a high-functioning team:

Ensure that NextGen workplan is built out six months in advance and kept up to date;
Proactively identify any risk of missed milestones;
Keep all NextGen program documents up to date and accurately filed, manage NextGen program file structure, and assist with review of documents;
Schedule, take notes and track to-dos for all NextGen meetings;
Draft, administer, and summarize quantitative assessments for seminar content and components and ensure that step-back meetings are scheduled in a timely manner after each seminar;
Research survey results and other metrics as required for funder reports; and
Track ongoing lessons learned, outstanding questions, and decisions to revisit in programming and selection.

Contribute to Pahara Institute’s overall success as a learning organization that attracts and retains top talent, with team members who exhibit the following values:

The ability to build and maintain relationships, particularly in a time of growth and rapid change;
Maturity, humility, and a roll-up-your-sleeves attitude;
A commitment to diversity of all types at every level of our work;
The ability to learn quickly, be flexible and take an optimistic, fun approach to work; and
Strive for excellence and results in all work products and interactions.

Qualifications

Pahara is a mission-driven organization and our team is made up of professionals with a deep commitment to serving the needs of disadvantaged children through public education. Pahara is a strong fit for professionals who are resourceful, responsible, tenacious, independent, self-confident, who possess strong personal motivation, and demonstrate exemplary professional behavior and values. In addition, the successful candidate will have:

Exceptional organizational skills and an acute attention to detail;
A tested and high level of integrity, trust, and accountability;
Proven ability to work independently and virtually in a fast-paced environment, meet multiple concurrent deadlines, organize time and priorities, and work well as a member of a diverse team;
Strong written and oral communication skills;
Experience with and an aptitude and passion for complex event logistics involving executive-level participants;
The ability to learn quickly, be flexible, and take an optimistic approach to work;
A proven track record of interacting at all levels within an organization, both internally and externally, on various projects with multiple participants;
Sound discernment and judgment;
Experience handling confidential information, and a deep understanding of the issues around participant confidentiality;
Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications and Google Drive, and ability to type at least 40WPM; and
An associate’s or bachelor’s degree preferred.

In addition, the ideal candidate will have:

2+ years of experience with project management processes and software;
Experience working in Salesforce;
Commitment to the mission of accelerating the achievement of low income students; and
Familiarity with the challenges facing urban schools and education reform efforts in the U.S. and a professional network and awareness of relevant leaders and organizations which reflects that familiarity.

Location

North or East Bay Area strongly preferred, with the ability to travel to Napa at least three days a week with own transportation. This position requires overnight travel of up to 1 week a month.

How to apply

To Apply

Pahara is committed to providing equal opportunities. We serve diverse organizations, and are committed to non-discrimination. It is our policy to ensure that all individuals with whom we are in contact are treated equally without regard to age, color, disability, gender, marital status, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, expression, gender identity or veteran’s status.

The review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. Applications should consist of a letter of interest and a current resume. Applications or inquiries about the position should be directed to apply@pahara.org.

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