Manager of External Affairs- Community Engagement

  • Full-time
  • Hiring Start Time: Immediate Start (SY 21-22)
  • HO Team: External Affairs

Company Description

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 55 schools serving more than 21,000 students in six cities: Boston, Camden, New York City, Newark, Rochester, and Troy. 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. 

North Star Academy currently manages fourteen schools in Newark, NJ serving students in grades K through 12. We believe in strong authentic relationships between teachers and students, supported by effective school systems and an engaging instructional model that enables students to flourish academically and personally. North Star Academy is NJ's #1 highest performing public charter school and has served Newark families for over 20 years.

Job Description

Position overview

The Manager of External Affairs- Community Engagement is a crucial and full-time member of Uncommon North Star Newark’s regional team reporting to the Senior Director of External Affairs, Newark. The successful candidate will work with staff across our campuses, engaging families and growing our organizations impact in our communities. They will lead and grow family engagement and partnerships in strategic and tactical ways; establish and cultivate relationships with families; craft and implement events, programs, and initiatives that expand the organization’s impact and deepen the relationships between the schools and the communities we serve; and maintain compliance with New Jersey Department of Education requirements.

Specific responsibilities

  • Coordinating and implementing the Powerful Partners for Advocacy (PPFA) engagement strategy on the local and state (regional) levels;
  • Creating the PPFA calendar across the Newark region, supervising events, and developing strong working relationships with parent members at each campus to improve advocacy reach and promote the support of successful schools;
  • Facilitating meetings and discussions involving families and school leaders (including at school sites);
  • Collaborating with other Newark Regional teams to learn from the network’s best practices and contribute to the development of a broader organizational approach to family engagement;

Community Partnerships

Develop and implement, in coordination with community leaders and the regional leader (RSD), a multi-year community partnerships strategy focused on growing direct resources in schools. This includes:

  • Creating new service provider and community partnerships to improve Uncommon’s ability to sponsor/ co-sponsor local events and programs that further connect our schools to their host communities;
  • Planning and directing the monthly External Affairs/ Enrollment joint team meetings to identify and plan shared events/ projects (support recruitment and outreach efforts);
  • Building on existing partnerships with key service providers, community organizers, and elected officials;

Board Liaison

  • Implement a project plan to ensure board meetings are effectively run, in compliance with New Jersey State Law
  • Maintain board agendas and board minutes
  • Ensure all school board members and school leaders follow New Jersey Ethics reporting

Qualifications

  • Excellent written communication skills
  • Excellent organizational and project management skills
  • Strong negotiation, communication and interpersonal skills
  • Strong connection to Newark and the charter school sector preferred
  • Strong digital literacy, including Microsoft Office, Word, PowerPoint and Excel
  • Strategic problem solver

Educational Requirements

  • Bachelor’s degree required

Experience Requirements

  • 5+ years professional work experience required, including at least 1 (one) year experience in a managerial position. Previous public/ community affairs, government, citywide/ statewide advocacy, education experience, or administrative experience preferred.

Travel Requirements

  • Travel around Newark and New Jersey is required

Additional Information

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, we hire without consideration to race, religion, creed, color, national origin, age, gender, sexual orientation, marital status, veteran status or disability. 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.