Senior Manager, Field Implementation Team (Apply By: Friday July 12, 2024)

About JFF

Jobs for the Future (JFF) drives transformation of the U.S. education and workforce systems to achieve equitable economic advancement for all. Seeing that millions of people are unfairly shut out of quality jobs and the chance for a better life, our goal is to align education, workforce, and employment changemakers toward a shared North Star: By 2033, 75 million people facing systemic barriers to advancement will work in quality jobs.

To achieve that goal, we design solutions, scale best practices, influence policy and action, and invest in innovation. With a staff of more than 300 people across the country working remotely and in offices in Boston (headquarters), Washington, DC, and Oakland, California, we operate at the national, state, and local levels, forging deep partnerships with employers, investors, entrepreneurs, policymakers, and education and workforce development providers to break down barriers and reimagine what's possible.

We're on a path of ongoing growth and expanding impact. We have an operating budget of $105 million, and we're funded by dozens of leading government agencies, foundations, and corporations. Learn more about JFF and join us as we build a future that works-for everyone.

DEIBW at JFF

Diversity, equity, inclusion, belonging, and well-being (DEIBW) are core to JFF's North Star and mission. We employ and build diverse teams across race, ethnicity, sex, gender identity and expression, age, and lived experiences and are constantly working toward ensuring these differences are celebrated and included. We aim to cultivate a culture that centers the overall care, well-being, and success of the employee through flexible work hours, balanced workloads, professional development, and equitable career advancement opportunities. Learn more about what DEIBW looks like in practice at JFF.

We seek to invest in and learn from those who represent the communities we serve, particularly individuals from populations who have been explicitly or implicitly excluded from the workforce. Knowing its importance to the success of our work and the engagement of our staff members, we aspire to attract and retain a diverse team and welcome people of all backgrounds to apply to our open roles. JFF is a fair chance employer and in alignment to our North Star, we strongly encourage individuals whose highest level of education attained is less than a 4-year degree; People of Color; and people with records to apply.

About the Position

A part of JFF's Solutions Design and Delivery unit, the Field Implementation Team (FIT) plays a central role in advancing JFF's mission by applying capabilities, expertise, and talent to implement field-facing programs, initiatives, and strategic solutions.  As the largest functional team at JFF with more than 150 members, Field Implementation Teams are comprised of key project personnel who design and deliver technical assistance, coaching, asset mapping, community of practice facilitation, design of convenings or events, and other key lines of service. FIT members may be largely dedicated to projects and programs sponsored or led by a specific Center or Practice, or JFFLabs team.

As a Senior Manager on the Field Implementation Team, you will be assigned to specific portfolios of project work across JFF, based on the organization's evolving needs and staff members' skillsets and interests. As subject matter experts in the education and/or workforce development ecosystem, Senior Managers are collaborative project managers who excel at utilizing their strategy, stakeholder engagement, and communication skills to impact mission-critical bodies of work. Whether facilitating a convening of external partners or illustrating findings from qualitative data analysis, you will play a key role in designing, strengthening, and scaling solutions that create equitable conditions and clear paths to economic advancement for all.

This is a great role for a strong project manager who is interested in leveraging experience with secondary/postsecondary education, workforce systems, and employers. Plus, you'll have the chance to learn from thought leaders in this field, all while working on a project team with passionate, collaborative, and mission-driven colleagues.

What You'll Do

Lead and support impactful program and project efforts:

• Manage projects from concept and proposal, to kick-off, implementation, and final close-out

• Manage timelines, workflow, communications, production of deliverables, and other aspects of project implementation

• Monitor and evaluate project plans, tasks, resources, deadlines, and any post-project needs to accomplish project goals

• Strategically utilize knowledge management and project management tools such as Salesforce, Asana, and other similar tools

• Collaborate with teams across JFF to develop scopes of work for external partners and deliver on contractual and budgetary requirements.

Contribute strategic and analytical thinking to inform projects and deliver results:

• Participate in the design and delivery of technical assistance to partners, project staff, funders and other stakeholders to help them achieve their goals

• Conduct primary and secondary research (e.g., drafting interview protocols and interviewing stakeholders) and complete qualitative analysis to collect insights from the field informing recommendations for future action

• Analyze and provide recommendations based off of financial data, including completing ROI (return on investment) analyses and financial impact analyses, as part of project deliverables

• Identify and analyze best practices and learnings from projects to share with your project team(s), informing the continuous improvement of the design, delivery, and evaluation of programs and products

• Translate data (interviews, financial project information, etc.) into findings using concise and actionable written products, graphics, and presentations for multiple audiences, including implementation toolkits for practitioners

Communicate, engage and share results with project stakeholders:

• Synthesize and share relevant findings with a wide range of internal and external audiences

• Create analytical and practice-oriented written products and deliverables, including reports, tools, memos, and case studies

• Organize and facilitate meetings of diverse stakeholders both externally and across JFF (e.g. peer-learning meetings, technical assistance workshops, site visits, or program/policy research meetings)

• Create and deliver strong presentations

• Identify and support intermediaries, community-based organizations, educational institutions, workforce agencies, and/or industry partners in building capacity and developing cross-sector partnerships

• Have an ability to partner across JFF with other teams, such as Marketing and Communications, to manage project deliverables and finalize team findings into publishable materials.

Who You Are

The qualifications listed within the job description are intended as a guide and we do not expect candidates to bring all experiences and skills listed. Research supports that self-selecting out of potential professional opportunities is particularly common among individuals with identities that are marginalized in professional spaces. So, if you believe that you can meet the overall expectations of the position, we encourage you to apply so that we have an opportunity to learn more about you and the unique strengths you would bring to the work.

• You have previously managed programs/projects within the education, workforce, economic development, and/or other social impact setting (New hires at the Senior Manager level at JFF typically bring 5-10 years of prior professional experience through a combination of full-time, part-time, internship, and/or freelance positions)

• You are a strong project manager with a proven track record of leading multiple workstreams/projects and deliverables for partners, funders, and/or senior-level executives and decision-makers.

• You are a creative problem-solver who pursues opportunities to improve processes, collect relevant data, leverage feedback, develop skills, and acquire knowledge to better support your team and increase the value of your work.

• You set ambitious and achievable goals and manage your time effectively to consistently deliver high-quality outputs and fulfill commitments that align with your organization's strategic goals.

• You value and are skilled at developing effective relationships with your colleagues and other stakeholders to collaborate on projects and make meaningful contributions to the work.

• You bring strong written and verbal communication skills, with experience facilitating discussions, delivering presentations, analyzing data, or drafting materials (i.e., reports, business memos, interview protocols)

• You are creative, resourceful, and flexible; you enjoy engaging in new projects and can build subject matter expertise and credibility quickly

• You possess high energy and passion for JFF's mission and North Star, and the ability to apply JFF's core values to all areas of your work

• You are energized by stewarding JFF's DEIBW values and practices within your day-to-day work, including embracing the differences and celebrating the diversity that each individual brings to JFF

• You value building positive and collaborative relationships with others, including people whose identities and backgrounds differ from your own

• We are particularly interested in candidates who possess experience connecting with Latine populations in order to lead focus groups, ideally with fluency in Spanish.

What We Offer

At JFF, we're fueled by the desire to create a world where everyone has equal opportunity for economic advancement. Our team works hard to push the boundaries of what is possible, and in return, we provide a gratifying work experience, competitive salaries, and a comprehensive benefits program that includes flexibility and choice as core values in order to support people wherever they are in their lives and careers.

JFF has offices in Boston, Oakland, and Washington, DC; employees are welcome to use JFF office space to work in-person or hybrid, or completely remote. To improve the employee experience and promote productivity while working remotely, JFF offers an annual home office stipend to all regular full-time and part-time employees. In addition, new employees receive office equipment as needed.

The hiring range for this role is $80,000 - $100,000 annually, in alignment to JFF's Senior Manager salary band and our compensation philosophy. Starting salaries for new hires will be determined based on a combination of the new hire's relevant experience and market demands.

To Apply

As part of your application, please include your resume and a thoughtful cover letter, addressed to Martha Arias, Senior Director, Resource Management, outlining how your skills and experience meet the qualifications of the position.

We are accepting applications through July 12, 2024 at 5 pm ET. Applications submitted by that date will be reviewed and candidates will receive updates on their candidacy by the week of July 22, 2024.

At JFF, we're also committed to accessibility and want to ensure that everyone, including people with disabilities, can fully access and engage with our application and hiring process.

If you are unable to complete this application due to a disability and/or have specific access/accommodation needs in order to fully participate in our hiring process, please contact us at hiringaccommodations@jff.org.

Positions at JFF are not eligible for employer-visa sponsorship or open to F-1 student visa holders.