Director, Adult Education and Literacy

Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow (OBT) exists to break the cycle of poverty and inequity through education, job training, and employment. Our vision to strengthen the workforce by serving as a bridge to economic opportunity for individuals in underserved communities is critical for economic recovery. Through our skills-based training, education, and direct job placement, we build upward economic mobility for out-of-school and unemployed youth and adults and provide the skills necessary to gain a competitive edge in the job market. Through our principles of accountability, confidence, and professionalism, we emphasize Values of Integrity-Respecting our commitments, personally and professionally, Excellence-Pushing one another to be our very best and Empowerment-Positive change begins with us. Our commitment to fostering and maintaining a work environment where diversity, equity, and inclusion are woven into our organizational DNA.

Diversity & Racial Equity Mission Statement: We recognize that structural racism, discrimination, systems of power, and other forms of oppression, give privilege and access to resources, lead to inequities, and have contributed to persistent disparities.  OBT is on an intentional journey to champion and operationalize the values of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion into our organization and the communities we serve. We strive to sustain a culture where all individuals can thrive and feel a sense of belonging, especially those whose voices and experiences have been historically marginalized. We commit our work to breaking oppressive barriers and serving as a bridge to sustainable economic opportunities that will build and strengthen an equitable workforce.

Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, Accessibility & Belonging (DEIA&B) Statement: We value individual differences and the benefits diversity and inclusion bring to our organization. It enables us to effectively grow by developing respected representation in the communities OBT serves while giving back through our personal experiences and efforts thereby adding immediate value. We understand that diversity is not simply about people who represent the full spectrum or ethnicities, national origins, ages, sexual orientation, gender identity, beliefs, religions and faith, cultures, socio-economic backgrounds and levels of physical ability; it also involves our ability to being open-minded and creating balance within OBT as an organization. Within our diversified workforce, we see our differences as assets, not liabilities and intentionally prioritize methods to enhance our DEIA&B journey. OBT realizes that diversity is an important issue for our organization, but we also realize that it is not enough to hire people with the differences mentioned above. Everyone needs to feel like they are truly welcome, safe and free to be themselves in the workplace. We are establishing a sense of belonging and inclusion, so we can ensure that all employees, regardless of their background and experiences, are connected with equal opportunities and create a healthier, more successful future together.

Position Summary:
The Adult Education and Literacy (AELP) department provides English for speakers of other languages (ESOL) courses, citizenship preparation classes, computer literacy classes, and GED preparation for youth and adults 18+. AELP programs incorporate full wrap around services including job readiness, job placement, and college preparation. The goal of the program is to help youth and adults improve their English language proficiency, enhance literacy skills, gain citizenship, obtain their GED, and obtain or improve employment. The Adult Education and Literacy Director will be a hands-on leader and responsible for implementing and maintaining all the adult education programs and services in compliance with our contract guidelines, overseeing recruitment and enrollment, directing the development and evaluation of adult education curriculum, course evaluation and scheduling, budget preparation, fiscal management, supervision and staff development, record keeping, and reporting to funding agencies. The Director is a member of the agency’s senior management team and serves as a strategic partner in planning and implementing the future vision for the agency.

Essential Job Functions and Responsibilities:

• Manage the adult education and literacy program across OBT’s Brooklyn sites
• Provide supervision for Instructors, Coordinator, and Program Associates
• Ensure that all contractual requirements, including eligibility, service delivery and post-outcome follow-up are met as per contractual guidelines; ensure data accuracy with all funder databases
• Ensure that each program meets its annual performance targets and goals
• Work to continuously improve the quality and performance of programs, actively targeting any deficiencies; develop appropriate corrective action plans to address poor program performance as needed
• Serve as a liaison with relevant government and foundation funders who support adult programs
• Provide assistance and guidance related to new funding proposals
• Implement a standardized ESOL, CIVICS and HSE curriculum for the use of all instructors and make available necessary resources to other teachers
• Hires, trains, supervises, evaluates, and coordinates English as a Second Language (ESL), Adult Basic Education (ABE), GED programs, and support staff.
• Design internal staff development training and teacher share sessions as well as plan all external staff development
• Conduct classroom observations and feedback sessions with teachers
• Ensure that instructors deliver relevant, student-driven curriculum that integrates technology, authentic assessment, health literacy, and work readiness skills.
• Help design standardized procedures for the program and work closely with other Directors and Program Associates to ensure OBT provides the best possible service to clients
• Oversee recruitment, registration and orientation for new students
• Secure TASC testing slots for HSE students and manage score collection
• Monitor and track student time, attendance, and test scores in internal databases
• Prepare monthly program statistics and narrative reports
• Administer and manage student testing where required
• Perform other duties as assigned by supervisor

As you move down this list, the least essential the job function or responsibility should be.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

• Passion for OBT’s mission and purpose and an ability to communicate this passion to others; demonstrated experience managing a high-performing team in a multi-site structure to include professional development and mentorship; Comprehensive working knowledge of program planning, organizational structure, budgeting, administrative operations, and fundraising.
• An innovative and patient professional dedicated to serving adult education populations
• Demonstrated understanding of the challenges facing adult education populations
• Demonstrated ability to analyze and compile complex data for planning and reporting purposes
  • Excellent communication skills, both written and oral, with the ability to represent the organization xexternally across a wide range of stakeholders and constituencies
• Strong relationship builder with the ability finds common ground, build consensus and strengthen collaboration among diverse stakeholders
• Strong community awareness and astuteness
• Ability to successfully navigate in a fast-paced, outcomes-driven, and entrepreneurial environment; demonstrated commitment to the values of diversity, inclusiveness, and empowerment

As you move down this list, the least important or desired knowledge, skill or ability should be.

Education and Experience/Training:

• Minimum of bachelor’s degree; preferably Master’s in Education, Administration or related field.
• Certification in BEST Plus 2.0 and TABE a plus
• Minimum of two years of experience supervising Adult Edu instructional staff; must possess excellent
  oral and written communication skills; must be able to work flexible hours to include evenings.
• Excellent computer skills/Microsoft Office, G Suite including Google Classroom
• Must be willing to travel between all program sites
• Bilingual (English/Spanish) a plus
  As you move down this list, the education or training could be a “desired” or “preferred” or because it is the last listed item, it is understood that it is the least required.