Center for Inspired Teaching, a growing DC based nonprofit dedicated to social change through improving education, seeks creative, highly skilled individual to serve as a Project Manager. The Project Manager will contribute to the organization’s growth and help shape its direction as it embarks on a rigorous business planning and growth planning process, with the goal of deepening its work in DC and developing a plan to grow to reach teachers and students nationwide. The Project Manager will also provide direct support to the Executive director and work side-by-side with her on all aspects of organizational and program management, and have the opportunity to learn about how a small and growing entrepreneurial company is run.

About the Organization
Center for Inspired Teaching invests in teachers to ensure that schools make the most of children’s innate desire to learn. We train teachers to inspire young people to become knowledgeable, self-disciplined, and compassionate citizens. Students of Inspired Teachers learn to think and solve complex problems in school and in real life and actively strive to make positive change in their communities and in society. Since 1995 Center for Inspired Teaching has worked with numerous teachers affecting the achievement of their students year after year. Center for Inspired Teaching is altering the way teachers see themselves and the way they teach. Teachers learn to combine careful planning with spontaneity and build students’ knowledge-base, as well as their critical thinking and problem-solving skills.

About the Position
Responsibilities include:

Direct administrative and programmatic support to the executive director

• Scheduling and providing preparation for meetings; managing, prioritizing, and responding to emails; managing to do list; maintaining contact information in organizational database; serving as first point of contact for teachers, donors, partners, education reformers and activists, and other potential stakeholders;
• Drafting emails, letters, portions of grant applications and award nominations, articles for publication, etc.; editing and proofreading documents.

Project management at the organizational level

• Creating daily news digests of relevant education items for staff and website;
• Creating weekly highlights from organizational departments to circulate to staff to ensure all staff are fully informed of important developments; requires a deep understanding of the inner-workings of Inspired Teaching and each department and staff member’s role.
• Managing education program for summer interns;
• Managing special projects that arise as part of key organizational events and programs including but not limited to: the Inspired Teaching Alumni Conference; Chocolate Inspiration (annual high profile fundraising/friend-raising event); VIP visits to programs and teachers’ classrooms; interviewing and helping select candidates for the Inspired Teacher Certification Program; visiting classrooms and programs throughout the year;
• Serving as staff liaison to the board of directors, managing communication with the board, preparing agendas and related materials for all board meetings, following up with each board member between meetings, preparing weekly updates for board chair.
• Entrepreneurial and public engagement projects
• Representing the organization at community meetings, Capitol Hill hearings and briefings, local education gatherings, meetings with funders, professional networking events, city leaders, etc.;
• Creating and being responsible for new approaches to reaching our constituents, including but not limited to: proposing new corporate partnerships; writing to teachers, child advocates, and others whose work appears in the media and inviting them to learn about and join forces with Inspired Teaching; enhancing the organization’s relationship with alumni teachers. This aspect of the job requires significant creativity and entrepreneurship to understand the organization’s mission and the initiative to propose new opportunities to help support it;
• Contributing to the creation of the organization’s social media strategy as a member of the communications team, including website improvements and updates and contributing to organization’s blog, Twitter and Facebook accounts;
• Actively participating in Inspired Teaching’s business planning/growth planning process in partnership with the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.

Qualifications:

• Ability to work independently; outstanding organizational skills and initiative;
• Demonstrated ability to assess priorities and manage a variety of activities, projects, and schedules simultaneously – and to meet deadlines with attention to detail and quality;
• Creativity, comfort with intellectual risk taking, and an entrepreneurial spirit;
• Strong interpersonal skills, with a proven ability to build relationships with and negotiate with a wide variety of clientele on the organization’s behalf;
• Strong written and verbal communication skills;
• Demonstrated ability to work as an effective team member;
• Welcoming presence: ability to generate enthusiasm for the organization, elicit cooperation, and get information over the phone, via email, and in person;
• Strong understanding of and belief in Inspired Teaching’s progressive philosophy of education and inquiry-based teacher training methodology;
• Knowledge of personal computer applications (i.e. word processing, spreadsheets, email, search engines, and databases).

Salary is competitive and based on professional experience. Benefits include health care, retirement plan, vacation, and flexible family leave; an excellent working environment; and the ability to have an impact on public education and the lives of children in Washington, DC and nationwide.

Interested applicants should send:
• A cover letter and a resume
• The names and contact information of 3 professional references

Send applications to:
Center for Inspired Teaching
1436 U St., NW Suite 400
Washington, DC 20009
or
Email to: info@inspiredteaching.org

Center for Inspired Teaching is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We are committed to a diverse workplace. Women, persons of color, and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.