Elementary Math And Pedagogy Manager

Type: Full-time

Location: Flexible within the US (remote)

Compensation: $60,000 - 75,000 annually

Start Date: ASAP

Priority Application Deadline: August 8, 2022

BEAM is seeking an Elementary Math and Pedagogy Manager who will lead the vision and curriculum development of an exciting new nationwide pilot program. The Elementary Math and Pedagogy Manager will have an entrepreneurial role in developing a program to reach elementary school students from marginalized groups across the country with engaging, deep mathematics that develops their skills at problem solving and mathematical reasoning. You will also lead the broader pedagogical vision, develop curriculum, and create support for teachers, schools, and families that are a part of the program. This is an exciting opportunity to be part of a small team creating big opportunities for kids.

About the National Initiative

BEAM National is a new project within BEAM to both reach students beginning at a younger age, and to provide access to BEAM's programs nationwide. When fully launched, the program will reach students beginning in second grade and provide the opportunity for continuous mentoring through college graduation. We plan to scale the elementary program to reach thousands of students through materials and online access provided via teachers, with students transitioning to BEAM-led support in middle school.

As a new program starting up within the organization, BEAM National is in startup mode, and our team has both the opportunity and challenge of being involved in a bit of everything. After the initial years of experimentation and model development, we expect to grow the program to scale, and we expect whomever fills this role to gain experience in a number of contexts within a startup environment. We hope that you will find this an exciting opportunity to get involved on the ground floor of a new initiative.

COVID-19 Note

BEAM has implemented safety protocols against COVID-19, including a mandatory vaccination policy. This position is a remote position, meaning that the person in this role will be able to work remotely and we're open to hiring someone who does not live within commuting distance to one of our regional sites. However, proof of vaccination will be required for all staff, including those that choose to work remotely, before attending in-person team meetings, retreats, or BEAM events/programming.

The Role of the Elementary Math and Pedagogy Manager

Reporting to the Chief Growth Officer, the Elementary Math and Pedagogy Manager will be an expert on elementary math pedagogy and BEAM-style learning. They will lead the development of mathematical materials for the National program (as well as consulting on topics related to elementary math and pedagogy for local programs), and they will as serve as a thought partner to the Math and Pedagogy Lead, the National Programs Manager, and the Chief Growth Officer in program implementation planning.

Specific responsibilities include:

• Designing the program in collaboration with the rest of the BEAM National team
  • Collaborate with the BEAM National team to solidify pedagogical goals and vision for the program
  • Establish cross-program pedagogical alignment with BEAM Discovery and BEAM Pathway programs
• Creating content for the program
  • Develop enrichment activities for teachers to implement in classrooms in conjunction with Beast Academy
  • Create and implement high quality professional development for teachers
  • Support development and creation of community building tools for students and families such as Family Nights or supplemental videos
  • Implement other mathematical programming as the program evolves
• Providing support to local teachers
  • Support the roll out of Beast Academy through communication with teachers and Entry Points coaches
  • Provide ongoing support to Entry Points coaches who are meeting with teachers
• Engaging in program assessment and evaluation
  • Develop, manage grading, and evaluate the efficacy of student placement tests
  • Review school and student progress and use data to update supports
  • Collaborate with the Learning and Evaluation team to analyze data from stakeholders and the platform, and use data to inform the shape of the program

Qualifications

Above all, we're looking for people who make things happen and who do it well, who love working with kids, who work well independently, and who are devoted to the work that we do. It is much more important to us that we hire someone with the right approach than someone with a particular background.

That said, we expect that anyone who is ready for this role will have:

• The organizational skills and vision to propose, develop, and be the driving force behind new components of a larger project
• Demonstrated sophistication in mathematical thinking, with a strong problem solving mindset and comfort with the idea of mathematical proof
• Experience supporting students in grades 2-5 with mathematics, with a preference for direct teaching experience
• Experience coordinating and communicating with multiple groups/stakeholders
• Long term planning acumen and short term implementation skills
• Ability to balance multiple competing priorities and manage several projects simultaneously
• The ability to create and provide training for deep and fun enrichment activities, which further not just mathematical thinking but also a love of math

Significant pluses may include:

• Experience with underserved students and/or working with their families
• Degree(s) or certification(s) in mathematics and/or elementary education
• Experience developing curricula or materials for others to use in their classroom
• Experience with the pathway taken by strong STEM students at the K-12 level, such as math circles, academic summer programs, math contests, research programs, etc.
• Fluency in Spanish or other languages commonly spoken by students we serve
• Experience leading coaching, training, or professional development for math instructors

Commitment to Diversity

BEAM believes that our staff, at all levels and across all roles, should represent the backgrounds of the students we serve. We are committed to creating a supportive and inclusive environment. Beyond a commitment to nondiscrimination, we strongly encourage applications from underrepresented and marginalized communities.

Salary, Benefits and Other Details

The expected salary range for this position at the manager level (typically 3 or more years of work experience) is expected to be $60,000 - $75,000, depending on experience and background. BEAM provides a number of benefits, including health, dental, and vision; pre-tax commuter benefits; educational loan repayment assistance; and discounted health club membership. We provide 12 paid holidays/office closures, 7 dedicated sick days, and an additional 15 days of paid time off. Paid time off will increase by one day for each year worked for your first five years of employment.

Application Process

The initial application is to submit your resumé and responses to a few short answer questions via our online portal. When your application is complete, we will follow up with next steps. Initial next steps in our process include a short 30-minute phone interview, followed by sample projects so you can show us your work. We believe in the importance of demonstrated ability and work samples and give candidates opportunities to demonstrate relevant skills for the role throughout our process. The final interview happens in two pieces, first a one-on-one interview with the hiring manager and then an interview with the team. We recognize the time you put into the process and we won't load you down with any unnecessary bureaucracy.

For accommodation requests related to the job application process, please contact Human Resources Coordinator Emily New-Cruse at emily@beammath.org.

This role has a priority application deadline of August 8th, 2022 but we will review applications on a rolling basis until the position is filled.

Finally

We believe strongly in communication and collaboration. In the spirit of that collaborative atmosphere, we strongly encourage you to ask questions about the position! You can contact BEAM's Human Resources Coordinator Emily New-Cruse at emily@beammath.org.

We're very excited that you're interested in the program. Thank you for applying to BEAM.

Sincerely,

The Entire Staff at BEAM

About BEAM

The mission of BEAM is to help students from low-income and historically marginalized communities with talent in math enter a realistic pathway towards becoming scientists, mathematicians, engineers, and programmers. Led by staff with these same technical backgrounds, BEAM believes that pathways to STEM careers are created through access to advanced work that typically lies outside most school curricula. Hence, we work to transition our students to the same enrichment programs as more affluent students typically access.

BEAM's model provides continuous support from middle school through college graduation, including intense academic summer programs for middle school students (after 6th and 7th grade), weekend classes and mentoring, and STEM-focused support to enrolled college students. Our program includes not just access to learning advanced math but also support finding and applying to other opportunities, including college admissions and financial aid. In addition to our academic content, bringing students into an intellectual community is a key part of our mission and all of our work is designed around that goal.

BEAM has grown from a small summer program serving 17 students in the summer of 2011 to a year-round, national program, serving 420+ students in summer 2021 at six program sites and 600+ students in year-round programming in New York City and Los Angeles this school year. In addition, our BEAM National pilot program is working with schools across the country to make our programs available to students everywhere and begin providing services in elementary school. BEAM's work has been featured in the New York Times and the Atlantic. The Times article, in particular, is a good description of the experience for students. You may also find it helpful to view our most recent annual report.