National Director Of Curriculum And Training

About Us and Our Philosophy

SMASH Academy, a program that US News and World Report called “Perhaps the most ambitious program to encourage African American and Latino students in STEM fields” is heading into its 15th summer this year. SMASH is an organization committed to eliminating the barriers faced by underrepresented people of color in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and fostering their untapped talent for the advancement of our nation.

Founded in 2001, SMASH (www.SMASH.org) is an Oakland-based nonprofit organization that operates the Summer Math and Science Honors Academy (SMASH), a year-round STEM-focused academic program that serves underrepresented high school students. In tandem, SMASH conducts research examining inequity in access and opportunity across K-12, higher education, and workplace contexts in order to improve the outcomes for underrepresented students in STEM fields.

SMASH Academy is a three-year Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) academic acceleration program for motivated, high school students from underrepresented populations (African-American, Latinx/Hispanic, Southeast Asian and/or Pacific Islander, and Native American), who have demonstrated an aptitude for science and math.

When SMASH scholars graduate from SMASH Academy, they are in their senior year of high school and officially become a part of our SMASH Alumni Program. The alumni program includes, but is not limited to: Senior College Preparatory Program, SMASH Rising Internship Preparatory Program, SMASH Alumni Board, SMASH Alumni Summit, Alumni Newsletter.

This is a pivotal time for SMASH as we begin building on the success of our education programs, we are embarking on an aggressive expansion strategy to achieve national impact. Working at SMASH is about fast growth, personal commitment and the tenacity to challenge the status quo. This is not for the faint of heart. But if you think you have what it takes to dare to change the face of STEM. Join us.

The Opportunity

At SMASH, we envision a STEM ecosystem where every scholar, regardless of the zipcode they grew up in, has the opportunity to participate in and thrive in the tech innovation economy. We believe that equipping our scholars with skills to be competitive in STEM fields can transform how we work and, in turn, yield tremendous social impact.

Reporting to the Vice President of SMASH Academy, the National Director of Curriculum and Instruction (NDCI) will be responsible for sustaining and improving the transformative educational experience that SMASH Scholars need to pursue STEM and CS majors at selective colleges. In this role, the NDCI will lead and direct a national team of 3 direct reports and over 150 seasonal staff at SMASH sites across the nation. The NDCI provides leadership, vision and strategic direction for SMASH curriculum, facilitation, assessment and training for all facilitators and supervises academic performance of the 800+ scholars served. With SMASH’s current strategy and computer science focus, this person will be critical to the continued innovation and scaling of SMASH curriculum and placing it squarely on the map of national models. SMASH continues to rapidly expand, with plans to grow significantly between 2020 and 2021. The NDCI will oversee the curriculum readiness for SMASH expansion and ensure that the program maintains a high level of operational and academic excellence as it scales.

This position requires thinking outside of the box and managing details while keeping the big picture in mind. As we are a national program, you will be supporting the alignment of practices for sites at all our locations.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to those listed below.

Responsibilities:

• Develop and manage National Curriculum and Training Managers on their respective team performance and management in alignment with organizational goals
• Model, establish and own baseline SMASH cultural norms and expectations with respective team
• Develop and manage National Curriculum and Training Managers on individual growth and performance in alignment with organizational goals
• Build and execute curricular scope of programmatic improvement aligned with program growth strategy/priorities
• Support the continued improvement of programmatic assessment/evaluation based on data and programmatic outcomes
• Explore and develop new programmatic partnerships
• Support and inform ongoing refinement of SMASH scalability + efficacy as a national program with an emphasized focus on collective impact
• Support cross-entity initiatives as requested
• Build out and manage curriculum initiatives for SMASH Academy and Academic Year Programming
• Recruit, hire, train and performance manage curriculum team staff
• Manage and reconcile curriculum budget
• Develop curriculum objectives and key results to inform program strategy, curricular efficacy, and ensure deliverable alignment
• Oversee hiring of seasonal employees, build and deliver onboarding programming to train all staff, and design a high-quality performance management process
• Serve as a SMASH ambassador at conferences and community events and keep abreast of relevant trends to promote SMASH’s leading position among STEM programs nationally.
• Travel as needed for professional development, planning, and programming (once it is deemed safe to return to on-site programming)

Requirements

Required Attributes:

• Collaboration: Exceptional listening, communication, and presentation skills; professionalism; excellent time management and organizational skills; timeliness and dependability; ability to have difficult conversations
• Relationship Building: Respect for individual differences of everyone in the room; humility; patience when addressing situations; ability to listen to multiple perspectives; restorative approach to relationship building and conflict resolution
• Problem Solving: Remain curious, innovate, iterate, and quickly pivot as needed; keep activities on task, think creatively, and act swiftly in the face of unexpected events; made data-based decisions
• Resilience: Approach situations with a growth mindset, adapt, and reflect to ensure desired outcome(s) are met

Additional Experience:

• Bachelor's degree (advanced degree a plus)
• 2+ years conducting engaging and effective trainings and learning experiences for young people and/or adults across various platforms and settings (experience conducting online learning a plus)
• Demonstrated effectiveness in program development (STEM program design a plus)
• Comfort with the foundational aspects of 21st Century skills and learning models
• Demonstrated commitment to working with underrepresented populations and individuals of diverse backgrounds
• A belief that ALL scholars are capable of high achievement
• Commitment to SMASH’s mission and STEM diversity; willingness to embrace goals/values is essential
• Results-driven; work around potential obstacles to ensure all goals are met and deliverables are completed by end of program
• Experience with innovation labs, design-thinking, and project-based learning
• Proficiency in structuring, delivering, and facilitating learning experiences using a blended learning model, project-based pedagogy, media techniques, or online education
• Self-starter with ability to work on multiple initiatives at the same time; excellent project management skills
• Energetic and entrepreneurial spirit about innovative education models and nonprofit organizations to shift paradigms
• Strong people management skills, including inspiring staff in a shared strategic vision, building an outstanding culture, and maintaining strong relationships across a variety of stakeholder groups

• The desire and ability to thrive in an entrepreneurial environment, including effectively adapting to changing priorities, juggling multiple projects, operating with a high degree of autonomy, and maintaining high levels of organization in a fast-paced environment

Organizational and Cultural Values

• Exhibit a passion for educational equity and demonstrated effectiveness in working with youth from diverse ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds
• Possess a significant connection to STEM, as demonstrated by an educational degree in a STEM field, experience in STEM education, or equivalent
• Cultivate strong people management skills, including inspiring staff in a shared strategic vision, building an outstanding culture, and maintaining strong relationships across a variety of stakeholder groups
• Thrive in an entrepreneurial environment, including effectively adapting to changing priorities, juggling multiple projects, operating with a high degree of autonomy, and maintaining high levels of organization in a fast-paced environment
• Demonstrate a measurable orientation towards:
  • Focus on Impact
  • Evidence-based Decisions
  • Strengthen Our Communities
  • Balance Passion and Practicality
  • Experiment, Evaluate, Modify, and Implement
  • Be a Strong Link in the Chain
  • Celebrate and Have Some Fun

If you are missing some of the qualifications, but feel you would be amazing at this role, we want to hear from you. Please apply and share why you would excel given the opportunity.

Benefits

SMASH provides competitive compensation commensurate with experience, and an excellent benefits package including medical, dental, vision, life/disability insurance, paid time off, 401k, volunteer time and flexible spending accounts (i.e. parking, transit, medical and dependent care). Our collaborative office is located in Oakland’s dynamic Uptown District. SMASH shares the building with several professional service and nonprofit organizations. We also hold community-building events and have a collegial atmosphere with a shared mission for social justice and educational equity.

Statement of Non-Discrimination:

In keeping with our beliefs and goals, no employee or applicant will face discrimination/harassment based on: race, color, ancestry, national origin, religion, age, gender, marital/domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity, disability status, or veteran status. Above and beyond discrimination/harassment based on “protected categories,” SMASH also strives to prevent other subtler forms of inappropriate behavior (i.e., stereotyping) from ever gaining a foothold in our office. Whether blatant or hidden, barriers to success have no place at SMASH.

We value a diverse workforce: people of color are strongly encouraged to apply.