Careers

Director, Project Ready, Urban League of Louisiana

The Urban League of Louisiana seeks to hire a full-time Director for its Project Ready Program.

Urban League Project Ready is a college and career readiness program operating at Scotlandville Magnet High School in East Baton Rouge, and L.B. Landry College and Career Preparatory High School in New Orleans. Serving as an additional level of support for schools, Project Ready assists 9th -12th grade students to graduate on time ready for college, work, and life. The program offers dual enrollment support, academic enrichment and tutoring, ACT Prep, career exploration, college and career readiness, individual education and career plans, college tours, Behind the Business tours, and community service. In addition, Project Ready has a strategic focus on S.T.E.A.M. (science, technology, engineering, arts/agriculture and math). The Project Ready Curriculum includes three components: Academic Achievement, Social Development, and College Culture and Awareness. Project Ready helps students develop important skills, attitudes and aptitudes that will aid in their transition from high school and position them for post-secondary success.

Summary of Position:

The Project Ready Director is the primary liaison between the program and partner high school staff, faculty and administrators, college and university representatives, program participants and their parents, and other program partners. The Director provides visionary leadership of the Project Ready program and develops and executes work plans to accomplish all goals, objectives, and metrics, as they pertain to program enrollment, academic achievement, college and career readiness, and STEAM. The Project Ready Director is responsible for program implementation, management of day-to-day operations, supervision and evaluation of program staff, assisting with budget preparation, and maintaining appropriate program records. The Director also performs administrative functions to support the programs, including monitoring and tracking processes such as time sheets and check requisitions, record keeping, data management, budget management, all reporting including mandated compliance reporting. The Director shall embrace the growth mindset and share the Urban League’s belief that all students can succeed given the appropriate support.

The Project Ready Director reports directly to the Vice President of Education and Youth Development (VPEYD), Urban League of Louisiana. Travel within a 60-mile radius of New Orleans is required for this role.

The Director supervises all Project Ready staff, contractors and partnerships.

The Director position is co-located at the Urban League of Louisiana, 4640 S. Carrollton Avenue, Suite 210, New Orleans, LA, and within partner schools.

Essential Duties and Responsibilities:

1. Ensure that the Project Ready Program(s) are understood and accepted as an integral part of the partner school(s). The Director shall develop program policies that outline participant expectation and involvement in the program.
2. Design, develop and direct all facets of the Project Ready Program and ensure the program is organized, monitored, and managed to meet program goals and objectives.
3. Define and oversee the recruitment, application process, and student identification and selection methods for Project Ready program.
4. Establish and maintain close working relationships with college and university representatives, faculty, staff and administrators of partner schools, community agencies, mentors, the business community and other program partners.
5. Responsible for the preparation and submission of all program reports.
6. Ensures that data is collected for program reporting, evaluation, assessment of program impact, and increasing student outcomes.
7. Disseminate program information to faculty, staff and students and serve as spokesperson for Project Ready to various stakeholders and media sources.
8. Provide input and make recommendations in administrative and academic policies that affect Project Ready program participants.
9. Recruit, select, train, supervise, and evaluate program staff, tutors, etc.
10. Serves as Project Ready representative in meetings on and off campus, and actively engages with a range of education and youth development organizations and groups locally, regionally, and nationally.
11. In collaboration with V.P. of Education and Youth Development, complete program budget projections, manage the program budget and approve all expenditures.
12. Responsible for program enrollment, maintenance of program and participant files, and accuracy in all databases and support systems.
13. In collaboration with program participants, complete individual education and career plans (IECP), and provide comprehensive academic advising to assist students to identify, pursue and realize educational and/or vocational and career goals.
14. Provide assistance with research, writing and preparation of grant funding proposals for the Project Ready Program.
15. Highlights program successes by providing content for Project Ready social media platforms, newsletters, annual reports, success stories, etc.

Position Requirements:

• B.S. Degree in Education administration, secondary education, counseling, educational leadership, vocational-technical education or a related field is required. Master’s degree preferred.
• At least five years of experience in program planning, implementation and administration in youth development or other education equity program.
• At least 3 years supervisory experience is required.
• Candidate must be able to communicate effectively through strong written reports and great presentation skills.
• A valid Louisiana driver’s license is required.
• Candidate must also possess a thorough understanding of dual enrollment, career exploration tools, college access and eligibility, academic support services, student assessment, and STEAM programming. Comprehensive knowledge of best practices, tools and strategies for providing safety nets and supports to help marginalized students to succeed is essential. Grant writing experience is a plus, and candidate must have experience in providing lead person expertise, be effective in coordinating teams and have demonstrable collaboration skills. Occasional overnight and out of state travel is required, and candidate must be able to work evenings and some weekends.

Compensation and Benefits:

Compensation commensurate with experience and expertise. Health and dental insurance benefits available.

About Urban League of Louisiana:

Having served Greater New Orleans since 1938 with a mission to assist underserved communities in securing economic self-reliance, parity, power, and civil rights, Urban League expanded to a statewide entity in 2016, becoming Urban League of Louisiana (ULLA). That expansion began in East Baton Rouge Parish and plans to continue throughout the state.

Even after 80 years, the organization is still relevant in its mission of focusing programs to ensure quality education and access to information, employment, entrepreneurial and economic inclusion opportunities, and shared dignity under the law. ULLA provides services to citizens through programs housed in three essential Centers of Excellence, which take a holistic approach to addressing issues that concern low to moderate-income families: The Center of Education and Youth Development, the Center of Workforce and Economic Development, and the Center of Policy and Social Justice.