Manager, Platform and Technology

Manager, Platform and Technology

Culture: Why work with us?

Aspire Institute's mission is to prepare low-income first-generation college youth, at scale, to be leaders in their communities.

Vision and Mission: Aspire Institute is dedicated to driving transformation in education and community development. We aim to create innovative, evidence-based solutions that address complex challenges in education and promote lifelong learning. There are over 200M English speaking first-generation, low-income (FGLI) youth globally who do not have access to resources and networks to attain their full potential. Our mission is to empower FGLI to achieve their fullest potential and impact their lives and communities through leadership development skills offered by world-class faculty, comprehensive research, thoughtful advocacy, and transformative educational programs.

Values and Philosophy: At Aspire Institute, our core values are rooted in collaboration, innovation, and inclusivity. We believe that true change comes from collective effort, and we strive to bring together diverse voices and perspectives to inform our work. Our commitment to innovation drives us to continuously seek out and apply the latest research and best practices in Aspire's programs. Inclusivity is at the heart of our operations; we endeavor to create opportunities that are accessible to all underserved and marginalized communities.

Innovation and Adaptability: Innovation is at the core of all we do. We are constantly seeking new ways to provide leadership skills and job readiness training to help bridge the opportunity gap. This involves not only adapting to changes in the educational landscape but also leading the charge in creating new methodologies and practices. Our team is encouraged to think outside the box and take calculated risks to drive meaningful change.

Who We Are :

Co-founded by Harvard Business School faculty, Aspire aims to nurture leaders who will drive significant social impact in their communities. Only a fraction of all college youth has access to the best education that can result in economic mobility. Aspire's systemic model relies on local partners globally to help identify first generation low-income youth who would otherwise be left behind. Additionally, partners provide local support, mentoring, and internship opportunities to equip our students to excel and lead in diverse fields. Learn more about Aspire Institute at www.aspireleaders.org.

Who You Are:

You are a dynamic, hands on, innovative and visionary Manager who would enjoy spearheading the development of this cutting-edge educational platform that would be designed and developed by an IT team in India. This role is crucial for enhancing digital capabilities to deliver online programs at scale and expanding the organization's global impact through local partnerships in underserved communities.

A day in the life of this role:

Aspire Institute seeks a dynamic Manager to manage the development of our next-generation educational and regional partnership platform designed and developed by an IT team based in Bangalore, India. This role will enhance our digital capabilities and expand our global impact, especially in underserved communities. You will report directly to the CEO.

Key Responsibilities:

• Strategic Leadership: Define and guide the technological direction in alignment with Aspire's mission. Manage the implementation of the next generation of Aspire's core software systems.
• Team Management: Lead a talented tech team, fostering collaboration. Manage relationships with international teams, including external developers in India and the US.
• System Design: Manage the best approach and technology stack (incase an alternate to our current approach is better) to deliver the use cases of Aspire.
• Innovation and Problem Solving: Work with the India team on the tech solutions to overcome system limitations, improve user experience, enhance data security, and ensure scalability within the context of international regulations for a non-profit organization.
• Stakeholder Engagement: Collaborate with internal teams and external partners, using a user-centered design approach to meet organizational needs and improve user satisfaction, regularly turning over working systems to daily operational use that delivers on the Aspire Institute missions and goals.
• Impact Evaluation: Use technology to support and assess program initiatives, focusing on data analytics and robust metrics to drive decisions.

Work environment:

This position is a 100% remote role. Must be willing to travel to Cambridge MA office quarterly. If local to Boston, role can be hybrid if someone wants to come into the office.

What we need from you:

• Bachelor's degree in a relevant field
• You must have 4 years of related experience (Preferably in Education) including 2 years' experience as a manager of technology and platforms.
• Must have experience working with international development teams.
• Demonstrated leadership in technology and managing cross-cultural teams.
• Proven experience in product management/ownership of scalable software applications
• Sufficient technical background to influence architecture decisions to be lean and scalable
• Experience with SSO providers like Okta or Azure Active Directory is a plus
• Excellent leadership, communication, and interpersonal skills.
• Strategic thinker with strong problem-solving abilities.

Additional Requirements:

• Authorization to work in the US.

Compensation:

Salary range $135,000-$155,000 based on experience. Competitive salary, paid vacation and holidays (including the week between Christmas and New Year's Day), illness and personal time off, health insurance, life and ADD insurance, and a 403b retirement plan.

Salary : $135,000 - $155,000