Partnership Manager for AdviseMI

Reports to:            AmeriCorps Program Director

Employment Type:    Full-Time, In-Person (expected statewide travel) : 40 hours per week

Location:            Lansing, Mich 

Benefits:    Full benefits package includes platinum health, dental, vision, life, and disability insurance. Also includes education support program, employee development program, 403b retirement plan (with standard 4% employer contribution and up to an additional 3% match), 240 hours of PTO, 13 paid holidays, 6 weeks fully paid maternity/paternity/adoption leave, employee assistance program, downtown Lansing parking permit and cell phone reimbursement.

TO APPLY PLEASE UPLOAD RESUME, COVER LETTER AND THREE PROFESSIONAL REFERENCES

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS

The Partnership Manager will oversee a caseload of 15-20 full-time college advisers and facilitate the program’s relationship with the respective partner high schools.  These schools and advisers are geographically dispersed throughout the state. Partnership Managers are responsible for ensuring advisers adhere to AmeriCorps and program policies and expectations, are integrating a college-going culture into the community and school, and are successfully supporting priority Michigan students to explore postsecondary options and enroll in postsecondary education. The goal of the Partnership Manager role is to leverage national service as a strategy to result in more students of color, students from low-income backgrounds, and first-generation college-going students achieving college attainment to move Michigan closer to Sixty by 30 and close equity gaps in educational attainment. Partnership Managers also ensure that site supervisors and other school partners understand the program and are meeting program requirements and expectations. 

DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The Partnership Manager performs a wide range of duties including, but not limited to, the following:

Site Support and Partnership: Facilitate new strategies and ideas, via the adviser, for AdviseMI partner high schools to increase student outcomes in college access 

• Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with partner high schools and their administration/staff. This includes ongoing and meaningful communication and jointly finding solutions to issues that arise with the AdviseMI partnership. Selected high schools generally have higher than average number of priority students and lower than average college-going rates.

• Enable sustainability for college access in the community and school by bridging adviser service terms, supporting schools that may not have a placed adviser, preparing new high school partners, and working with schools to build systems to maintain momentum and student-centric impact.  

• Elevate effective practices from high school partners and share learnings with the field.

• Ensure that advisers and schools are appropriately and proactively connecting to MCAN initiatives, departments, staff, and programs to achieve impact, including opportunities for professional development, grants, and convenings. Serve as a conduit between parter sites and opportunities and resources of MCAN. 

  • Work with the site and the MCAN team to ensure the recruitment, screening, and placement of advisers within the assigned region.

• Support the AmeriCorps Programs Director in the administration of the program, including specific grant/funder requirements.

  
  

Data-Informed Strategy: Employ a data-informed approach to promote impact. 

• Work with advisers and schools to set outcome goals, track and assess these goals on an ongoing basis using real-time data, and implement strategies to ensure successful completion of college access goals.

• Regularly share reports with the AmeriCorps Program Director to inform the overall program strategy.

• Regionally bring advisers and/or sites together for on-going learning and connection, including for professional development, sharing best practices, and other opportunities.

• Travel to partner schools and communities with the purpose of building and maintaining regional and community relationships, including with local college access networks, scholarship programs, community-based organizations, other college attainment initiatives, and higher education institutions. Conduct approximately two site visits per site per program year.

• Collaborate across MCAN programs, including College Completion Corps, the High School Innovation team, and the Community Mobilization team, to maximize opportunities and minimize redundancy.

• Develop, refine, and share resources with members, sites, and other stakeholders, promoting consistency across AdviseMI and in the Service Strategy Department. 

  
  

Accountability: Ensure advisers, supervisors and sites are adhering to AmeriCorps and program policies and expectations. 

• Evaluate advisers on an ongoing basis and formally on at least a biannual basis, in partnership with the on-site supervisor.  

• Work with the MCAN team to plan and execute member training and professional development, including orientation, off-cycle member onboarding, and ongoing monthly trainings. This includes assessing training needs with advisers and supervisors, making appropriate training arrangements (making plans, securing speakers, etc.), evaluating training effectiveness, and following up to ensure learnings are implemented. 

• Ensure that advisers meet service deliverables and achieve impact, adhering to AmeriCorps policies. In instances where expectations are not being met, Partnership Managers will provide coaching to advisers and/or sites for improvement or initiate the program’s discipline policy.

• Work with the MCAN team on adviser and site recognition, including highlights online and social media, nominations for awards, local recognition opportunities, and sharing success stories internally and externally.

• Provide resources and support to the advisers to promote program retention and plan for Life After AmeriCorps. This includes conversations on their aspirations, exploring options, and providing connections where relevant.

  
  

Serve as a contributing member of the MCAN team 

• Engage in continuous learning and improvement to stay up to date on resources and best practices in college access; commit to being/becoming a content area expert in advising to be able to share learnings with program stakeholders and drive program activities.

• Consistently utilize technology tools such as Google suite, Box, and Microsoft Office, and demonstrate comfort and ease in learning how to operate new technology tools to implement program systems.

• Regularly communicate important and sensitive information to stakeholders while maintaining

appropriate confidentiality.

• Actively engage and participate in MCAN staff meetings, being a contributing member of MCAN’s and the Service Strategy Department’s planning, evaluation, continuous improvement, and sustainability.  

• Perform other duties as needed to advance the mission of MCAN. 

Required Skills/Abilities:

• Ability to collaborate across programs on multiple projects and timelines, and work independently with minimal management to effectively perform duties in a fast-paced environment.

• Exceptional attention to detail and follow through on tasks assigned through completion.

• Work efficiently and adhere to established deadlines.

• Possess strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work effectively as part of a team.

• Have strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Ability for regular in-state travel and overnight stays.

Education and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree. Master’s preferred.

• Three to five years experience with supervision and management. 

• Three to five years engaging in college access or related field. 

Physical Requirements:

• Prolonged periods of working on a computer either in a sitting or standing position.

• Must be able to lift 20 pounds at times.

• Must be able to access and navigate organization’s office facilities.

• Must be fully vaccinated for Covid19 and have received at least one booster.