Senior Director of Events and Operations, Professional Education

Level: C2

Location: Remote; New York, New York (preferred)

Type: Full-Time 

Start: October 2022

Reporting to the Managing Director of Strategy & Operations, the Senior Director of Events and Operations drives the vision, planning, and execution of virtual, in-person, and hybrid events for the Leadership Programs and Professional Education teams at Relay starting at enrollment and ending at program completion.  The Senior Director of Events and Operations is responsible for building an exemplary set of experiences for 1,200 program participants through thoughtful design of virtual and in-person operations, managing team execution to realize those designs, and ensuring Relay has built and tested all of the necessary systems to support those experiences.  The Senior Director of Events and Operations will support faculty both virtually and on-site to ensure best in class operational support.  The senior director tracks an events and operations budget, playing a key role in ensuring Relay’s  programs remain financially sustainable and accelerating our  mission to serve high-need schools across the country. Lastly, the Senior Director of Events and Operations will support the Teacher Professional Education team with all operational and logistical needs. 

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

TEAM MANAGEMENT

The Senior Director of Events and Operations will manage the Events and Operations team of full-time and part-time staff as well as consultants.  Part of the management responsibility is to build and rebuild the division of labor based on programmatic demands across Leadership Programs, Teacher Professional Education, and Professional Education teams in multiple modes for program delivery including virtual, in-person, and hybrid programming.  The Senior Director of Events and Operations manages/supervises the following full-time positions as well as up to 10 contractors.

• Manager, Events and Operations
• Sr. Coordinator, Events and Operations
• Sr. Coordinator, Events and Operations

CUSTOMER SERVICE

The Senior Director of Events and Operations is responsible for creating and executing the participant experience from enrollment to programming as well as an exceptional operational experience during programming for both participants and our instructional team.  

• Inform the design of systems to maintain communication with enrolled participants from enrollment to programs.  This includes collaboration with the Partnerships team, the tech team, enrollment office, etc.
• Supervise the customer service inbox both directly and through managing a part-time contractor.  Responding to an average of 1,000 tickets per month in peak season, this level of responsiveness is essential to our customer service ethos at Relay.
• Set the vision for what a quality experience looks like in-person or virtually.  In-person, this includes the registration desk, flow of the buffet lines, and accommodating on-site requests.  Virtually, this means building an events portal with the team to accommodate a virtual experience that meets the needs of both instructional staff and program participants.

EVENTS MANAGEMENT

The Senior Director of Events and Operations is responsible for supervising the planning and execution of approximately 75 program sessions and conferences for Leadership Programs and Professional Education per year split between virtual, in-person, and hybrid programming models. Build systems for Teacher Professional Education from the ground up, including supervising the person who will manage direct execution of those programs.

• Supervise the planning for and execution of 30 trainings and intersessions/conferences for Leadership Programs during the school year virtually, in-person in various cities throughout the country, and in hybrid program models. Supervise the staff responsible for completing this same work for the Professional Education team.
• Ensure that virtual Teacher Professional Education workshops are operationalized from the registration process to execution.
• Work strategically with partners, vendors, and appropriate staff to negotiate contracts and secure facilities needed for future trainings, intersessions and conferences for virtual, in-person, and hybrid programming across Leadership Programs and Professional Education.
• Manage all work streams related to external and third-party vendors including, but not limited to, hotels, conference sites, printing companies, registration systems, etc. This includes sourcing for new vendors and managing existing relationships. 
• Manage (or delegate where appropriate) the creation of run-of-shows, divisions of labor, and participant schedules in all program formats and for all sessions.
• Lead the process of creating and executing a robust communications plan to be used by the instructional and operations team to coordinate pre-work, assignments, participant feedback, and logistics across all programs. Coordinate with Slate to ensure that this is completed through our shared systems at Relay.

OPERATIONS/PROJECT MANAGEMENT

Implement strong systems and processes to increase the efficiency of cross-functional team work flows including, but not limited to enrollment, withdrawals, issue resolution, and ongoing participant tracking systems. Serve as the first touchpoint for any systems issues that need to be resolved or escalated to resolve. Proactively identify policies or timelines that present internal conflicts in order to mitigate, troubleshoot, or create acceptable workarounds.

• Collaborate with the Senior Director of Partnerships, Professional Education to plan and execute partner communications with districts, charter management organizations, and funding partners
• Ensure all internal databases are kept up-to-date and accurate throughout the course of the school year across both Leadership Programs and Professional Education
• Perform general administrative tasks related to the program such as setting the instructional calendar and tracking the program budget
• Help to create and maintain a positive organizational environment by following through on promises and directives, including meeting deadlines and communicating progress to others
• Perform other related duties as required and assigned

QUALIFICATIONS

First and foremost, the Senior Director of Events and Operations, Professional Education must share the Relay community’s commitment to working together to improve student growth and achievement through phenomenal teacher preparation grounded in diversity, equity, inclusion, and anti-racism. This includes providing teacher preparation programs that set novice teachers up to succeed in the classroom from day one; leadership programs that train new and veteran school and district leaders to best serve their school communities; and teacher-facing professional education that provides ongoing learning to educators. This candidate must also share the team’s commitment to improving student achievement through phenomenal school leader training. Additionally, for this position we’re looking for candidates that possess a combination of the following skills: 

• At least eight years of work experience, preferably in urban education and/or meeting planning and/or operations
• At least four years of management experience (preferably full time employees)
• Bachelor’s degree and experience in a school, meeting planning, event management, and/or operational setting 
• Acute attention to detail with a focus on efficiency and systems building 
• Strong project management skills paired with the ability to synthesize information from a variety of sources 
• Experience in negotiating contracts and agreements
• Excellent written and oral communication skills
• Ability to work efficiently, intensely, and within an entrepreneurial environment

• A demonstrated passion for urban education and closing the opportunity gap
• A willingness to do all tasks, big or small, in service of excellent programs for our graduate students and program participants
• Commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion, with an eye to equitable policy creation 
• Ability to travel up to 30% time and work weekend and non-traditional hours when traveling to intersessions, trainings, and conferences. 

Relay prepares teachers and school leaders to teach students of all identities and backgrounds in order to push toward a time when this country no longer faces stark educational inequities. We recruit, develop, support, and retain a diverse staff, faculty, and graduate student body because we are committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, and actively anti-racist institution. We know, and the data supports, that diversity, equity, and inclusion cultivate an environment in which people of all backgrounds can thrive and this is critical to achieving our mission of educational excellence and equity.

To fulfill that commitment, Relay encourages applicants of all backgrounds and identities to apply for roles that align with their own interests and career trajectory. If you meet a majority of the qualifications and see yourself in this role, we would love to see your application!

COMPENSATION

Relay’s compensation philosophy is to pay competitively for the education nonprofit market and ensure equity across the institution. The salary range for this role is $90,000 to $110,000. Compensation for the role will depend on a number of factors including their region’s cost of labor, qualifications, skills, competencies and experience and may fall outside the range shown. 

Relay offers a comprehensive total rewards package. For full-time roles, this includes health insurance benefits, disability and life insurance, retirement plan, professional development, gym reimbursement, adoption assistance, paid time off (PTO), parental leave, etc. To learn more about Relay’s benefits, please visit here.  

COVID-19 VACCINATION POLICY

Relay requires that all staff be fully vaccinated with an FDA or WHO authorized vaccine (or approved for an exemption as a reasonable accommodation due to a medical reason or sincerely held religious belief). Relay abides by each state’s requirements, and acknowledges those may change over time. If moved forward to the phone screen stage, you will have the chance to ask your recruiter more about this requirement.

Relay Graduate School of Education provides equal employment opportunity for all applicants and employees.