Assistant Director, Rice School Literacy and Culture

Position Summary:

The Susanne M. Glasscock School of Continuing Studies (GSCS) amplifies Rice University's academic excellence and outreach through lifelong personal and professional offerings that empower individuals and organizations, foster community, and promote the common good in Houston and beyond.

The Assistant Director for School Literacy and Culture (SLC) reports to the Director and administers program operations, ensuring efficient, effective and productive operations in early learning programs including but not limited to daylong, weeklong, and yearlong programs at the campus, district, regional, state and national levels. The Assistant Director works directly with teachers through seminars, classroom-based mentoring, and workshops. This position is responsible for curriculum development, documentation, and research related to these endeavors as well as budgeting and planning.

The Assistant Director's effective management and implementation of SLC programming involves ongoing work with colleagues and supervision of early childhood mentors and content presenters with an emphasis on GSCS universal job competencies: technical expertise, results orientation, thoroughness, communication, and fostering teamwork. Program-based forward planning and decision-making required in this role are directly aligned with SLC's strategic goals for equity-based service to children, teachers, and families within the greater Houston community. These goals are revisited and revised on a regular basis as directed by community need.

Ideal Candidate Statement:

The ideal candidate should have extensive experience as an early childhood or early elementary educator; in-depth knowledge of child development and early literacy development, equity-based education, and research-based practices for supporting emergent bilingual and dual language learners; and demonstrated skill in extrapolating and sharing early education research through transformative professional development as it relates to practical classroom practice. Demonstrated expertise in communication, collaboration, and coordination of tasks with other educational professionals is highly preferred.

Workplace Requirements:

This position is offered as a hybrid role, combining both in-office and remote work to provide flexibility and support collaboration. Successful candidates should expect to work in-office with team members three days a week after the first six weeks of onboarding. Field work at area public, private, charter schools, and Head Start classrooms is a regular component of this position. The Assistant Director will work closely with teachers during late afternoon/evening seminars and weekend Summits. Per Rice policy 440, work arrangements may be subject to change.

Hiring Range:

$60,000 to $70,000 annually

*Exempt (salaried) positions under FLSA are not eligible for overtime.

This position is term limited and partially funded by a grant, soft, and/or restricted funds. Continued employment is contingent on the renewal of funding.

Minimum Requirements:

• Bachelor's degree
  • In lieu of the education requirement, additional related experience, above and beyond what is required, on an equivalent year-for-year basis may be substituted
• Two or more (2+) years of experience teaching in an early childhood or early elementary classroom, with consistent implementation of evidence-based instructional literacy strategies

Skills

• Ability to develop and initiate new strategies and programs; demonstrated capacity for strategic thinking
• Strong verbal and written communication skills
• Ability to work well under pressure and manage projects simultaneously
• Strong organizational and time management skills
• Advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office suite and Google platforms
• Strong data analysis skills
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team to meet expected deadlines and schedules
• Adept at problem solving, creating contingency plans, and handling issues when necessary
• Strong client service orientation and attention to detail
• Ability to develop complex or multiple program partnerships and funding sources
• Ability to oversee and direct staff
• Knowledge of managing budgets and developing financial plans

Preferences:

• Master's degree in Education, Psychology, Sociology or related field
• Three years of experience in the implementation of early literacy principles advanced through the Rice Oral and Written Language Labs, Classroom Storytelling approach, or Early Literacy Leadership Academy and at least one year of service as a mentor teacher
• Three years of experience teaching in an early childhood (toddlers through age eight) classroom
• Texas Teacher's Certificate
• Experience in teaching ESL (English as a Second Language), emergent bilingual, or dual-language preschool or early elementary students
• Expertise in:
  • Extrapolating current educational and cross-domain research into practical classroom practices for early childhood educators
  • Maximizing effectiveness of hybrid learning models through the creation of Canvas-based learning modules and structuring of interactive in-person and remote seminars
  • Training, supporting and supervising mentor teachers
  • Developing and disseminating equity-based early childhood education for young ESL students, emergent bilinguals, and dual language learners
  • Presenting dynamic, interactive workshops and seminars for teachers, administrators, and families in a variety of in-person and virtual educational settings
  • Working to achieve operational targets with significant impact on departmental results
  • Contributing to the development of goals for the department and planning efforts (budgets, operational plans, etc.)
  • Managing large projects or processes that may span outside of immediate job responsibilities
  • Making improvements of processes, systems or products to enhance performance
  • Working with problems that may be undefined and require detailed information-gathering, analysis and investigation

Essential Functions:

• Administers program operations, ensuring efficient, effective and productive operations
• Creates and implements plans to achieve program objectives and mission
• Interprets, implements, and ensures compliance with policies and regulations and recommends changes to procedures and processes as needed
• Creates and implements outreach plans that may include relationship development, communications, event, and conference management
• Analyzes data, identifies trends, develops reports and recommends and implements changes to improve alignment with institutional mission and goals
• Creates and maintains program budgets
• Engages in resident teacher or intern recruitment and admissions, student records, curriculum support, coordinating the accreditation process, managing scholarships and fellowships, and monitoring student progress
• Provides guidance, coaching and training to teacher leaders working with SLC
• Supports and reviews work products of individuals with professional service agreements
• Performs all other duties as assigned

Additional Functions:

• Provides support in developing relationships with internal and external entities
• Assists with fundraising activities
• Communicates with parties within and outside of own job function to agree/accept concepts, practices, and approaches; may have responsibility for communicating with external customers and vendors
• Works to influence parties within and outside of the job function regarding policies, procedures, and practices.
• Draws upon prior experience and analysis of issues to solve problems