Position Description

Program Manager
Location: Austin, TX highly preferred; other locations considered for the right candidate

About Deans for Impact
Deans for Impact is a new, national organization dedicated to improving student-learning
outcomes by transforming the field of educator preparation. We serve as stewards to the
bold leaders of educator-preparation programs who are working together to develop a
collective vision of what effective educator preparation should entail. More specifically, we
will build an organization that supports our member deans to drive a policy and program
agenda that raises standards and focuses on outcomes. We aim to foster a culture of datainformed decisions in the field of educator preparation and we hope to help transform the
expectations of the education profession overall.
The culture we will cultivate
Deans for Impact intends to be a joyous, rigorous place to work. We believe that a great
workplace is one where you are amazed by your colleagues every day. We want to inject
some of the values of start-up culture into higher education by moving nimbly, iterating
quickly to improve, and collaborating constantly. We will live our values and demonstrate
them through our actions.

The role of Program Manager at Deans for Impact

Deans for Impact wants to change the conversation surrounding educator preparation.
There are fascinating and innovative changes happening at educator-preparation programs
around the country, yet too often this work is obscured within academic silos and thus
limited in reach. The perception of some colleges of education and organizations that
purport to represent the field have been reactive and resistant to change rather than
forward-thinking and entrepreneurial. Its time to change that.

The Program Manager will play an instrumental role in shaping the program agenda for
Deans for Impact and helping identify the things that all teachers should know and be
able to do by the time they complete their preparation. The Program Manager will collect
information from institutions on current expectations of teacher candidates, work closely
with member deans and faculty members to draw out themes and similarities among
performance rubrics, and drive research on the factors that are the greatest predictors of
success for students. The Program Manager will develop research-based
recommendations on the core standards that should be part of teacher-preparation
programs across the country.

As an early hire at Deans for Impact, the Program Manager will play a vital role in
developing a strategy to support our member deans and the collective vision they endorse.
A ready understanding the nuances of the higher-education community and teacher
preparation is absolutely essential for this position.

Expectations of the Program Manager

The ideal candidate will:

Have a nuanced understanding of what it takes to be a good and great teacher.

You have 5+ years of experience in teaching and you understand the challenges
faced by inexperienced teachers and the success factors for those who have the
greatest impact on student learning.
Be able to see the big picture and hone in on details at the same time. You are
able to look at teacher preparation through a national lens, and can also dig deeply
into specifics. You can look at a teaching rubric and assess the extent to which it
links to student-learning outcomes.
Understand key issues related to teacher preparation. You can speak about a
range of topics in higher education, most importantly the opportunities and
challenges with teacher preparation.
Have an entrepreneurial mindset. You are energized by launching a new, highimpact effort in education, you are comfortable with the ambiguity and nuances of a
startup, and able to work flexibly with little staff support.
Share a deep commitment to our mission. You believe that great teachers are
critical to students success and you want to help transform the field of educator
preparation.
Have a bachelors degree from a competitive college or university, ideally in
education; masters degree preferred
Want to work in Austin, TX (strongly preferred). Other locations considered for the
right candidate.

These are the ideal qualities were looking for, but befitting a startup organization, we will
remain flexible. If you think you have a compelling case for why you should be the Program
Manager for Deans for Impact...we want to hear from you! Compensation is competitive and
commensurate with experience. Please email careers@deansforimpact.org with your
resume and a brief paragraph on why you are interested in Deans for Impact (no formal
cover letter necessary). In the email subject line, please include the position for which you
are applying. We look forward to hearing from you.

For more information, visit www.deansforimpact.org.

Deans for Impact is an equal opportunity employer.

We encourage diverse applicants to apply.