Project Director - Teacher Leadership

Our Wipro Science Education Fellowship program (Wipro SEF) has just received a $4 million grant to continue our work with teachers and district science coordinators (in 35 districts) and seven universities who facilitate the work. We are looking for an Associate Project Director who is interested in teacher leadership and school district transformation and willing to be responsible for assisting the COSMIC Director (that's me) in the fulfillment of all grant responsibilities, including project planning and coordination; managing and implementing project personnel and systems; internal and external compliance; and reporting. A full description of the employment opportunity and the application can be found at Wipro SEF position. It is also copied below.

The person chosen for the position will become a member of a great leadership team and will help shape exciting initiatives and research opportunities.

Thank you for your help in spreading the word.

Best regards,
Arthur

Associate Project Director
Apply nowJob no: 514752 Wipro SEF position.
Position Type: Staff Full Time
Campus: UMass Boston
Department: COSMIC
Pay Grade: 32
Date opened: 19 Jul 2022 Eastern Daylight Time
Applications close: 15 Aug 2022 Eastern Daylight Time
Position Type: Staff Full Time
Campus: UMass Boston
Department: COSMIC
Pay Grade: 32
Date opened: 11 Mar 2022 Eastern Standard Time
Applications close: 25 Mar 2022 Eastern Daylight Time
General Summary:
The Associate Project Director for the Center of Science and Math in Context (COSMIC) will be responsible for all aspects of the $4 million privately funded Wipro Science Fellowship grant (Wipro SEF). The fellowship program identifies and supports science teaching fellows (K-12) across five school districts in each area and is run locally by a university site. Teachers work with members of their cohort for 125 hours on vertical articulation of curriculum, leadership initiatives, and improving their science instruction and student learning. Each teacher will also allocate an additional 125 hours to an individual professional development plan which will include opportunities to apply their leadership skills in their school districts and the larger educational community. Each participant will attend monthly meetings of the cohort as well as meetings with their mentor who will oversee their professional development plan. The program is being replicated in seven universities (NY, MA, NJ, CA, TX, FL, MO) under COSMIC supervision.
The Associate Project Director will be responsible for assisting the COSMIC Director in the fulfillment of all grant responsibilities, including project planning and coordination; managing and implementing project personnel and systems; internal and external compliance; and reporting. The incumbent will work with the COSMIC Director in the creation of a project work plan that meets the goals of the project as identified in the grant proposal; will assist the leadership team across seven universities in carrying out the work plan; and will communicate project needs to the COSMIC Director in order to keep him informed of general project activities related to operations, budget and data collection.
The incumbent is expected to communicate the project goals and opportunities to partners and stakeholders; strategize with the COSMIC Director and leadership team to improve efficiency of work, overcome challenges, and identify new ways to improve the fellowship program; and set-up project leadership team meetings in order to keep all university sites informed of project progress and strategically plan throughout the year. The incumbent will assist the COSMIC Director and leadership team in writing an annual report to funders and will be responsible for the submission of quarterly project deliverables to funder; and for writing and submitting IRB proposals for research approval based on the data collection methods. The Associate Project Director will implement professional development opportunities by working with district partners to identify needs of teachers and communicating opportunities to district partners to support the goals of the project.
The incumbent will also be responsible for carrying out all operational duties related to event planning and maintaining the project budget, ensuring that all items purchased support the work of the grant; will maintain all relevant paperwork related to purchases, stipends and reimbursements; and will assist the COSMIC Director in closing out the grant budget when the project is finished.
Examples of Duties:
- Work with the COSMIC Director to create a project work plan that meets the goals of the project as identified in the grant proposal and assist the leadership team in carrying out the work plan; communicate project needs to the COSMIC Director in order to keep him informed of general project activities related to operations, budget and data collection;
- Communicate the project goals and opportunities to stakeholders, working with university partners to keep the work of the project moving forward; strategize with the COSMIC Director and leadership team to improve efficiency of work, overcome challenges and identify new ways to improve participant recruitment; schedule all project leadership team meetings and provide logistical and administrative support, in order to keep all school districts informed of project progress and strategically plan throughout the year; develop and manage the annual calendar of meetings and events;
- Develop program databases and supervise the on-going collection of appropriate data for the purposes of evaluation; enter participant data into participant database and maintain project participant database, including demographic data, attendance, and any additional quantitative or qualitative data needed to answer proposed research questions; analyze database information and report on findings to grant or foundation funders; maintain contact with all fellows and keep records of their portfolios, meeting with advisors and other requirements of the program;
- Prepare, write and submit quarterly and annual reports, as well as evaluation reports to the university and the funding organization;
- Create an operations manual that can be used by universities beginning the Wipro SEF program; maintain and organize the repository of all Wipro SEF files;
- Maintain communications with all seven participating universities; participate in cross site meetings (online and face-to-face) and assist in the planning, coordination and running of annual conferences; assist in travel arrangements, hotel and meeting space, as necessary;
- Write and submit IRB proposals for research approval based on the data collection methods outlined in the grant proposal and others that may emerge;
- Implement professional development opportunities by working with district partners to identify needs of teachers and communicating opportunities to district partners to support the goals of the project; responsible for carrying out all operational duties related to event planning, including identifying the targeted audience, inviting participants, reserving space and ordering food, maintaining registration and evaluating event;
- Maintain project budget; ensure all items purchased directly support the work of the grant; maintain all relevant paperwork related to purchases, reimbursements and project budgets; assist the COSMIC Director in closing out the grant budget when the project is finished;
- Archive and maintain all documentation and materials related to the project to ensure compliance with both university and grant requirements;
- Maintain communications with the five science coordinators in the Greater Boston Area, and the teacher fellows in the Boston area; assist in the planning, coordination and running of meetings of the science fellows; assist in travel arrangements, hotel and meeting space, as necessary;
- Develop and oversee communication strategies for all grant activities; manage the Science Education Fellowship website, including uploading new content to the website and its integration with the COSMIC website;
- Use social media to keep the hundreds of Fellows and others apprised of the work being done.
- Gather and summarize relevant research articles related to the project;
- Perform other duties as assigned.
Qualifications:
Master's Degree in the area of Science Education, Education leadership or a closely related field, and a minimum of 3-5 years of work experience in science or education is required. Strong background in project management is required. Interest in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) education is required. Teaching experience and/or familiarity with K-12 school districts is required. Familiarity with research methods is preferred. The incumbent may be required to work flexible hours, including occasional weekends.
- Proficiency in standard office software systems, including Microsoft Office Suite;
- Proficiency in data management, descriptive data analysis and associated computer applications;
- Ability to work across multiple organizational teams and institutional cultures;
- Ability to manage multiple tasks in an intense and fast-paced environment;
- Ability to manage office procedures efficiently and effectively;
- Demonstrated ability to communicate effectively and work cooperatively with teachers, school districts and university and research faculty and staff personnel;
- High level of initiative, organization, good judgment and discretion;
- Strong planning skills and follow-through;
- Strong oral and written communication skills;
- Strong commitment to customer service.
Application Instructions:
Please apply online with your resume, cover letter and list of three professional references.
Review of candidates will begin following the application closing date.
Only Internal candidates in the Professional Staff Bargaining Unit will be considered during the first 10 business days of the posting. All other candidates will be considered after that period.
Salary Ranges for the appropriate Pay Grade can be found at the following link:
Grade:32
Salary Ranges
This is an exempt union position. This is a grant funded position with a current end date of Feb 28, 2026, subject to renewal contingent on funding and university needs.
All official salary offers must be approved by Human Resources.
UMass Boston requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 and to confirm proof of their vaccination status including booster. Exemptions from the vaccine requirement will be permitted only for qualifying religious or medical reasons. Regardless of vaccination status, you must wear a face covering in public indoor spaces on campus.