Career Director
SMASH, United States
Job Description
About Us and Our Philosophy
The Level Playing Field Institute is now SMASH! SMASH Academy, a program that US News and World Report called Perhaps the most ambitious program to encourage African American and Latino students in STEM fields is heading into its 15th summer this year. SMASH is an organization committed to eliminating the barriers faced by underrepresented people of color in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) and fostering their untapped talent for the advancement of our nation.
Founded in 2001, SMASH is an Oakland-based nonprofit organization that operates the Summer Math and Science Honors Academy (SMASH), a year-round STEM-focused academic program that serves underrepresented high school students. In tandem, SMASH conducts research examining inequity in access and opportunity across K-12, higher education, and workplace contexts in order to improve the outcomes for underrepresented students in STEM fields.
SMASH Academy is a five week, three-year Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) residential academic acceleration program for motivated, high school students from underrepresented populations (African-American, Latinx/Hispanic, Southeast Asian and/or Pacific Islander, and Native American), who have demonstrated an aptitude for science and math.
When SMASH scholars graduate from SMASH Academy, they enter their senior year of high school and officially become a part of our SMASH Alumni Program. The alumni program includes, but is not limited to: Admit (college preparatory program), SMASH Rising (internship preparatory program), College Persistence Program, Career Placement Program, SMASH Alumni Board, SMASH Alumni Summit, and the Alumni Newsletter.
This is a pivotal time for SMASH as we begin building on the success of our education programs, we are embarking on an aggressive expansion strategy to achieve national impact. Working at SMASH is about fast growth, personal commitment and the tenacity to challenge the status quo. This is not for the faint of heart. But if you think you have what it takes to dare to change the face of STEM. Join us.
The Opportunity
With over 1,000 current SMASH alumni, 600 plus in college or the workplace, SMASH is expecting nearly 300 SMASH alumni to enter the workforce annually. Reporting to the National Director of Alumni Programs + Partnerships (NDAPP), the Career Director (CAD) will play an integral role in directing and sustaining the transformative educational experience that SMASH alumni need to pursue, obtain, persist, and succeed in STEM careers. With a growing career program budget, the CAD will be responsible for supporting one full-time staff person and 30-40 seasonal staff to ensure SMASH Rising, our internship preparatory program, runs effectively; new job placement initiatives/pilots to deliver job placement programming, and will support the vision and strategy to continue the rapid growth of the Career Program. The CAD will support implementation of long-term plans for job placement, persistence, and promotion, with an emphasis on career development and placement, community building and engagement. The CAD will develop communications, operations, and programming to best support SMASH alumni through their careers -- with a particular focus on college-aged alumni.
Working at SMASH is about professional growth, personal commitment, and the tenacity to challenge the pedagogical status quo. SMASH offers a unique environment for scholars + alumni and staff alike to focus on their interests in STEM education and explore cutting-edge practices. SMASH is seeking to hire individuals who will contribute to our larger aim of developing our scholars to be STEM practitioners who are civically aware and social justice oriented, equipped to employ their STEM knowledge and skills for the betterment of their local, national, and global communities.
Key Responsibilities
1. Program Design, Innovation + Management
- Support the National Director of Alumni Programs + Partnerships with senior and alumni programming design, direction, and implementation, including, but not limited to:
- Leading direction of workforce preparation programming from senior year of high school to first career
- Hiring and performance management of full-time and program seasonal staff to execute a vision of excellence in all SMASH programming
- Planning and implementation of career programming for senior and alumni, including SMASH Rising curriculum
- Leading direction of outreach and recruitment processes of alumni participants
- Design and build out alumni programming --existing and pilot programming initiatives
- Source new partnerships with strategic vendors to provide comprehensive career readiness resources and programs
- Ensure programmatic efficacy and alignment between SMASH