Academic Operations Director - Indy Reads

Overview 

Our vision is simple: 100% literacy for all.  

Located in historic Fountain Square and serving central Indiana, Indy Reads builds the literacy, English language, and job readiness skills to empower adults and families to reach their full potential. We advance our mission through our virtual and in-person Community Classrooms and our community bookstore, which serves as a retail space, community space, and extension of educational programming. This highly regarded, well-established nonprofit organization has nearly 40 years of experience in adult education. Under the direction of new leadership and deeply committed to advancing social equity within all aspects of the organization, Indy Reads is poised for growth.   

Our adult learners are at the heart of everything we do. Dedicated staff and volunteers work with native and non-native English speakers to strengthen their literacy and English language skills, earn their High School Equivalency diplomas, and acquire workforce certifications. With literacy and language education, our adult learners redefine their potential for success. They get new and better jobs, help their children with homework, and engage with society in new and deeper ways. Indy Reads advances social equity through education.  

Position Overview 

The full-time Academic Operations Director is responsible for support of Indy Reads’ academic programs. Reporting to the Vice President of Community Impact (VPCI), the Academic Operations Director helps to ensure a beneficial learning environment for each student enrolled in Indy Reads’ academic focused programs. The position will be Indy Reads’ primary point person with Indiana’s Department of Workforce Development (DWD), managing the execution of Indy Reads’ DWD grant. The Director will also serve as the team lead for student enrollment, placement in our classrooms, oversight of our evolving Paraprofessional and Customer Service certification programs, post-testing and data tracking, and instructor support. As such, the Director will supervise Indy Reads’ Student Services Manager, Intake ELL Coordinator, Program Associate. Hybrid work options are available for this position. 

The following is not intended to be an exhaustive list of all duties, responsibilities, or qualifications associated with the job. Other duties may be assigned. 

Instructional Support 

• Lead student support team, including Student Services Manager, ELL Intake Coordinator, and Program Associate, to ensure quality student experience from enrollment, to progress, to capturing qualitative and quantitative successes, and related data collection  
• Collaborate with the Community Engagement & Volunteer Coordinator and VPCI to identify volunteer opportunities and to train, manage, and place classroom and other program volunteers to ensure program efficiencies and student-centric support  
• Draft annual academic program calendar and coordinate classes, instructors, materials, and logistics to ensure it is effectively executed  
• Manage student intake process, including review and recommendations of improvements to the cadence of intakes within a program year 
• Oversee the setting of class rosters and post-testing, tracking standardized testing performance data to ensure progress toward goals and identify areas for improvement 
• Collaborate with VPCI to support the design and execution of innovative methods for capturing student progress, including review of Customer Service/Customer Service Skills Program curriculum and delivery 
• Directly support and mentor students enrolled in Indy Reads’ evolving certification programs 

Data Management  

• Manage and oversee student data entry and record-keeping in InTERS, and collaborate with the Vice President of Operations and the Community Engagement and Volunteer Coordinator on student and volunteer data in Indy Reads’ Salesforce database, respectively 
• Ensure all student and volunteer data is entered into applicable data management platforms 
• Train and oversee data entry volunteers 
• Oversee post-testing of all students, including training staff/volunteers in administering TABE and TABE CLAS-E tests to track Measurable Skill Gains 
• Manage purchase, scheduling, and tracking of HSE subject tests in collaboration with HSE instructors; including expense invoicing and test data entry 
• Run and evaluate needed student reports for internal evaluation and for grant requests and reports 

Organizational Support and Leadership 

• Serve as Indy Reads’ primary point person with DWD, representing the organization at all DWD meetings and in related reporting 
• Actively participate in department and all-staff meetings, and other meetings and special events as needed 
• Contribute to Indy Reads’ efforts to critically engage with DEIA initiatives and explore strategies for student engagement and interaction that further advance social and racial equity 
• Identify opportunities to improve processes that contribute to student and organizational success and make recommendations to Indy Reads’ leadership  
• Provide input, context, and edits on program-related grant applications and reports, as needed 
• Assist with program information for marketing/development campaigns and initiatives, as needed 

Qualifications 

• 3-5 years of professional experience with relevant responsibilities, particularly in Adult Education. Equivalent combination of education and work experience may be considered. 
• Fluency with the Department of Workforce Development structure and funding mechanisms.  
• Working knowledge of Microsoft Office Suite, Zoom, Office 365, Asana, Slack, familiarity with databases (e.g. Salesforce, InTERS), and other digital tools 
• Experience developing, evaluating, mentoring, or remediating Adult Education programs and personnel  
• Cultural engaging ability to engage with a wide range of stakeholders, including a diverse student body, human services providers, and private sector employers to foster collaboration and partnerships 
• Full working proficiency in English and in at least one other of Indy Reads’ top 5 student languages (Spanish, Haitian Creole, Kinyarwanda, Arabic, French) preferred   
• Ability to work independently without close oversight, take initiative, and manage multiple tasks and projects at a time 
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills 
• Creative and forward-thinking, embraces lifelong learning 
• Strong time management skills and exceptional attention to detail  
• Flexible and adaptable leadership style that can advance organizational and educational goals 
• Ability to communicate clearly and concisely, both orally and in writing 
• Curious, open, and dedicated to participating in Indy Reads’ journey to advance DEIA   
• Commitment to the mission of Indy Reads  
• A sense of humor 

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is frequently required to use his/her hands to feel objects, tools or controls. The employee is regularly required to stand, walk and sit. The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50 pounds. Specific vision abilities required for this position include close vision, peripheral vision, and depth perception.  

Indy Reads is an equal opportunity employer committed to diversity and inclusion in the workplace. We seek employees from all backgrounds to join our team and encourage them to bring their authentic and best selves to work. We prohibit discrimination and harassment of any kind based on race, color, sex, religion, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, genetic information, pregnancy, or any other protected characteristic as outlined by federal, state, or local laws. 

This policy applies to all employment practices within our organization, including hiring, recruiting, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, leave of absence, compensation, benefits, training, and apprenticeship. Indy Reads makes hiring decisions based solely on qualifications, merit, and business needs at the time. 

Compensation 

This is an outstanding opportunity for a highly motivated individual to assume a pivotal role in advancing Indy Reads’ mission. Indy Reads offers a very attractive compensation package, including a competitive base salary of $50-60k as well as health, 401(k), and generous PTO/days off benefits. 

Apply 

Applicants can apply on the "About” tab on the Indy Reads homepage and choose the "Our Team” page from the drop-down menu. A link to open positions is at the top of the page. This position is in the "Immediate opening" category. Applications submitted by April 30, 2024, will be given priority consideration.