Community Partnership Specialist

Chicago Public Schools; Chicago (IL); On-site; USD 66,000 - 88,000; Full time

Job summary

An established industry player in education seeks a Community Partnership Specialist to drive strategic partnerships for community schools. This role involves collaborating with various stakeholders, managing community programs, and ensuring compliance with grant requirements. The ideal candidate will possess strong project management skills and a passion for community engagement, making a significant impact on the educational landscape. Join a mission-driven team dedicated to enhancing educational opportunities for students across Chicago, and help shape the future of community-based education initiatives.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree required with 5+ years in education or community organizations.
• Strong project management and communication skills are essential.

Responsibilities

• Manage and support partnerships for community school programming.
• Develop and maintain programming and procurement processes.

Skills

Project Management

Communication Skills

Partnership Development

Data Analysis

Organizational Skills

Education

Bachelor’s Degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Google Suite

Job description

CPS Careers | Search | Apply | Get Hired

Posting Date

Primary Location

Primary Location: Central

CPS Non-Union Job Grade: S07

Estimated Annual Salary Range

Estimated Annual Salary Range: 66,000.00 - 87,500.00

Position Type: Non-Union Position

Overtime Status

Overtime Status: Exempt

Final salary offers are dependent upon candidate qualifications.

JOB DESCRIPTION

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third-largest school district in the United States, serving over 320,000 students in 500+ schools and employing nearly 44,000 people, most of them teachers. CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life.

The CPS Sustainable Community Schools Community Partnership Specialist is responsible for managing and supporting Lead Partner Agencies (LPAs) and Community-Based Organizations (CBOs) that provide community school programming in over 200 schools. The Community Partnerships Specialist reports to the Director of the Community Schools Initiative (CSI) in the Office of College and Career Success (OCCS).

Job Summary:

Reporting to the Director, Community Schools, the Community Partnership Specialist will assist with leading the overall development, strategy, coordination, and implementation of strategic community partnerships for the Sustainable Community Schools Initiative (SCS) within the Office of College and Career Success (OCCS) at Chicago Public Schools.

Responsibilities:

• Under the direction of the CSI Director, implement, monitor, and refine all partnership processes, policies, and systems that will enhance the school's ability to identify and successfully partner with external partners.
• In collaboration with Procurement, leverage and build capacity of CPS vendor processes to expand the network of partnerships available for SCS schools.
• Develop and maintain programming, vendor, and procurement processes, documents, and standards.
• Work with principals and community organizations to identify community partners and develop school-site programming based on the community school model.
• Serve as a liaison and point of contact for SCS partners’ procurement needs, and support other departments as it relates to SCS programming.
• Build and maintain relationships between community organizations and community schools that receive funding as LPAs with CPS Community School Initiative or that receive funding directly as CBOs.
• Monitor grant budget, required program metrics, and compliance requirements on an ongoing basis to ensure LPAs and CBOs are meeting grant requirements and deliverables.
• Assist LPAs and CBOs in building their capacity to provide quality community school support at their school sites.
• Analyze activity offerings and identify opportunities for programmatic diversification to ensure quality standards in programming.
• Conduct ongoing evaluation of partner organizations to ensure their capacity and ability to provide quality community school programming.
• Identify new partner organizations and provide onboarding support and training for Lead Partners on grant compliance and effective communication with partner schools.
• Provide coaching and mentorship to LPAs and CBOs in regard to community school model implementation and management.
• Plan and lead regular and ongoing partnership meetings and professional development opportunities with LPAs and CBOs.
• Provide support in negotiating relationships between partner organizations and school-based administration.
• Identify partners for new SCS schools, and meet with administration and partner organizations to ensure the LPA relationships are a good fit for school needs.
• Other duties as assigned.

Qualifications:

Education Required:

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required.

Experience Required:

• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience in education, non-profit, and/or community-based organizations.
• A minimum of five (5) years of successful and relevant experience in community building and partnership development.
• Minimum of three (3) years experience managing complex and high-impact projects and initiatives.
• Minimum of two (2) years experience working with Community-Based Organizations serving youth and families in Chicago.

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities:

• Strong service and support orientation towards schools and school communities.
• Excellent communication, persuasive writing, editing, and presentation skills.
• Strong project management and organizational skills.
• Ability to build collaborative relationships with a variety of constituent groups.
• Excellent self-leadership, organization, and planning skills.
• Ability to lead cross-functional teams to achieve project goals.
• Outstanding problem-solving and data analysis capabilities.
• Self-starter who can anticipate problems and develop preemptive solutions.
• Advanced proficiency with Microsoft Office and familiarity with Google Suite.

Conditions of Employment:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency: Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date.
• Be Fully Vaccinated Against COVID-19: Employees are required to be up-to-date on COVID-19 vaccinations.

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