Managing Director of DP Empowered and Guidance Programs

Democracy Prep Public Schools•New York, NY

2d•$170,000 - $185,000

About The Position

Democracy Prep Public Schools is a college prep institution and it is our mission to educate all scholars to be successful in the college of their choice and a life of active citizenship. We also acknowledge and celebrate multiple post-secondary pathways. We prioritize civic engagement, global citizenship/student travel, arts, and athletics, in addition to excellent academics. Positioned at the nexus of our priorities, the Managing Director of DP Empowered and Guidance Programs leads our comprehensive counseling programs across all high schools, overseeing both our emerging Guidance/Counselor teams and the DP Empowered Program. This strategic role ensures cohesive student support systems, drives college/career readiness initiatives, and maintains alignment with our educational mission. Who You Are An educator with an unwavering commitment to the Democracy Prep mission of college success and authentic civic engagement for our scholars. An innovator who is comfortable with the iterative process of program design. A clear communicator and enthusiastic networker with the ability to collaborate with diverse stakeholders and families, and connect students to unique programs that support post-secondary readiness. A strong collaborator with experience developing and managing educational programs or projects. A relationship builder with demonstrated experience building partnerships with both internal and external stakeholders. A planner with exceptional organizational skills and a keen eye for detail.

Requirements

Master's degree in social work, counseling, or related field
Relevant licensure (LPC, LPC-S, LMSW, LCSW) preferred
5+ years of experience in school counseling or equivalent role
Experience leading multi-site counseling or student services teams
Proven leadership of educational counseling teams
Strong understanding of college admissions processes
Excellent organizational and people-management skills
Exceptional strategic thinking and operational expertise
Strong background in college/career readiness programming
Deep understanding of K-12 counseling operations

Nice To Haves

Experience with restorative justice practices
Familiarity with trauma-informed care approaches
Background in academic advising models
Understanding of district operations and policies

Responsibilities

Program Leadership & Supervision
Reports to the Chief Program Officer
Manages three direct reports: two Assistant Directors of Guidance and the Assistant Director of DP Empowered
Oversees all guidance counselor specialists across the district
Develops and implements comprehensive counseling frameworks
Oversees data collection and reporting, student transitions, graduation requirements, and college/career readiness
Strategy & Development
Leads a cross-functional team and collaborates with network-level leaders including the Academics and Schools teams lead
Lead the planning, development, implementation and evaluation of College Access & Success, Alumni Programs, Democracy Prep Empowered, ensuring effectiveness, and alignment with DPPS' mission
Builds district-wide college/career readiness initiatives
Analyzes data to improve program effectiveness and student outcomes
Partners with school leadership on strategic counseling decisions
Program Evaluation
Monitor and drive towards achieving ambitious key performance indicators (KPIs) to assess Guidance Programs effectiveness, regularly evaluating and adjusting programs to maximize impact
Develop data analysis and program evaluation strategies for all Guidance Programs
Cultivate partnerships with external evaluation partners
Prepare reports and presentations to communicate findings to stakeholders
Stay up-to-date on best practices in program evaluation and recommend new methods and tools as appropriate
Talent Management
Cultivate and retain a high-performing and cohesive Guidance Programs team through recruitment, professional development, vision setting, coaching, and performance management
Collaborate with other senior leaders to implement DPPS' strategic vision to inform short- and long-term Guidance Programs goals consistent with DPPS' strategic plan
College Access
Develop and oversee the creation and implementation of Democracy Prep's College Access strategy
Lead and oversee the refinement and implementation of DPPS' ACT/SAT test prep strategy
Oversee the implementation of case management and data tools and software to meet the needs of all counselors, students and families
College Success
Lead the development of DPPS' College Success strategy
Collaborate with the Associate Director of Alumni Programs to support the Alumni Captain and Alumni Microgrant programs
Democracy Prep Empowered & Holistic Student Advising
Lead and oversee the on-going development and refinement of DP Empowered curriculum
Scale the DP Empowered program across all DP high schools
Create and lead the implementation of DP Empowered program evaluation process
Coordinate with the program directors of Civics, Global Citizens, College Counseling and Alumni Programs to integrate elements of those programs into the DP Empowered Curriculum