Project & Strategic Initiatives Manager

Shine Early Learning•Philadelphia, PA

2d•$90,000 - $95,000•Hybrid

About The Position

As the Project & Strategic Initiatives Manager, you are critical to ensuring the successful implementation, coordination, and strategic alignment of initiatives within the SPARK Quality Support Center. The Manager is the connective tissue between strategy and execution for the SPARK Quality Support Center. Our mission is bold: To design and deliver research and evidence-based approaches to eliminate the gaps between young children’s inherent potential and their achievement in school and life. With our partners, we accelerate child and family outcomes that honor all of the aspirations and cultures of the communities we serve. Our values: Data-Informed Learning; Transparent & Open Communication; Growth Mindset; Championing Equality; Caring Teams & Communities. In this role, you will ensure projects are aligned, integrated, and implemented with excellence, strengthening day-to-day operations and cross-team cohesion. Reporting to the Project Director and working in close collaboration with the Deputy Director, this role is responsible for managing a portfolio of projects, fortifying internal systems and processes, and ensuring operational cohesion across teams. The Manager facilitates effective project execution, fosters cross-functional collaboration, contributes to continuous quality improvement efforts, and supports strategic initiatives aligned with business goals. This position influences execution by working closely with system partners, subcontractors, and leadership to drive excellence in service delivery.

Requirements

Master’s Degree in education, business administration, public administration or related field.
Minimum of three years of experience working in educational administration, education or project management
Ability to interact effectively with people from diverse backgrounds.
Ability to communicate effectively, verbally and in writing.
Demonstrated computer literacy skills, especially using Google Suite apps; spreadsheets, basic data management systems and internet navigation.
Must be honest, dependable and able to meet deadlines.
Self-motivated and able to work independently.

Nice To Haves

Experience working in early childhood education administration a plus.

Responsibilities

Manage a portfolio of cross-departmental projects identified by the QSC leadership team, ensuring milestones, deliverables, and timelines are met with precision and accountability. Projects include, but are not limited to, Provider Advisory Council, CLASS Pilot, Collaboration Workgroups, Workforce Development and Teacher Waivers, and Project Management Systems Creation.
Strengthen cross-functional processes by developing, refining, and implementing operational workflows and collaborative structures that enable seamless interaction.
Track project milestones and performance indicators; prepare progress updates, reports, and presentations for internal stakeholders and external partners as needed.
Analyze and synthesize quantitative and qualitative data from multiple systems and stakeholder inputs to generate clear, actionable insights that guide decision-making and continuous quality improvement across the SPARK Quality Support Center.
Contribute to feedback loops by collecting and synthesizing input from various teams and partners; support data integration into ongoing quality improvement practices.
Facilitate interdepartmental working groups, collaborative planning sessions, and co-working opportunities that deepen integration and peer learning. This includes workgroups, communities of practice, and peer learning circles.
Support efficient allocation of personnel and resources for special initiatives; assist in coordinating calendars and collaborative timelines.
Serve as a communication bridge among project teams, ensuring clear documentation of processes, responsibilities, and decisions.
Act as a strategic thought partner in designing and launching special initiatives or partnerships identified by leadership.
Supervises assigned management personnel, including but not limited to: hiring, training, scheduling, evaluating, and ensuring accuracy, timeliness, and the completion of all work performed by direct reports.
Educates direct reports on all department and organizational policies and procedures.
Meets with assigned staff regularly to identify and resolve problems, manage projects, track goals, and review work processes and procedures.
Operates in lieu of staff during staffing vacancies
Represents team and/or department at meetings, events, and training as required.