Senior Social Worker

North Star Academy Charter School • Newark, NJ

19h • Onsite

About The Position

The Senior Social Worker is an Uncommon Schools social worker with a proven track record of high performance and leadership. In addition to maintaining core responsibilities, the Senior Social Worker plays a critical role in driving programmatic alignment, professional development, and data-informed practices across campuses. The Senior Social Worker leads strategic initiatives, supports team development, and ensures consistency of best practices across campuses.

Requirements

• 3+ years of experience as a Social Worker at Uncommon Schools
• Master’s degree in Social Work
• Valid School Social Worker Certification from NJDOE License preferred

Nice To Haves

• Passionate commitment to the mission of Uncommon Schools and investment in our vision for being an anti-racist organization.
• Unwavering belief in high academic and behavioral expectations for all students.
• Exceptional time and task management skills.
• Ability to persevere despite uncertainty and unexpected obstacles.
• Strong advocacy within the social work profession.
• Relentless drive to empower students academically and personally.
• Self-motivation, desire to be a great teammate, and a strong sense of personal responsibility.
• Excellent communication skills, both verbal and written, and strong interpersonal skills with school leaders, students, parents, colleagues, and community members.
• Ability and desire to implement feedback from school leaders and colleagues.

Responsibilities

• Lead the development, implementation, and evaluation of social work initiatives across all grade spans
• Plan and facilitate PD sessions in August and throughout the year
• Oversee the creation and distribution of McKinney-Vento support bags to ensure students experiencing housing instability have access to essential resources
• Collaborate regularly with the Director of Social Work and Social Work Manager
• Develop and maintain resource directories to support student and family needs
• Monitor implementation fidelity and escalate concerns to the Director of Social Work
• Lead the creation and implementation of social-emotional learning (SEL) initiatives and ensure consistency across all NSA-CP campuses
• Oversee McKinney-Vento bag creation and inventory management/restocking, with direct support from the Director of Social Work/McKinney-Vento Liaison
• Maintain regular communication with the Director of Social Work and Social Work Manager, elevating trends, challenges, and successes
• Oversee the implementation of quarterly initiatives, including meeting with social workers to review planning and expectations in advance, and conducting campus visits during implementation to provide support, reinforce engagement, and offer real-time feedback.
• Plan and execute Week of Respect in collaboration with the Dean of Students
• Launch beginning-of-year SEL initiatives (e.g., community-building activities, expectations setting, attendance awareness)
• Establish systems and routines for initiative tracking and campus alignment
• Plan and execute winter-focused initiatives (e.g., Winter Wellness/Winter Wonderful, gratitude initiatives, stress-management workshops before exams/holidays)
• Implement family engagement initiatives to support student well-being during the holiday season
• Monitor initiative participation and adjust based on campus needs
• Plan and execute a Social Work team outing/celebration in alignment with Social Work Awareness Month, focused on staff recognition, team building, and appreciation of the social work profession
• Implement additional initiatives such as kindness campaigns, conflict resolution programming, peer support groups, or restorative practices circles
• Analyze mid-year data to refine SEL and intervention approaches
• Lead Mental Health Awareness Month (May) programming, including student and staff wellness initiatives
• Support end-of-year transition initiatives (e.g., coping skills for transitions, summer resource planning)
• Evaluate effectiveness of yearly initiatives and develop recommendations for the upcoming school year

Benefits

• Generous paid time off inclusive of sick time, paid holidays, and 10 weeks of paid breaks (Spring, Winter, and Summer).
• Extensive, best-in-class training and development
• Comprehensive health, dental, and vision insurance plans + pre-tax flexible spending (FSA), dependent care (DCFSA), and health saving accounts (HSA)
• Financial Planning
• New Jersey Pension program
• Paid leave of absence options (parental, medical, disability, etc.)
• Mental health and counseling support + wellness benefits

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior