THRIVE Coach

University of Texas at Austin•Texas, TX

6d•Onsite

About The Position

Texas Education THRIVE, in partnership with UT Permian Basin (UTPB) and Ector County ISD (ECISD), is launching a phased initiative to stabilize the teacher pipeline and build a sustainable culture of mentorship across the district. The partnership begins with Phase 1: START — deploying THRIVE Coaches directly to targeted ECISD campuses to provide mentorship, coaching, onboarding, and job-embedded support to early-career and uncertified teachers, with a specific focus on teachers of record in UTPB's alternative certification pathway who are serving in Designated/District of Innovation (DOI) roles. These educators are teachers of record from day one, often in their first year in the classroom, and are simultaneously completing UTPB coursework and certification requirements. While UTPB's alt cert program provides field supervision, it does not currently offer the intensive, ongoing, relationship-based coaching these teachers need to be successful and to remain in the profession. THRIVE Coaches fill this gap: they are a consistent, non-evaluative source of support that complements — and is aligned with — each teacher's coursework, certification milestones, and classroom needs. The THRIVE Coach is a dedicated, job-embedded mentor who supports the whole teacher — not just their instructional performance. Grounded in asset-based, human-centered coaching, the THRIVE Coach helps teachers build the confidence, skills, and sense of belonging needed to thrive in their first years, while helping ECISD and UTPB gather the insight needed to build a long-term mentorship system in later program phases. This is a direct-service coaching and mentoring role. Unlike a campus- or district-level systems role, the THRIVE Coach's primary responsibility is regular, individualized contact with assigned teachers via observation, feedback, reflective conversation, and just-in-time support. Their support is delivered outside of any evaluative or compliance structure.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree
Experience as a successful classroom teacher for at least 3-5 years
Experience mentoring, coaching, or supporting early-career or pre-service teachers
Demonstrated ability to build trust and rapport quickly across individuals and school contexts
Strong mentoring skills, including active listening, reflective questioning, and non-evaluative feedback
Ability to apply a coaching stance that builds a teacher's agency and self-efficacy rather than directing or evaluating
Strong organizational skills and reliability in documenting coaching activity
Comfort using virtual meeting platforms and basic technology for scheduling, communication, and reporting
Availability to work in person on assigned ECISD campuses during the school day, up to 15–20 hours per week

Nice To Haves

Valid Texas teacher certification
Experience as a campus-based mentor, instructional coach, or new teacher support provider
Familiarity with alternative certification pathways and the demands facing first-year teachers of record
Knowledge of ECISD systems, or experience working in the Permian Basin region
Experience supporting bilingual, dual language, and/or special education teachers or teaching practices
Master's degree in education or a related field

Responsibilities

Serve as a dedicated mentor/coach for an assigned caseload of UTPB alt cert / DOI teachers on ECISD campuses.
Conduct regular in-person coaching visits, including classroom observations, reflective debriefs, and feedback cycles, delivered through a non-evaluative, asset-based lens.
Identify resources that best support the individual professional growth of early career teachers.
Provide just-in-time, personalized support responsive to each teacher's individual needs, classroom context, and stage of development.
Support teachers in building agency, professional confidence, and a sense of belonging within their campus community.
Align coaching conversations and supports with UTPB coursework, certification milestones, and classroom/curricular demands.
Build trusting, confidential relationships with mentees that are clearly distinct from campus administration and field supervision.
Coordinate with district initiatives to support the individual professional growth of early career teachers.
Facilitate small-group or cohort learning community sessions for assigned teachers to address common challenges and share promising practices.
Engage teachers in brief, practical professional learning connected to THRIVE coaching frameworks.
Collaborate with campus-based instructional coaches, administrators, and UTPB field supervisors to ensure coordinated (not duplicative) support.
Coordinate regular meetings with stakeholders including district and university partners to facilitate ongoing communication and program improvement.
Participate in THRIVE Coach team meetings, training, and Mentor Academy to strengthen coaching practice.
Document coaching visits, mentoring sessions, and support provided on a regular (e.g., weekly) basis using THRIVE tools and systems.
Contribute to program data collection efforts (e.g., interaction logs, surveys, focus groups) to help THRIVE, UTPB, and ECISD understand teacher experience and retention needs.
Report hours and coaching activity through required THRIVE channels and dashboards.
Share emerging trends, needs, and insights with the THRIVE Coach Lead and program leadership to inform continuous improvement and the design of later program phases.
Maintain clear boundaries around confidentiality and non-evaluative status in all documentation.