Program Lead, Bay Area

Spark is a Career Exploration and Self-Discovery Program that provides middle school students opportunities to understand, experience and pursue what’s possible for their future. We are bridging the opportunity gap by bringing together diverse communities of families, schools, businesses and volunteers who care, share, teach, and inspire. Spark Lab, Spark Mentorship, and other campus and community events use diverse industry exposure, workplace experiences, mentoring, and guided support to help students explore careers, build skills, and find the right path to a successful future.

Candidates for the Program Lead role should embody Spark’s Core Values: being a student and a mentor, working with passion and compassion, committing to collaboration and diversity, aiming high and true, and trusting/respecting each relationship.

Reporting directly to the Program Director (PD), the Program Lead will oversee the day-to-day implementation of Spark’s on-campus programming at five partner schools, resulting in consistently engaged students, supported families, collaborative school partnerships, and enthusiastic volunteers. Leads should expect to spend 80% of their time directly on-site at their respective partner schools.

• Demonstrated commitment to social justice and racial equity
• Experience building successful relationships in Bay Area schools and communities, including with school administration, teachers, students, families, and/or community organizations, preferably at the middle school level;
• Experience and passion for providing direct service or volunteering with youth, preferably middle school students
• Significant cross-cultural competency, including understanding and successfully relating to the experience of urban students and professional partners;
• Demonstrated ability to effectively manage student and classroom behavior
• Project Management experience
• Proficiency with computers and a variety of platforms, including experience with or willingness and ability to learn Google Suite, Salesforce, and other programs; experience with Google Classroom a plus
• Comfortable traveling via public transportation to school and corporate sites or reliable access to a vehicle and ability to drive to and remain on-site
• Must reside in the San Francisco Bay Area region, or be willing to relocate; Spark cannot provide moving assistance
• Fluency in Cantonese or Spanish (preferred)
• Legally eligible to work in the United States; no sponsorship provided

To be successful as a member of the Spark team in this role, you will:
• Be an independent, results-focused, highly-organized self-starter;
• Thrive in a fast-paced, entrepreneurial environment, operating with a results orientation and exceptional attention to detail;
• Proactively collaborate and partner with our communities
• Be comfortable giving and receiving honest, constructive feedback
• Be team-centered and collaborative
• Possess high-level strategic thinking skills and flexibility while working with youth

Program Delivery & Implementation (55%)
• Recruit students and facilitate sessions for Spark Lab and Mentorship workshops at partner schools in the Bay Area, supporting Program Coordinators as they lead and facilitate sessions, trouble-shooting student and school issues, and acting as the main point of contact for school liaisons;
• Create and maintain systems to support Spark staff in implementing the program curriculum and lesson plans throughout the year;
• Drive planning and execution of programmatic events such as School Partner Training, Spark Lab Orientation, Mentorship Match Day, field trips, 8th Grade Transition to High School panels, etc;
• Ensure consistent application of Spark’s quality monitoring and safety policies, supporting quality program experiences through overseeing regular program assessments and operations;
• Support implementation of Spark’s evaluation methods, including timely entry of data, systems reviews, and integrity of all participation, impact, and quality data;
• Support the Program Director and Partnerships team in the planning and execution of Share Your Spark, an end-of-the-year culminating event for all Spark participants and their families

School Partnerships (20%)
• Develop and foster five school partnerships to ensure successful implementation of Spark programming, increasing collaboration and depth of partnership, as appropriate;
• Develop and maintain a strong system of communication and support with school staff to ensure successful management of program operations and continued recognition of the value Spark brings to students;
• Attend applicable non-Spark events (school-wide events, school assemblies, back-to-school nights, field trips, showcases, etc.) at partner schools

Team Leadership (15%)
• Support the Program Director in leading staff onboarding and continuous training to create a high performing and positive work environment, ensuring new staff success as they build student, family, and school relationships;
• Together with the Program Director, lead team and culture-building activities rooted in Spark’s core vision, values, and mission

Volunteer Management (10%)
• Lead support for mentors to ensure high-quality experiences by assisting in the mentor clearance and training process, executing weekly mentor communications, providing ongoing training and coaching throughout the semester, and keeping records in Salesforce up-to-date;
• When necessary, support the Partnerships Director in volunteer mentor management through information sessions, individual outreach, and continuous programmatic support and training

Salary: $58,000-61,000, depending on experience, salaried
Health Benefits: Full health coverage is provided, including medical, dental and vision no more 30 days after an employee’s first day. Spark covers up to 100 percent of monthly premiums for employees, and a portion of the monthly premiums for dependents. Employee-funded flexible spending accounts for health and dependent care are offered. A life insurance policy providing $50,000 of coverage is also included.
Learning Benefits: Spark highly values staff’s personal learning pursuits. Priority is placed on opportunities to pursue your choice of professional training opportunities, including workshops, conferences, and more.
Retirement Benefits: Spark offers a 401K plan for employees to make retirement planning investments. Spark will match 100% of the first 4% of employee contributions.
Paid Time Off: Employees receive unlimited PTO.
Non-Monetary Compensation: The opportunity to be an integral member of an energetic, innovative, hard-working and rapidly growing team, within an organization that has the potential to significantly change the trajectory of middle-school education nationwide.

Spark is an equal opportunity employer. We encourage applications from all individuals regardless of age, gender, race, ethnicity, religion, or sexual orientation, and evaluate all candidates based on merit; we strongly encourage and seek qualified applications from underrepresented groups.