Senior Program Manager, ONS Professional Learning

Chicago Public Schools (CPS) is the third-largest school district in the United States, serving over 340,000 students in 600 schools and employing nearly 36,000 people, most of them teachers.  CPS has set ambitious goals to ensure that every student, in every school and every neighborhood, has access to a world-class learning experience that prepares each for success in college, career, and civic life.  In order to fulfill this mission, we make three commitments to our students, their families, and all Chicagoans: academic progress, financial stability, and integrity.  Six core values are embedded within these commitments – student-centered, whole child, equity, academic excellence, community partnership, and continuous learning.

Reporting to the Chief Schools Officer in the Office of Network Support, the Director of Professional Learning position is to create and implement a system of district-wide professional learning for school leaders ensures that the vision for and execution of in-role professional development for school leaders is structured, differentiated, and meaningful to principals and assistant principals across the district. 

The Senior Program Manager, Professional Learning will be held accountable for the following responsibilities:

• Collaborate with the Chief Schools Officer  to establish a strategic plan for the creation and implementation of district-wide learning priorities, programs, and structures for network teams, principals and assistant principals

• Supervise, develop, and manage the performance of staff supporting the execution of the vision for district-wide coherent, tiered, and differentiated systems of professional learning for network teams and school leaders

• Align the Office of Network Support professional learning plan to Principal Supervisor Standards

• Systematically collaborate with Office of Network Support, Network Chiefs, and Teaching and Learning and other relevant departments to ensure professional learning is responsive to networks and school leaders’ needs

• Systematically collaborate with Talent to ensure school leader evaluation process is meaningful, equitable, aligned to competencies, and informs the professional development offerings

• Secure and manage external partnerships to provide robust professional learning to network teams and school leaders (e.g. universities, professional learning companies, Illinois State Board of Education)

• Administer grants and contracts related to in-role developmental programs for school leaders

• Co-lead, with the Office of Network Support Continuous Improvement team, the continuous improvement data and instructional cycles, and provide related professional learning for network teams

• Work with the Office of Network Support data manager to ensure the professional learning scope and sequence is aligned to achievement and observational data

• Creation/refinement of CPS standards of practice and competencies related to school leadership roles in service of aligning pipeline programs

• Other duties and workstreams as assigned

In order to be successful and achieve the above responsibilities, the Senior Program Manager, ONS Professional Learning must possess the following qualifications:

Type of Education Required: 

• Bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university is required. Focus in education, instructional leadership, or similar field, preferred.

• Master’s degree preferred

Type of Experience Required: 

• Minimum of seven (7) years relevant work experience in designing and delivering professional learning

• Experience in complex, large-scale professional project management that includes high-level cross-school/cross-office collaboration is required

• Experience leading professional learning as a school and/or district leader preferred

Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities: 

• Ability to effectively navigate the complex, fast-paced environment of CPS

• Ability to articulate a vision, set high standards, and effectively guide Central Office colleagues and school leaders in the realization of expectations set

• Exceptional organizational, communication (oral and written), and problem-solving skills

• Ability to build collaborative relationships with a variety of constituent groups, including external partners, to ensure engagement drives support for the experiences of school leaders from diverse backgrounds

• Effective strategic planning capabilities, including the ability to establish long-term vision and goals, and align/manage activities toward goal fulfillment

• Ability to work in cross-functional teams with personnel from a variety of departments

• Flexibility to meet changing departmental needs

• Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously

Other Requirements:

• Travel within the City of Chicago to schools and PD sessions is required

• Some early or late hours during professional learning sessions is required 

Conditions of Employment

As a condition of employment with the Chicago Public Schools (CPS), employees are required to:

• Establish/Maintain Chicago Residency - Employees are required to live within the geographic boundaries of the City of Chicago within six months of their CPS hire date and maintain residency throughout their employment with the district.