Director of Public Programs

Organization Background:

ICEF Public Schools is a nonprofit charter school network serving communities in the South Los Angeles area for 25 years. ICEF Public Schools operates seven high-quality, tuition-free, public charter elementary, middle, and high schools serving over 2,000 kids from TK-12th grade. We are a college, career, and life-bound network working throughout ethnically diverse neighborhoods of Los Angeles and Inglewood, CA. Over 90% of the school population qualifies for free and reduced lunch programs, an average of 60% of students are Black, and 40% are Latinx/e.

ICEF’s mission is to educate and empower courageous leaders to pursue their full potential in college, career, and life by providing a community that honors each student’s unique identity, fosters academic excellence, nurtures healthy minds, and inspires critical thinkers. Our primary focus at ICEF is a whole-child approach that fosters excellence among all scholars. At ICEF, we nurture a healthy mind by learning about each unique student’s identity and adjusting our pedagogical practices to meet the needs of each learner.

Position Description:

Under the guidance of the Managing Director of Operations, the Director of Public Programs will oversee ICEF’s compliance and authorizer relations. This is an exciting opportunity for a driven, detail-oriented individual to ensure ICEF meets all of its local, state, and federal compliance targets annually. As a manager and individual contributor, with a team of four, the Director of Public Programs will work closely with organizational leadership and coordinate with other departments, such as Data, Finance, and Human Resources, to ensure all materials are submitted promptly and accurately. Additionally, the Director of Public Programs will build expertise in federal and state programs and authorizer framework requirements to ensure the team regularly educates and prepares school and organizational leadership on various compliance requirements and audits and houses a well-codified set of calendars and documents.

Reporting:

This position reports to the Managing Director of Operations.

FLSA Status: Exempt

Pay Cycle: 12 months

Salary: Commensurate with Experience ($95,000-$126,000)

Benefits: Medical, Dental, Vision, Life Insurance, 403b Retirement Plan with up to 10% match

Be a central resource with expertise in federal and state programs

• Build and maintain sustainable systems for existing federal and state programs.
• Problem-solving and navigating new federal and state program applications, reporting, and compliance.

Ensure federal and state program application and reporting deadlines are met, schools are executing on deliverables to meet public programs requirements

• Monitoring (and similar audits) results in no findings.
• Coordinate the information required for applications and reporting of various federal and state funding sources.
• Ensure timely submission of applications and reporting of various federal and state funding sources.
• Draft various school improvement plans and other reports (i.e. LCAP, Annual Reports,  etc.), and assist in obtaining board approval if necessary.
• Attend relevant training and identify other key stakeholders who may need to attend.
• Support in preparing required federal and state program materials for School Advisory Council and other committee meetings.
• Educate key stakeholders regularly on federal and state program requirements and the use of public funds, including the school’s responsibility in maintaining compliance. Establish an ongoing audit process.
• Coordinate and prepare schools for Federal Program Monitoring audits or similar federal review processes.

Ensure all schools are in good standing with authorizers and successfully renewed

• Support schools in preparing for oversight visits, including providing project plans and calendars and collecting required documentation.
• Review and communicate ongoing and updated compliance requirements to prepare schools for oversight visits. Provide on-site support and coordination on the day of the visits.
• Disseminate and track submissions required by authorizers; coordinate with other ICEF departments to maintain a central depository of submissions.
• Serve as a point of contact to authorizers as needed.
• Coordinate required data and other information to draft new and renewal charter petitions.
• Provide support on ad-hoc authorizer requests.
• Support the completion and submission of the annual Prop 39 application:
• Coach the Public Affairs Manager in the submission of annual Prop 39 applications for District facilities.
• Ensure ICEF schools comply with requirements as they pertain to reporting and district facilities.
• Ensure ICEF schools are aware of District requirements and support in submitting materials.
• Perform other duties as identified in order to meet team goals.

EDUCATION AND/OR EXPERIENCE

• Bachelor’s degree or commensurate work experience (required)
• 5-7 years of work experience, with 2-3 years of experience managing others
• 2-3 years of experience in working with federal and state programs (programmatically and fiscally), such as Title I, II, and III
• Ability to break down complex projects into actionable goals, targets, and milestones, and can manage self and others to these
• You are familiar with government agencies and interpreting federal, state, and local regulations and guidelines
• Familiar with budgets and working with large data sets
• Work independently and as part of a team, under deadlines, without close supervision; you are self-directed in the initiation, coordination and completion of tasks, and have an acute attention to detail
• Well organized and have proven experience in data management, strategic planning, and project management.
• Prioritize multiple assignments and handle complex tasks in a fast-paced environment.
• Handle problems as they occur, and follow through on all aspects of the position.
• Dependable, humble, have a sense of humor and a rock-solid commitment to ICEF’s mission and the communities we serve

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITIES

This position does have direct supervisory responsibilities and is likely to manage at least one, if not multiple, vendor relationships

QUALIFICATIONS

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements below represent knowledge, skill, and/or ability. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

CERTIFICATES, LICENSES, REGISTRATIONS

●  N/A

PHYSICAL DEMANDS

The physical demands described here represent those that an employee must meet to perform the essential functions of this job successfully. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to sit; frequently required to talk or hear, stand, walk, and reach with hands and arms, and/or use hands to finger, handle, or feel.

While performing the duties of this job, the employee is occasionally required to move and/or lift up to twenty-five (25) pounds.

Specific vision abilities this position requires include close vision and the ability to adjust focus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT

The work environment characteristics described here represent those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform essential functions. The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.

Benefits

Full-time employees of ICEF Public Schools are entitled to Medical, Life Insurance, Dental and Vision plans, and various retirement programs offered by ICEF Public Schools. Eligible employees will also be entitled to sick leave and vacation time in accordance with ICEF Public School policies.
Learn more here