| Communities In Schools (CIS) of Chicago is a nonprofit organization dedicated to working in partnership with Chicago Public Schools and community organizations to help students stay in school and be successful. During the 2017-2018 school year, CIS of Chicago partners with 147 Chicago public schools (CPS) and expects to connect 1,850 services and programs to more than 71,000 CPS students and their families by leveraging community partner programs and services. In addition, CIS of Chicago places full-time Student Support Managers in ten Chicago public schools – our Intensive School partners. Our staff in these schools provide intervention services to a caseload of 50 students per school who are at risk of dropping out, as well as connect support services to the whole school. CIS of Chicago is an affiliate of Communities In Schools, Inc., a national nonprofit organization with offices in more than 150 different cities. The mission of Communities In Schools is to surround students with a community of support, empowering them to stay in school and achieve in life. The vision of CIS of Chicago is to ensure that every public-school student in Chicago graduates from high school prepared to succeed. The organization’s core values are Impact, Integrity, Relationships, and Social Justice. CIS of Chicago is seeking a full-time College and Career Partnership Specialist. This position is an integral part of the organization’s Community Partnership Team, a group of four professionals who manage the partnerships of more than 180 agencies, institutions, and individuals that provide services in the areas of the arts, college and career readiness, health, and behavioral and mental health. Together, members of the Community Partnership Team execute a partner training series, monitor the quality of the partner programming, and play supporting roles in a variety of other organizational projects, as needed. By focusing on connecting schools to academic enrichment opportunities, the College and Career Partnership Specialist ensures that CIS of Chicago partner schools have the resources they need to provide their students with experiences and skills that prepare them for college and beyond. They are responsible for maintaining a portfolio of community partners that provide school-based programs, such as career awareness, financial education, literacy skills, and tutoring and mentoring programs. CIS of Chicago seeks a highly motivated and skilled professional in this role. The preferred candidate will have strong written and oral communication skills, experience working with or in urban school districts, and an understanding of quality teaching and program delivery practices. Key Responsibilities - Connect approximately 30,000 students with a variety of college and career readiness programs;
- Manage a portfolio of approximately 75 community partners, including cultivating relationships with established CIS of Chicago partners and developing new partnerships to address key needs of the CIS of Chicago school network;
- Create professional development opportunities for community partners on key development needs, such as classroom management, curriculum development, and program assessment;
- Forge relationships with post-secondary institutions like local universities, colleges, and training programs with the goal of serving CIS schools;
- Collaborate with CIS’ School Partnership Team and Intensive School Team to promote college and career programs and enrichment opportunities;
- Collect and monitor data for program connections to schools as well as monitor the quality of connected programs; and
- Lead or assist with other organizational projects, as needed.
Desired Skills and Attributes - Ability to work collaboratively as well as independently;
- Skilled at multi-tasking and meeting multiple deadlines;
- Adept at cultivating meaningful partnerships while setting clear expectations and achieving organizational outcomes;
- Strong problem-solving ability and strategic thinking;
- Motivated to create and implement innovative solutions to challenges;
- Excellence in communicating with diverse audiences;
- Detail-oriented, with a commitment to follow-up and follow-through;
- Skilled at thorough and organized record-keeping and data entry;
- Enthusiasm for mission-driven work; and
- Sound written and oral communication.
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