Chicago/Lake County Program Director

Performance Objectives

Program Leadership and Strategic Operations

• Oversee, lead, and execute all aspects of Chicago/Lake County candidates’ experience from recruitment and admission, through the teacher licensure program, and graduation and employment.

• Implement systems for tracking candidate progression, identifying challenges, and providing customized support.

• Consult with universities and licensure programs, as well as community colleges and pathway programs on behalf of enrolled candidates to help resolve challenges that arise (e.g., meeting course requirements, financial aid, or tuition concerns, etc.).

• Lead the development and implementation of candidate cohort meetings, collaborating with Candidate Coordinators to plan, facilitate, and evaluate the meetings. Adapt the meeting structure to maximize impact for candidates across university enrollment, licensure programs, and stages in the consortium.

• Assess and document program successes, strengths, challenges, and needs for continuous improvement and organizational learning.

• Represent and advocate for the Chicago/Lake County consortium in statewide advocacy work through state conferences, legislative forums, funder meetings, and public events.

Fundraising, Reporting, and Fiscal Responsibility

• Assist with fundraising activities for the Chicago/ Lake County program, collaborating with the GYO-IL Executive Director on meetings with funders, relationship building, proposal writing, and reporting.

• Manage Chicago/Lake County program budget and monitor program expenditures on an ongoing basis, submitting budget transfers when necessary and ensuring fiscal responsibility.

• Assume responsibility for the collection, analysis, and reporting of Chicago/Lake County’s data. Prepare and submit required quarterly and annual narrative reports. Regularly report candidate and graduate data as requested for state and federal reports. Work with GYO-IL Grants Manager to prepare and submit quarterly and annual financial reports.

• Diversify funding and programming to expand GYO’s footprint across Illinois.

Specific Requirements Include

• Experience in teacher education (classroom teaching and/or experience collaborating with teacher candidates).

• Knowledge of teacher licensure programs and requirements in Illinois, as well as knowledge of PK-12 schools and higher education institutions.

• Experience working within racially diverse communities and understanding of life experiences that BIPOC candidates navigate.

• Proven organizational skills to develop plans of action, then continue to follow through on implementation to drive results.

• Demonstrated success in managing collaborative work teams and bringing people together around shared vision and goals, with emphasis on staff development and mentoring.

• Experience with proposal writing, budgeting, and internal and external reporting.

• Bachelor’s degree required; relevant advanced degree or equivalent training preferred.

Don’t check off every box in the requirements listed above? Please consider applying anyway! Studies have shown that underrepresented communities - such as women, people of color, LGBTQ, people with disabilities, and immigrants - are less likely to apply for jobs unless they meet every single qualification. Grow Your Own Illinois is dedicated to building an inclusive, diverse, equitable, and accessible workplace that fosters a sense of belonging – so if you are excited about this role but your experience doesn’t align perfectly with every qualification in the job description, we encourage you to consider still applying.