AmeriCorps Program Director

About Breakthrough Silicon Valley

Starting in middle school, Breakthrough Silicon Valley launches talented students who have been historically excluded from higher education on the path to college, and inspires high school and college students to become the next generation of leaders, advocates, and educators. While ambitious in our goals, BTSV works: a stunning 99% of BTSV graduates attend college immediately after high school, and 78% of BTSV Teaching Fellows are inspired to pursue a career related to education as a result of their BTSV experience.

BTSV’s tuition-free program provides year-round out-of-school time academic support, counseling, and advocacy for a diverse group of talented students, most of whom come from under-resourced communities and will be the first generation in their family to go to college. Through our students-teaching-students model, BTSV also provides a consummate professional development experience providing talented high school and college students the opportunity to understand the K-12 system and the drivers of educational inequities, and to design and teach classes under the direction of seasoned educators.

Located in San Jose, California, Breakthrough Silicon Valley is an affiliate of The Breakthrough Collaborative, a leading national service organization that acts as the national voice for over 25 Breakthrough sites across the country.

The Position

The AmeriCorps Program Director (ACPD) will own the implementation of BTSV’s AmeriCorps program, proposed to launch in September 2022. The ACPD will also ensure that AmeriCorps members have a transformative service experience that advances their own goals for personal growth and development while supporting student success.

As ACPD, you will have an unparalleled opportunity to lead a new strategic initiative that will transform all aspects of BTSV’s services to students, and to become the team’s subject matter expert on AmeriCorps. You are a skilled builder of systems and processes, and you have demonstrated success in leading collaboration across organizations to reach shared goals. You will leverage a strong administrative and project management skill set to ensure that all team members are aligned on member recruitment, selection, eligibility, supervision, and measurements of success. At the same time, you will bring a passion for supporting young professionals to have impact through their service, see success in their first work experiences, and shape their career trajectories.

You understand that open communication and strong leadership are paramount, alongside an ambitious attitude and desire to drive continuous improvement within yourself and the BTSV team. You are comfortable using databases, CRMs, and project management tools, and are always excited to add more management and leadership skills to your toolkit.

The ACPD will report to BTSV’s Senior Director of Programs and Instruction.

Hiring of this role is contingent on final approval of our AmeriCorps grant application, and we expect to be notified by June 7, 2022. We are launching recruitment for this role now to position the ACPD for the earliest possible start in Summer 2022.

Areas of Ownership

• AmeriCorps Member Training and Professional Development: With collaboration from BTSV program staff and input from other Breakthrough affiliates, design and lead professional development experiences designed to support Corps Members to gain skills and confidence in their roles, to navigate their first professional experiences, and to inform their post-service pathway. When needed, provide direct coaching to Corps Members and/or their managers to ensure the best possible experience for all.
• AmeriCorps Program Administration: Design, implement and oversee systems to ensure that BTSV meets the exacting requirements for Corps Member recruitment, screening, enrollment, onboarding, evaluation, and offboarding of full-time and summer Corps Members
• Corps Member Recruitment: With support from the BTSV Operations team, build a network of pipeline partners and implement processes to ensure the timely recruitment of 10 full-time Corps Members and 50 minimum-time summer Corps Members to serve as summer Teaching Fellows.
• Corps Member Experience: Design and execute events and activities that build community among Corps Members and with BTSV professional staff, and reinforce BTSV’s core values and culture. Play a lead role in orienting Corps Members to AmeriCorps, to BTSV, and to the context of their work.
• BTSV Staff Leadership and Training: Take ownership of training all BTSV staff on AmeriCorps processes, supervising Corps Members, and allowable activities under the AmeriCorps grant.

What background and skills do you have?:

• You’ve demonstrated a high level of initiative and ability to work across a cross-functional team to implement new projects and processes.
• You’ve led or administered nonprofit programs, with a focus on building systems, detailed record keeping, and tracking of program activities and outcomes.
• You have experience designing professional development and training for others; specific experience supporting young professionals to succeed in early professional experiences is a plus.
• You’ve managed complex projects involving multiple stakeholders and adherence to strict deadlines and precise requirements; you have knowledge of common project management concepts and tools.
• “Breakthrough Spirit”: You’re a collaborative team player who is committed to excellence and open-minded, demonstrates a growth mindset, thinks creatively to solve problems, and works with a sense of humor and humility.
• Commitment to Breakthrough Silicon Valley’s mission and goals as well as a passion for educational equity.

Bonus points if:

• You have experience administering AmeriCorps programs, and/or experience as an AmeriCorps member.
• You have experience at a nonprofit youth development, education, or college access organization, and/or experience serving historically excluded communities.

• You’ve managed direct reports and led high-performing teams.

• You’ve tracked expenses and planned spending according to a budget.

• You’re bilingual (Spanish or Vietnamese).

We know that many strong candidates will not have all the skills we list. That’s OK. What else do you bring to the table? Please tell us!

Compensation and Benefits

• This is a full-time, exempt position. The salary range for this position starts at $90,000. To allow for salary growth, BTSV typically makes salary offers close to the range minimum, taking into consideration the candidate’s qualifications, our budget, and internal equity.
• Health benefits: Medical, dental, and vision coverage, with 100% of employee premiums and 75% of dependent premiums covered by BTSV.
• Retirement Benefits: 401(k) plan with immediate, fully vested 3% company match.
• Paid time off: 15 days of PTO, plus 11 holidays and two “shut-down” weeks.
• Professional development fund for professional growth and learning opportunities.

Location and Hours

BTSV maintains two offices in San Jose:

• Bridges Academy: 1702 McLaughlin Ave, San Jose, CA 95122
• Herbert Hoover Middle School: 1635 Park Ave, San Jose, CA 95126

Since you will be supporting AmeriCorps members who will be leading in-person programming in San Jose, you will need to work in person at a BTSV office a minimum of three days per week, with the flexibility to work from a home office when in-person work is not required. As BTSV is an “out of school time program,” occasional evening and weekend work, as well as travel to offsite programs and events in the San Jose area, are also required.

COVID-19 Information

BTSV requires all employees to be vaccinated against COVID-19 (one dose of Johnson & Johnson, two doses of Moderna, or two doses of Pfizer-BioNTech). Proof of vaccination must be provided prior to your first day of employment. Employees may request accommodation if they have a qualifying medical condition or on the basis of sincerely held religious beliefs and practices.

BTSV is also continually monitoring the COVID-19 situation locally and will continue to comply with all state, county, city, and/or school district directives on PPE, social distancing, vaccination, and remote work as they evolve.

Application Process

Apply online at http://breakthroughsv.org/joinourteam. Please indicate where you heard about the position in your cover letter. We will review applications on a rolling basis.

BTSV engages with individuals of all backgrounds and we are committed to embracing diversity within our organization, including developing a team who represents the communities we serve.

As an Equal Opportunity Employer, BTSV is committed to providing employment opportunities to all individuals and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, ethnicity, religion, sex, gender, gender identity and expression, sexual orientation, national origin, disability, age, marital status, veteran status, pregnancy, or any other basis prohibited by applicable law.