CSP Grant Manager

INCS seeks a Charter Schools Program (CSP) Grant Manager to play a key role on the INCS Charter Growth and Support team in the execution of INCS’ federal CSP grant which will provide generous grants to new, replicating and expanding charter schools throughout the state. The CSP grant manager will be the primary contact for the Illinois charter schools that are awarded the subgrants and manage all aspects of the grant: planning, execution, technical assistance, meeting management, and reporting with strong support from other INCS staff on the CSP grant team.

The reporting and monitoring of a federal grant of this size is comprehensive, and INCS is seeking candidates who embrace detail, time management, and organization. The Grant Manager will ensure that the CSP grant effectively supports charter growth efforts and improvement of the quality of the charter school sector in Illinois and provide strategic support to school teams applying for the grant.

ABOUT THE ILLINOIS NETWORK OF CHARTER SCHOOLS 

Founded in 2003, the Illinois Network of Charter Schools (INCS) is a statewide membership organization with 143 member schools serving 65,000 students across Illinois. INCS strives to fulfill its mission to: (1) Change life opportunities for students in Illinois by providing high-quality public education options, and (2) Create a growing number of high-performing schools statewide that drive reform in the K-12 sector more broadly and prove that schools can transform communities.

INCS believes that charter school options are valuable to parents seeking an alternative, high-quality public-school education for their children. The organization envisions a robust charter public school sector operating at scale throughout Illinois and is passionate about furthering the charter public school movement and harnessing the charter model as a catalyst for strengthening K-12 schooling.

INCS is a 501(c)(3) that is the voice of Illinois charter schools. INCS engages a diverse coalition of policymakers, school leaders, parents, and community members to create systemic change and secure high-quality schools for underserved communities through policy change, data and research, and advocacy. Its sister entity, INCS Action for Public Charter Schools, is a 501(c)(4) organization focused on engaging the charter school community in the legislative and political process, growing the coalition of charter school supporters and activists, and educating Illinois public officials on the impact of charter public schools.

INCS and INCS Action advocate for the improvement of public education in Illinois by creating the conditions that allow high-quality charter public schools to grow, thrive, and serve students and families well. We work toward creating positive conditions for charter public schools by informing community members of the value of charter public schools, supporting elected officials who enact laws providing equitable funding and accountability, and partnering with authorizers complying to ensure fair and transparent charter public schools policies and practices for school oversight. As a membership organization, school services are also a critical feature of a charter public school’s membership to INCS.

OUR MISSION AND ADVOCACY

The Illinois Network of Charter Schools advocates for the improvement of public education by leveraging the charter school model as a catalyst to transform lives and communities. As the voice of Illinois charter schools, INCS engages a diverse coalition of policymakers, school leaders, parents, and community members to create systemic change and secure high-quality schools for underserved communities.

INCS works to ensure:

• Adequate and equitable resources for charter public schools
• Autonomy to find innovative approaches to meet student needs
• Fair, transparent policy landscape that allows high-quality options to thrive

INCS engages with state legislators, City Council members, the Mayor’s office, the Chicago Board of Education, and other entities to drive forward policies that benefit our member schools and their families.  With the support of advocates, INCS has achieved three of its five legislative priorities, allowing for greater autonomy, flexibility, and equity: securing charter funding equity, preserving state authorized charter schools, and extending charter renewal terms. We continue to strive to accomplish remaining priorities related to facilities access and support, eliminating the charter cap, and prioritizing the evidence-based funding formula to drive resources to districts serving low-income households and English learners.

DIVERSITY, EQUITY, INCLUSION AND COMMITMENT TO ACTION

We believe that access to high quality schools is a fundamental equity challenge and our work at INCS is centered on supporting all families to access high quality public school options in their communities that support students to lead lives of opportunity First and foremost, the Director of Community Impact must believe that every child, regardless of socioeconomic factors or their academic starting point, has the potential to succeed in school, career, and life. In addition, candidates should be aware of how public education systems have historically and disproportionately disadvantaged vulnerable communities. They must believe that charter schools have the power to transform public education and the lives of students.

INCS invests in building greater cultural competence and responsiveness across our team. We believe that culturally competent teams, especially when inclusive of individuals who share the racial, socioeconomic, and/or academic backgrounds (e.g., first-generation college-goers) of member schools’ student populations, are best equipped to take action with our member schools, communities, and the students and families we serve to create lasting systemic change. To that end, we believe in building a richly diverse and inclusive organization, including a mission-critical imperative for all staff to both model and contribute to the vision we hope to achieve.

AREAS OF WORK AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Grant Management

• Become the expert on the content of the federal grant application as that will inform compliance requirements.
• Manage the grant project plan to ensure that all aspects of the grant are executed, which includes, but is not limited to the subgrant competition, subgrantee technical support, subgrantee execution of their grant, and subgrant reporting.
• Manage the ongoing meetings with subgrantees and charter school authorizers throughout the duration of the grant.
• Attend conferences virtually and in Washington, DC (annually) with other federal grantees
• Manage the peer review process of the four cycles of the CSP grant.
• Collaborate with INCS finance team to ensure timely and verifiable reimbursement to all subgrantee schools and submission of appropriate reimbursements to the U.S. Department of Education.
• Maintain and update, as necessary, the Charter Schools Program pages on the INCS website to inform interested subgrantees and charter school authorizers.
• Partner with the INCS Communications Manager to share out successes and milestones of the CSP grant through email, social media, and other marketing communications.

Charter Development Support

• Develop and maintain understanding of charter school landscape and dynamics throughout the state, including funding mechanisms, charter school authorization options, and political context.
• Develop expertise in the charter design and authorization process, as it pertains to high-performing charter schools and networks seeking to replicate as well as design teams seeking to launch new charter schools.
• Track charters and networks interested in replication and high-potential new charter designers.

Community Engagement and Organizing

• Support new, replicating, and expanding charter schools with content experts to guide them to identify communities in which one or more charter public schools could help advance unmet local goals for student success.
• Partner with the Director of Growth and Support to meet with local leaders to engage school board members to gain their support and interest in authorizing charter public schools.

Pipeline Development

• Collaborate with the Director of Charter Growth and Support to develop and implement strategies for identifying charter advocates and early-stage charter design teams, including ways to proactively find charter starters or charter advocates in high-need communities throughout Illinois. Past strategies have included webinars and in- person workshops. We are interested in new strategies that leverage social media and/or other technology.
• Serve as point-person for initial contact from individuals and teams interested in charter growth. Share relevant resources and conduct screening calls or meetings to assess quality of prospective charter designers/teams.
• Maintain a pipeline database and relationships with high-potential future charter leaders.
• Establish regular means of communications with the pipeline, especially as it pertains to grant deadlines and training opportunities.

Charter Starter Resource Development

• Identify, collect, and develop support resources including document templates and samples, a network of content area experts, and other tools that charter school design teams can readily access.
• Build a base of content area leaders that INCS and CSP recipients can access.
• Leverage technology to enhance the accessibility of resource offerings.
• Other duties as assigned by the CSP Grant Team include the Senior Director of Advocacy, the Director of Charter Growth and Support and the Chief Program & Operations Officer. This role will report directly to the Chief Program & Operations Officer.

QUALIFICATIONS

First and foremost, the CSP Grant Manager must believe that charter schools have the power to transform public education and the lives of students.

Required

• Strong project management - excellent attention to detail and ability to manage multiple streams of work at once;
•  Interest in navigating complex bureaucratic and political environments;
• Willingness to read, comprehend and retain the content of grant applications, rules, and compliance requirements.
• Comfortable with public speaking, training, coaching or otherwise leading adults;
• Strategic and tactical planning experience on behalf of an organization; and
• A history of working in fast-paced entrepreneurial environments around a specific set of goals.

Preferred

• Experience in advocacy and/or grassroots work, including relating to and influencing a variety of external partners, including civic leaders, community organizations, elected and appointed politicians, and parents;
• Managing or working with or under a federal grant;
• Work in a school, education non-profit, or education-adjacent organization;
• Familiarity with federal education grants;
• Understanding of the process of how to start a charter school;
• Insight into school districts and regional offices of education around the State of Illinois.
• Ideal candidates will have 3+ years of work experience in education, non-profit, for-profit, or governmental agencies.

Candidates for the position must have the following skills and characteristics:

• Significant organizational skills;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills, especially presenting to large groups;
• Commitment to follow through with complex processes;
• Collaborative team player;
• Adaptable; willing to learn new things;
• High expectations and a focus on results;
• Ability to work independently, as a highly organized self‐starter;
• Sharp instincts required to spot issues in advance and navigate the complexity of the Illinois education community;
• Ability to move a project forward quickly in an entrepreneurial environment, including rapid decision making and clear communication about roles and responsibilities.

EQUAL OPPORTUNITY

INCS is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will be considered for employment without unlawful discrimination based on race, color, creed, national origin, sex, age, disability, marital status, sexual orientation, gender expression, military status, prior record of arrest or conviction, citizenship status, current employment status, or caregiver status.

WORK LOCATION AND SCHEDULE

This is a full-time, exempt position based in Chicago, Illinois. The candidate must be local to the area. INCS offers a hybrid work environment, with employees expected to work on-site at our Chicago office three days per week and remotely for two days. Occasional travel is required for site visits to CSP sub-grantees and for organizational events or meetings as needed.

COMPENSATION

The salary range for this position is between $70,000 and $85,000. A full suite of benefits including health insurance, a matching 403(b) program, generous time off, paid holidays, and professional development.

HOW TO APPLY

We will review candidates until the position is filled. Please visit our website to apply. www.incschools.org/join-our- team/