Strategic Initiatives Specialist

ABOUT THE DC PUBLIC CHARTER SCHOOL BOARD (DC PCSB)

Every day, we’re doing the work to ensure that 44,000+ public charter school students, families, and communities receive a quality education that makes them feel valued and prepared for lifelong learning, fulfilling careers, and economic security. DC PCSB is an independent agency of the District of Columbia government. Our mission, vision, values, and work are rooted in the principles of ensuring all DC students have access to a quality education.

ABOUT THE ROLE

The Strategic Initiatives Specialist reports to the Chief of Staff and supports the Office of the Executive Director in implementing DC PCSB Board Meetings, the Strategic Roadmap, and other agency-wide initiatives and events. The Strategic Initiatives Specialist will be the go-to person for planning DC PCSB board meetings and engaging with board members. They will ensure the seven-member Board has what it needs to make its high-stakes decisions to open and close schools during board meetings that are open to the public. The Strategic Initiatives Specialist is the trusted go-to person for board members and speaks with confidence about the board meeting when interacting with stakeholders inside and outside the agency.

The Specialist will partner closely with the Chief of Staff, Operations, and Strategic Initiatives Manager, leading the logistics, planning, and administrative operations to ensure DC PCSB staff have access to the information and systems required to do their best work. This position is critical to ensuring agency-wide strategic communication and initiatives are transparent, seamless, and timely.

Core Responsibilities

• Board Member Systems and Engagement
  • Partner with the Operations Coordinator and External Affairs to schedule and plan school visits where the DC PCSB Executive Director and Board Members have a formal opportunity to see the schools in our portfolio up close
  • Build relationships and work closely with board members such that you might anticipate their engagement preferences. 
  • Prepare for and facilitate the annual Board calendaring and engagement kickoff meeting to connect with all relevant parties and ensure their roles and responsibilities are clear
• Board Meeting Systems
  • Handle recurring and ad hoc Board Meeting Logistics, including scheduling, Zoom facilitation, and closeout.
  • Review and check all board materials across departments for formatting and completeness.
  • Manage the run-of-show to ensure that all parties involved are prepared to deliver on their respective aspects of the meeting
  • Lead internal DC PCSB communication related to board meetings, supporting the Chief of Staff to implement a variety of systems required to ensure board meetings run smoothly.
  • Partner with the External Affairs team to manage the receipt, response, tracking, and routing of public comments submitted for board meetings.
  • Own and implement the Open Meetings Act process steps required to ensure DC PCSB staff meetings are compliant, transparent, and accessible to all community members.
  • Add: Post-board meeting tasks (e.g., signatures, action items)

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Transparency Systems
  • Facilitate and own the overall SOP development, maintenance, and communication process at DC PCSB
  • Ensure DC PCSB Standard Operating Procedures are complete, accurate, and timely
  • Implement and monitor the processes for creating and updating SOPs at DC PCSB
  • Review documentation and ensure consistency across SOPs
  • Develop training and materials on the creation and maintenance of SOPs and other cross-agency transparency systems
  • Stay informed of new processes and significant changes, ensuring proper documentation, ownership, and approval by relevant stakeholders.
• Strategic Initiatives Systems and Logistics
  • Work closely with the Strategic Initiatives Manager to monitor and update the DC PCSB strategic roadmap
  • Gather and organize materials and details required to assess the status of the roadmap
  • Conduct outreach to the strategic roadmap owners to ensure timely delivery of the relevant roadmap objectives
  • Own end-to-end annual planning calendar update, maintenance and launch processes, centralizing all key DC PCSB workstreams in one place
  • Interface frequently with members of the leadership team to track progress and steer the direction of cross-functional initiatives
• Staff Meeting and Agency Event Operations Logistics
  • Under the guidance of the Strategic Initiatives Manager, support planning and implementation of the bi-weekly all-staff meeting, all-staff retreat, and other large-scale staff events
  • Handle event planning logistics, including scheduling, run-of-show drafting, attendee coordination, and more
  • Collect staff feedback to continually improve upon all-staff communication and events  
• Administrative Support for Office of the Executive
  • Provide occasional supplemental administrative support for the Executive Director
  • Synthesize takeaways, feedback, questions, and action items from key meetings
  • Collect content and materials for all-staff communication, like newsletters and more

Competencies and Qualifications

• Well-organized with the ability to track disparate and routinized tasks
• Identifies the need for repeatable routines and proactively codifies processes
• Plans ahead to set and meet deadlines
• Anticipates operational and logistical needs without prompting
• Builds and maintains relationships across all staff levels and job functions with a customer service orientation
• Collaborates effectively with a can-do attitude
• Maintains relevant, detailed, orderly records that prioritize end-user accessibility and objectives
• Responds productively to shifting needs and priorities, seeking rationale and guidance on how to pivot
• Attentive to detail such that compliance-based critical timelines and requirements are consistently met
• Maintains a high standard for the polish, completeness, and timeliness of their work and support provided in service of others
• Must have experience with calendar management, scheduling, and at peak times, juggling a high volume of multiple tasks at once
• Must be proficient with Zoom, Google, and Microsoft Office product suites
• Must be a proficient verbal and written communicator, particularly when it comes to email, newsletters, and process documentation
• Must have experience owning deadline-driven, timebound multi-step processes where input is required from several parties
• Must express comfort and willingness to discuss, learn, and implement the Mission, Vision, and Values of DC PCSB.
• Experience supporting senior leaders and exposure to board and executive-level operations, a plus
• Experience in education (policy), government agency, or authorizer, a plus

Compensation and Benefits
Salary is competitive and commensurate with prior experience in a similar role. DC PCSB offers a comprehensive benefits plan covering 100% of the employee’s insurance premium. If you’re employed by a government or not-for-profit organization, you might be eligible for the PSLF Program. Please visit the studentaid.gov website for eligibility details and requirements.

The salary for this role is $70,898 - $85,885

DC PCSB is an equal-opportunity employer dedicated to fostering a unified workplace. We are committed to ensuring all employees feel valued and respected. We recognize that multiple perspectives and experiences contribute to a strong and effective team, enhancing our ability to fulfill our mission

TO APPLY

The review of applications will begin immediately and will continue until the position is filled. DC PCSB is not enrolled in E-Verify and does not sponsor individuals for work visas.