Associate Director of Advocacy and Community Schools

Who We Are

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is a nonprofit organization that operates 20 tuition-free, open-enrollment charter public schools, within 20 Local Education Agencies (LEA), educating more than 10,000 students and supporting 6,800 alumni to and through college and beyond.

What We Believe

KIPP SoCal believes that the purpose of education is for liberation. This means that we see, develop, and inspire the limitless potential in each and all of our KIPPsters.

What We Do

At KIPP SoCal we build trusting relationships that are strengthened by high expectations and collaboration alongside laughter and joy. We set ambitious goals and hold each other accountable for students achieving their greatest potential. We work together with each other and in partnership with families and communities in the active pursuit of a more equitable world. We do the right thing, even when it's not always comfortable standing up and speaking out against anti-blackness, racism, oppression, and injustice. We persevere through obstacles and treat failure as an opportunity to learn and grow.

You Should Apply If:

You desire to lead the transformation of our schools into hubs of community engagement and support. The Associate Director of Advocacy and Community Schools serves as the subject matter expert in advocacy and community engagement efforts for KIPP SoCal schools. This role will support the implementation of community schools at KIPP SoCal by providing close support to Community School Managers and enhancing community engagement efforts. As part of the External Impact team, the Associate Director reports to the Directory of Advocacy and Community Engagement, oversees a group of schools, and manages Community School Managers based on regional caseload.

Priority application review deadline: January 15, 2025

*Note: This role is "hybrid" meaning there is considerable work done in our schools, out a community events, in our office located near Downtown LA, and, at times, from home.

• Cultivate Champions & Engage our Community
• Partner with local organizations to host needed services at our schools i.e. vaccination sites, dental clinics, etc. 
• Oversee and project manage Community Fairs and other events such as the KIPP is Community Voter Registration Event.
• Engage with local leaders and potential supporters via monthly updates to school board members, local city council members, and local officers.

• Engage School Leadership & Families
• Collaborate with school leadership and the Community School Manager to create an ACE Plan with school-specific goals based on the needs assessment 
• Participate in trainings for family engagement and community organizing
• Support the Family Ambassador program by attending all Family Ambassador program meetings, professional development, and events  

• Plan and Implement Flagship Initiatives 
• Civic Engagement (1 AD ACS) 
• Coordinate voter outreach campaign and provide training on voter registration 
• Mobilize and prepare families to participate in community advocacy events 
• Partnership Development (1 AD ACS)
• Develop 1+ new key partnership each year to address families’’ common essential needs
• Finalize plan for implementing services or programs across KIPP schools
• Host resource fairs (2 a year, or more) 
• Family Leadership (1 AD ACS)
• Create long term plan for Family Ambassador program, including the scope and sequence 
• Support in the finding, onboarding, and development of 2+ new Family Ambassadors for each school on caseload 

• Community Schools Implementation
• Support Community Schools Managers in connecting with community partners, running clinics at their sites, supporting needs assessments, and building their school-based local coalitions. 
• Facilitate the organization of 60+ CSM-led events that benefit students, families, and the community (annually, 3 events per school.

• Family and Community Engagement 
• Achieve 90% family agreement on KIPP’s active participation in the community (KIPP SoCal Family Survey). 
• Ensure KIPP SoCal attends 50+ community events annually 

• Planning & Executing: Plans to meet goals and diligently follows plans, recognizing and adjusting as needed; organizes resources needed to accomplish projects; strives to manage their time and energy effectively while recognizing when support is needed.
• Achievement Orientation: Pursues work with ownership and initiative; follows through on roles and responsibilities; works to reach goals, no matter how big or small.
• Stakeholder Management: Plans for and/or leverages opportunities to engage multiple stakeholders as appropriate; identifies and strengthens relationships, including those with diverse and marginalized voices; uses a variety of strategies to promote trust in their work.
• Self-Awareness: Is engaged in learning about their own strengths and weaknesses;  seeks out blindspots and is responsive to constructive feedback and the potential for opportunities to improve; is aware of their identity, power, and/or position; is aware of and open to listening to how others may perceive their actions, comments, and tone.
• Impact & Influence: Adapts personal style/approach to influence others; anticipates reactions and proactively addresses concerns of others to help collectively move toward a goal.
• Foundations of Team Membership: Is an engaged member of the team; collaborates and cooperates with team members; identifies problems in relationships and generates approaches to addressing them; engages in the work of furthering KIPP SoCal’s beliefs, purpose, and vision.
• Performance Management & Talent Development: Sets team and individual goals using an equity lens; holds team members accountable; coaches others towards goals; recognizes accomplishments and provides feedback; creates developmental opportunities; completes reviews for direct reports and 90-day check-ins for new team members
• Direction Setting: Uses strategies to inspire and gain the commitment of others, such as inviting others to help shape direction; is a leader in establishing, articulating, aligning, and teaching vision, purpose, and goals; is a model for managing change by seeking to understand its effects and uses tools to address potential marginalization resulting from change
• Continuous Learning and Improvement: Takes responsibility for personal behavior and impact on others; exhibits curiosity in their work; observes, researches, and collaborates; takes advantage of opportunities for personal and organizational improvement when offered

• College degree preferred, but not required
• Experience working in an urban school setting
• Able to manage others and manage through layers
• Evidence of designing and completing complex problems and projects
• Experience mobilizing groups, building partnerships with local organizations, and leveraging resources within a community
• Able to work a flexible schedule including some weekends and evenings

• The salary range for this role is $85,600-$128,400. New hires, even for internal team members, are typically brought into the position  at a salary between the range minimum and the salary range midpoint of $89,880-$94,160 depending on qualifications, internal equity, and the budget allocated for this role.
• 100% of healthcare premium costs covered by employer, dependents added at 50% of the cost
• 401(k) plan with up to 6% match by KIPP SoCal

KIPP SoCal Public Schools is an equal opportunity employer and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, veteran status, disability, sexual orientation/gender identity, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

KIPP SoCal strives to ensure that our careers website is accessible to all, including individuals with disabilities. If you require reasonable accommodation for any part of the application or hiring process due to a disability, please contact us. You can find our contact information on our website, http://www.kippsocal.org/. Information will be sent to a talent acquisition representative who will provide assistance to ensure appropriate consideration in the hiring process.