About NYC Kids RISE

NYC Kids RISE is a nonprofit organization working with the City of New York and the NYC Department of Education to manage the Save for College Program (the Program). Through the Program, eligible students enrolled in an NYC public school (including participating charter schools), starting in kindergarten, automatically receive a free NYC Scholarship Account with an initial allocation of $100 by NYC Kids RISE on their behalf, invested in a NY 529 Direct Plan, and opportunities to receive additional rewards over time. Their families can open and connect their own college and career savings account on their child’s behalf, and communities can contribute to groups of these NYC Scholarship Accounts as both a targeted and universal platform for community-driven asset-building in every neighborhood.

This approach draws from a variety of best practices and disciplines across the fields of asset building, child savings accounts, financial empowerment, education, community wealth building, urban poverty, neighborhood effects and social capital research, collective impact, and more. Read more about NYC Kids RISE and the Save for College Program and listen to stories from partners who helped build the platform during its pilot phase from 2017 to 2022.  You can also view recent articles in The New York Times, Fast Company, the Wall Street Journal, and the NYCHA Journal; and read more about NYC Kids RISE theory of change in a recent report by the Urban Institute.

After a successful pilot phase in the communities of School District 30 in Queens, NYC Kids RISE expanded citywide during the 2021-2022 school year. This school year, there will be more than 200,000 students participating in the Program across more than 1,000 elementary schools that have an NYC Scholarship Account for their educational futures.

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About Community Scholarships

A fundamental component of the Save for College Program, Community Scholarships are a way for communities to leverage their unique assets, institutions, and traditions to visibly and tangibly support their children’s educational futures. By enabling local stakeholders (businesses, neighbors, civic organizations, anchor institutions, etc.) to support NYC Scholarship Accounts in the ways and amounts that make sense for them, Community Scholarships are a tool for demonstrating community-wide support for every child’s future, encouraging families to continue planning and saving for higher education, strengthening social capital, and building generational wealth in neighborhoods. On top of these community-led contributions, NYC Kids RISE targets its own fundraising, partnerships, and projects to progressively direct assets toward the accounts of low-income families and communities, as well as families and communities of color.

Functionally, Community Scholarships are contributions to groups of NYC Scholarship Accounts through a donation to NYC Kids RISE. NYC Kids RISE allocates 100% of the donations received for Community Scholarships into the NYC Scholarship Accounts of the designated group of students, subject to its Community Scholarship Guidelines. You can learn more about the Community Scholarship pillar of the Save for College Program platform in the following brief.  For recent examples of Community Scholarships executed to date, check out the Community Scholarship powered by Flushing Bank, the Koeppel Kares Community Scholarship, and the Canarsie & East Flatbush Community Scholarship.  

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Community Scholarships Manager

NYC Kids RISE seeks an innovative and nimble Community Scholarships Manager who will enhance and maintain a comprehensive system for managing the full life cycle of Community Scholarships. Reporting to the Director of Community Scholarships, the Manager will be responsible for detailed project management, tracking, and reporting for each Community Scholarship, requiring cross-functional team collaboration and communication. The Manager will also work with internal teams and external stakeholders to expand the impact and visibility of Community Scholarships, including supporting public events at schools or within community settings, helping to expand and prototype new forms of Community Scholarships, and preparing briefings for various stakeholders.

The ideal candidate will have a strong attention to detail, be willing to roll up their sleeves, work cross-functionally with multiple teams, and manage multiple projects, priorities, and deadlines.

Key responsibilities include but are not limited to:

• Project Management - Maintain a comprehensive project management system across internal and external partners for tracking, organizing, and reporting on the current status, milestones, and the full life cycle of Community Scholarships, from early planning to implementation of a Community Scholarship with school and community stakeholders. This core responsibility will require cross-functional collaboration with various teams within NYC Kids RISE, including Communications, Research & Evaluation, Technology, Finance, Parent Foundations, and School Networks.

• Proactively plan and communicate status updates, manage project deliverables and timely follow ups, and support staff in setting and meeting project goals and deadlines throughout the lifecycle of a Community Scholarship.

• Policy, System, and Toolkit Development – Support continuous innovations in the systems and tools required to scale Community Scholarships and launch and replicate successful prototypes. Activities will include:
• Assist in updating policies and procedures that govern Community Scholarships;
• Assist in developing internal and external toolkits, trainings, and other content for scaling and managing Community Scholarships, such as tools to enable stakeholders within and across neighborhoods to design and execute their own Community Scholarships; and
• Create summaries, briefings and other content to share information about and highlight Community Scholarships for various stakeholders via various mediums.

• Fundraising - Support the fundraising strategy for Community Scholarships through research of prospective donors, contributing to grant applications, and managing funder reporting requirements specific to each Community Scholarship.

• Event Coordination - Support Community Scholarship related events at schools and in community settings, and work with the Communication team to highlight Community Scholarships in the media/press. Responsibilities might include event preparation and attendance, communicating with partners and vendors, helping to develop materials, and assisting with drafting press releases.

• External Communication - Support coordination, development, and distribution of public-facing content about Community Scholarships for students and families, community and school partners, and other external stakeholders.

• Special Projects - Lead or support special initiatives and ad-hoc projects, as needed.  

• Along with all NYC Kids RISE employees, maintain, and support other staff and volunteers to maintain strict adherence to NYC Kids RISE data security and privacy policies; remain vigilant on the ways in which NYC Kids RISE can continue to protect confidential information (including student and family Data); identify vulnerabilities; and proactively problem solve to improve controls and practices.

• Along with all NYC Kids RISE employees, participate and share in the organization’s work to advance racial equity and anti-oppression in the organization’s and program’s operations and practices; proactively identify opportunities to advance the development of an anti-racist organization; share and solicit ongoing feedback and conversations to advance this work.

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Qualifications

• Two to three years experience with detailed project or program management, tracking, and reporting.
• Exceptional attention to detail and strong organizational skills
• Capable of multitasking and meeting tight deadlines
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Keen judgment and ability to work independently
• Resourceful, adaptable, and creative problem-solver in fast-paced settings
• Experience using Google Workspace suite of products
• Proven ability to work with people from a variety of backgrounds and experiences
• Knowledge of, and demonstrated interest in, increasing economic opportunities and long-term financial security for low-income New York City families and neighborhoods, and combating wealth inequality and the racial wealth gap

• Experience in relevant fields: public sector program implementation, community-based financial institutions, or program development around asset building, financial capability, or education

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Salary

The potential salary for this position is from $80,000 to $90,000 which represents a range commensurate with experience.

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Location

NYC Kids RISE currently maintains a hybrid work environment where staff work both from home and in the office, as determined by the staff member's preferences as well as the needs of our organization and the specific responsibilities of individual roles and teams. Our offices are based in Long Island City (Queens, NY).

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To apply, a cover letter and resume are required. Please list the name of the position “Manager, Community Scholarships" in your cover letter.

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EEO Statement

NYC Kids Rise is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We do not discriminate in employment on the basis of basis of gender, religion, race, creed, color, national origin, citizenship status, age, disability, marital status, caregiver status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, military status, unemployed status, or any other characteristic protected by law.