Principal Associate, Post Secondary Education

Center/Office:  Institute for Youth, Education & Families

Range:  Salary commensurate with experience

*******GRANT FUNDED EMPLOYMENT*********

General Description: 

Responsible for primary program support and management for the Institute’s work in areas related to college access and completion.  Reports to Program Director for Education and Afterschool. 

Examples of Work: 

Coordinates the Institute’s Communities Learning in Partnership (CLIP) initiative and provides technical assistance and responds to requests for assistance from NLC member cities, state municipal leagues, and other organizations related to strategies to increase college completion rates, particularly within community colleges. 

Conceptualizes and serves as primary author of reports, strategy guides, and toolkits for NLC member cities, and coordinates articles for NLC’s weekly newspaper, monthly newsletters, and other publications. 

Plans, organizes, and leads audioconferences, conference calls, web seminars, and site visits designed to engage NLC member cities on specific topics related to the CLIP initiative. 

Leads efforts to compile information on best practices and promising initiatives within cities in these issue areas to use as resources for technical assistance, NLC publications and newsletters, and to inform the Education team and other divisions within NLC about city initiatives. 

Develops and cultivates national partnerships with federal agencies and other national non-profit organizations working in the field, and identifies opportunities to draw upon these partnerships in order to broaden the array of resources available to municipal leaders in NLC member cities. 

Plans and implements workshops and meetings at NLC’s two annual conferences, the Congress of Cities and the Congressional City Conference, as well as the YEF Institute’s biennial Summit on Your City’s Families. 

Directs and contributes to efforts to develop and update materials related to the CLIP initiative and college access and completion for inclusion on NLC’s Web site. 

Makes speeches or presentations, facilitates sessions, and represents NLC at city-sponsored events and national, regional, and state conferences and meetings in order to build new partnerships, raise the visibility of NLC’s work, and stay abreast of the latest developments in the field. 

Cultivates new relationships and strengthens existing collaborations with national or regional foundations and corporate funders, contributing to the development of funding proposals and long-term work plans related to college access and completion.  

Assists with the recruitment of new NLC member cities and members of NLC standing committees. 

Supervises one or more staff associates, interns or fellows when available to assist with aspects of NLC’s work related to college access and completion. 

Serves as a resource on relevant issues to other NLC staff. 

Performs other related duties as assigned. 

Some travel required. 

Required Education and Experience: 

Graduate degree in education or related field required; minimum ten years of relevant experience in research or policy analysis; experience with association or membership organization preferred, or a combination of education and experience that provides the required knowledge, skills, and abilities.   

Required Knowledge, Skills & Abilities: 

Extensive knowledge of issues related to postsecondary success, including college access and completion, and city-school-higher education partnerships that advance these goals; strong research and writing skills; experience working with city officials and/or knowledge of city initiatives in these areas preferred; professional networks and visibility in fields related to college access and completion; knowledge of computer database programs preferred; ability to interact effectively with members, representatives of other organizations, consultants, and all levels of NLC staff.