Position Title: Project Manager, New England Prison Education Collaborative (NEPEC)
Reports To: Director of Transfer Initiatives
Salary Range: $75,000 - 87,000
GENERAL SUMMARY:
??The New England Board of Higher Education (NEBHE) seeks a dedicated Project Manager to lead the New England Prison Education Collaborative (NEPEC). Under the guidance of the NEBHE President & CEO and the Director of Transfer Initiatives, this role involves implementing and driving the success of NEPEC. This transformative partnership provides incarcerated individuals in New England with high-quality, workforce-aligned educational opportunities. NEBHE values diverse experiences, including those of individuals the criminal legal system has impacted, and actively encourages applications from those with such lived experiences.
NEPEC will build upon the work and specific recommendations of The New England Commission on the Future of Higher Education in Prison, a 9-month regional endeavor funded by Ascendium Education Group. NEPEC will seek to ensure that every incarcerated person in New England has access to high-quality, workforce-aligned, equitable postsecondary opportunities with a wide range of educational pathways. To those ends, it will catalyze states' work to increase the availability of affordable, high-quality prison education programs, supporting collaboration within and across states to accelerate progress, build capacity and share resources via three multi-state projects over five years:
Prison Education Community of Practice
Higher Education Engagement Initiatives
New England Higher Education in Prison (HEP) Data and Research Collaborative
NEBHE BACKGROUND:
Established in 1955 by six visionary New England governors, NEBHE is a regional compact that works across New England to help leaders assess, develop, and implement education practices and policies of regional significance; promote regional cooperation that encourages efficient sharing of education resources; and strengthen the relationship between higher education and the regional economy. Based in downtown Boston, NEBHE is a nonpartisan, nonprofit organization.
ESSENTIAL JOB DUTIES:
Management & Coordination
Lead the development and launch of NEPEC, a formal six-state collaborative vehicle for achieving the Commission's aims
Plan, assign, review, and coordinate complex, large-scale, multistate projects and technical assistance efforts supporting prison education programs (PEP), often requiring complex political judgments, a high degree of responsiveness to constituents, and a mature sense of organization priorities and concerns
Oversee the development and execution of work plans, staff assignments and standards of quality to ensure all projects are completed and aligned with intended grant outcomes
Serve as the primary point of contact for NEBHE with The Educational Justice Institute at MIT (TEJI) for coordination and collaboration in co-directing NEPEC
Advise the NEBHE President & CEO and Director of Transfer Initiatives on PEP-related policy, program and administrative matters
Stakeholder Engagement & Support
Direct and oversee primary NEBHE engagements with key PEP stakeholders in each New England state and across the region to guide the development of NEPEC, including: corrections commissioners, prison education administrators, state legislators, people with lived experience in prison education programs, postsecondary institution leaders and faculty members, state higher education executive officers, business and workforce development leaders, subject-matter experts, scholars and policy innovators
Oversee the planning, promotion, and execution of convenings (communities of practice, NEPEC meetings, advisory committee meetings, webinars, conferences, and other events), including invitations, logistics, promotion, creation of materials and follow-ups
Oversee the development and dissemination of Request for Proposal (RFP), application review, and grant award processes to support effective sub-granting of resources to states and key collaborators, providing adequate accountability, outcomes, and reporting
Grant Management
Oversee the execution of grant-funded projects and ensure that deliverables are achieved, working collaboratively with staff, partner organizations, consultants, and other contributors
Manage grant budgets, in collaboration with the NEBHE Chief Financial Officer and Business Operations Manager
Ensure the completion of all grant reporting requirements, including grant narratives required for mid-term and final reports to funder(s)
Resource Development
Oversee the development of data-driven, research-based content and resources to support key grant-related deliverables, including policy and research reports and presentations, data briefs, and best practice tools to inform the work of state PEP coalitions, postsecondary institution leaders, state policymakers and other key stakeholders
Communications
In collaboration with the NEBHE Director of Communications and Marketing, oversee development of a regular communications strategy to the networks of varied collaborators and stakeholders to support system-level change, effective collaboration, engagement and awareness of NEPEC-related information and activities
Represents NEBHE and NEPEC at relevant higher education in prison events throughout New England and nationally
Supervisory Responsibility
The position will require supervision of at least one full-time staff member, 1-3 interns, and consultants.
QUALIFICATIONS & SKILLS:
Required
A bachelor's degree with significant experience in project management, particularly in education, social justice, or related fields.
5+ years of relevant, progressive work experience in higher education, prison education, workforce development, state policy or similar fields including experience supervising full-time staff
??Expert on significant issues and challenges impacting the success of prison education programs
Grant administration experience including the management of substantial, multi-year grants and budgets
Strategic planning experience, e.g., developing unit initiatives for complex stakeholder groups and planning complex projects from start to finish
Strong computer and technology skills, including working knowledge of Office 365, Teams, project management tools (e.g. Hive) and data visualization tools (e.g. Power BI)
Demonstrated success navigating complex, sometimes challenging working environments and seeking consensus among people with differing viewpoints and priorities
Commitment to continued learning and the advancement of diversity, equity and inclusion; understanding of, or willingness to learn about, the sensitivities involved in communicating about higher education in prison to a wide variety of stakeholders, including people that have been directly impacted by the criminal legal system. ???
Preferred
Substantial knowledge of state corrections, legislatures and intergovernmental policy processes
Expertise in higher education in prison and federal regulations related to the restoration of Pell Grants
Knowledge of, and experience with, postsecondary education credentialing work, such as credential transparency, industry-recognized credentials, micro credentials and badging, etc.
We welcome applicants with lived experience in the criminal legal system to apply.
BENEFITS
Medical and dental insurance
Life and disability insurance
Paid holidays and vacation
Retirement plan
Flexible hybrid work environment (with three required in-office days per week)
Occasional overnight travel within and beyond New England is required
WORKING CONDITIONS/PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS
More than half of the time spent in a normal office setting, not subject to extremes in temperature, noise, odors, etc.
Prolonged periods sitting at a desk and working on a computer
Must be able to lift up to 15 pounds at times
CONTACT
Interested applicants should submit a cover letter and resume or CV on LinkedIn or via an email to careers@nebhe.org using the subject line "NEBHE Project Manager, New England Prison Education Collaborative."